Cha Chaan Teng Satay Beef Noodle Soup
茶餐廳沙嗲牛肉麵·(cha-chaan-teng sa-te ngau-yuk-min)
The Rice Cooker & The Morning Jook
Inside a Kowloon Cha Chaan Teng at rush hour, the hot oil hisses, bowls hit the table fast, steaming broth flooding a packet of instant ramen. The secret is a jar of satay sauce—Teochew Sa Cha sauce cut with cheap, smooth Skippy peanut butter. Add a pinch of baking soda to velvet a tough cut of supermarket beef, and in twenty minutes, you've resurrected the unmistakable, deeply savory taste of home without romanticizing the grind. Drop the noodles in last, grab your chopsticks, and slurp it down scalding.
Before you start
Velvet the beef.
Massage the baking soda, 1 tablespoon of water, 1 tablespoon of light soy sauce, and 1/2 teaspoon of sugar into the sliced beef until the liquid is entirely absorbed. Stir in the cornstarch until tacky, coat with 1 tablespoon of oil to seal, and let rest on the counter for 30 minutes.
Ingredients
- flank steak8 oz
- baking soda1/4 tsp
- water1 tbsp
- light soy sauce1 tbsp
- sugar1/2 tsp
- cornstarch1 tsp
- neutral cooking oil1 tbsp
- Sa Cha sauce2 tbsp
- smooth peanut butter2 tbsp
- light soy sauce1 tbsp
- dark soy sauce1 tsp
- sugar1 tsp
- water1/2 cup
- neutral cooking oil2 tbsp
- garlic2 small clove
- shallot1 med
- instant ramen noodles2 med pack
- light chicken broth3 cup
- scallion2 med stalk
Method
- 01
Mix the satay sauce.
Whisk together the Sa Cha sauce, peanut butter, 1 tablespoon of light soy sauce, dark soy sauce, 1 teaspoon of sugar, and 1/2 cup of water in a small bowl until it forms a smooth, thick liquid.
- 02
Sear the beef.
Heat a wok or large skillet over high heat with 1 tablespoon of oil until shimmering. Flash-fry the marinated beef in a single layer for ninety seconds until just browned but slightly pink inside, then pull it off the heat and set aside.
- 03
Build the gravy.
Drop the heat to medium, add the remaining 1 tablespoon of oil to the residual beef fat, and stir-fry the garlic and shallot until fragrant. Pour in the sauce mixture, let it bubble into a rich gravy, then toss the beef back in for thirty seconds to finish cooking.
- 04
Prepare the noodles and broth.
In a separate pot, bring the chicken broth to a boil and cook the instant noodles for two to three minutes until springy and al dente.
- 05
Assemble and serve.
Divide the noodles and clear broth among bowls, then generously spoon the hot, saucy beef directly on top so you can mix it into a rich, cloudy soup yourself. Garnish with scallions.
Notes
The velvet secret.
Do not skip the baking soda and water massage; it physically alters the meat's pH and transforms cheap cuts into a meltingly tender, restaurant-quality sponge.
The Sa Cha substitute.
If you absolutely cannot find Sa Cha sauce, a chaotic but effective Tuesday-night hack is mixing one tablespoon of standard BBQ sauce with a half teaspoon each of fish sauce and garlic powder.