This classic Vietnamese noodle dish features a lightly crispy bed of panfried rice noodles topped with a slightly tangy, saucy stir-fry of beef and vegetables. It is among my favorites. For this preparation, I usually start with dried noodles the size of pappardelle (or wide egg noodles), mostly as a matter of convenience because soft , room-temperature fresh rice noodles are hard to come by. If you should find good fresh rice noodles, use them the day you buy them. You will need to buy a pound for this recipe, and you don’t have to boil them. They are already cooked and coated with oil, so just toss them with salt and panfry.

　　

Ingredients

serves 2 as a main dish, or 4 to 6 with 2 or 3 other dishes

　　1/3 pound wide dried flat rice noodles

　　Salt

　　6 tablespoons canola or other neutral oil

　　

Marinade

1 teaspoon cornstarch

　　1/4 teaspoon sugar

　　3/4 teaspoon fish sauce

　　1 1/2 teaspoons light (regular) soy sauce

　　1/2 pound flank steak, cut across the grain into strips about 3 inches long, 3/4 inch wide, and a scant 1/4 inch thick

　　

Flavoring Sauce

1/2 teaspoon sugar

　　1 1/2 tablespoons oyster sauce

　　2 teaspoons fish sauce

　　1 teaspoon light (regular) soy sauce

　　3/4 cup warm water

　　1 tomato

　　1 1/2 cups small broccoli florets, about 2 inches long and 1 inch wide at the bud end

　　1 small carrot, peeled, halved lengthwise, and cut on the diagonal into 1/8-inch-thick slices

　　1/2 red bell pepper, seeded and cut into 3/4-inch squares

　　2 tablespoons water

　　1/2 small yellow onion, sliced lengthwise 1/4 inch thick

　　2 1/2 teaspoons cornstarch dissolved in 1 1/2 tablespoons water

　　Black pepper

　　

Step 1

Cook the rice noodles in a large pot of boiling water for 3 to 4 minutes, or until cooked but still firm. Drain, flush with cold water, and drain again. Transfer to a large plate or baking dish. Gently toss with a scant 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1 1/2 teaspoons of the oil, and then spread the noodles out to dry and cool. Once the noodles are cool, they are ready for panfrying. Or, you may put them in an airtight container or zip-top plastic bag and refrigerate them overnight; bring them to room temperature before panfrying.

　　

Step 2

To make the marinade, in a shallow bowl large enough to accommodate the beef, combine the cornstarch, sugar, fish sauce, and soy sauce and mix well. Add the beef and use chopsticks or your fingers to coat the beef evenly. Set near the stove.

　　

Step 3

To make the flavoring sauce, in a small bowl, combine the sugar, oyster sauce, fish sauce, soy sauce, and water and stir well to dissolve the sugar. Set near the stove.

　　

Step 4

Bring a saucepan filled with salted water to a rolling boil. Cut a small, shallow X in the blossom end of the tomato. Drop the tomato into the boiling water for about 30 seconds, or until the skin shows signs of loosening from the flesh. Remove the tomato from the pan with a slotted spoon. When cool enough to handle, peel, core, and cut the tomato into 1/2-inch-thick wedges. Put the wedges in a small bowl and set near the stove.

　　

Step 5

Return the water to a rolling boil. Add the broccoli, carrot, and bell pepper and cook for about 2 minutes, or until crisp tender. Drain the vegetables and quickly flush them with cold water. Drain well again and set near the stove. Place a plate near the stove for the holding the elements of the stir-fry as you cook them.

　　

Step 6

To panfry the noodles, heat 1 1/2 tablespoons of the oil in a 10-inch nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add the noodles and spread them out into a large, flat pancake. Add the water, cover, and cook for 1 to 2 minutes, or until the noodles have softened. Uncover and panfry the noodles, undisturbed, for 2 to 3 minutes, or until slightly crispy and barely golden. Don’t let them cook until they turn gold, or they will be too chewy and hard. As the noodles crisp, they will move in a solid mass when you shake the skillet handle. Use a wide spatula to turn the noodles over, or flip them over with a confident sharp jerk of the skillet handle. Dribble 1 1/2 tablespoons of the oil into the pan, adding it at the rim. Fry the second side for 3 to 4 minutes. Slide the finished noodle pancake out onto a large serving plate. Use kitchen scissors to cut it into 6 to 8 wedges. If you like, put the plate of noodles in a warm oven while you stir-fry the topping.

　　

Step 7

In a wok or large skillet, heat 2 tablespoons of the oil over medium-high heat. Add the onion and stir-fry for about 30 seconds, or until fragrant. Bank the onion on one side of the pan, increase the heat to high and add the beef, spreading it out into a single layer. Let it cook, undisturbed, for about 1 minute. When the beef begins to brown, use a spatula to flip and stir-fry it, incorporating the onion, for another 1 to 2 minutes, or until the beef is still slightly rare. Transfer the beef and onion to the plate.

　　

Step 8

Lower the heat to medium-high and add the remaining 1 1/2 teaspoons oil to the pan. Add the broccoli, carrot, and bell pepper and stir-fry for about 1 minute, or until heated through. Add the tomato and stir-fry for 30 seconds, or until heated through. Give the flavoring sauce a stir and add it to the pan. When it begins to bubble, return the beef to the pan and stir-fry for 1 minute to combine everything and finish cooking the beef. Give the cornstarch mixture a stir, add to the pan, and stir for about 30 seconds, or until the sauce is smooth and thick. Pour the topping over the noodles and sprinkle with lots of pepper. Serve at once.

　　Reprinted with permission from Into the Vietnamese Kitchen: Treasured Foodways, Modern Flavors by Andrea Nguyen. Published by Ten Speed Press, an imprint of Penguin Random House. Copyright © 2006.  Photographs by Leigh Beisch. Buy the full book from Amazon or Bookshop.