Pancit Bihon with Steak (Tasty Filipino Stir-Fry with Rice Stick Noodles)

Pancit Bihon (with Steak) is a tasty dish of thin, glassy noodles, flavorful vegetables and juicy steak. Elegant enough for special occasions, but easy enough for weekday suppers.

For some helpful tips before you begin, click here.

Serves 8 to 10 people.

INGREDIENTS:

For the noodles:

450 g (16 ounces) dried bihon (rice stick) noodles

30 ml (2 tablespoons) vegetable oil
2 small onions, thinly sliced
4 cloves garlic, minced
3 medium carrots, shredded
1 small head Napa cabbage, thinly sliced

6 g (1 teaspoon) MSG*
9 g (1 tablespoon) garlic powder
9 g (1 tablespoon) onion powder
1.5 g (1/2 teaspoon) black pepper
12 g chicken bouillon (3 small cubes or enough for 3 cups broth)
360 ml (1 1/2 cups) hot water
120 ml (1/2 cup) soy sauce

For the steaks:

2 New York Strip steaks (about 1 lb. or 450 g each), about 1-inch thick
6 g (1 teaspoon) salt
1.5 g (1/2 teaspoon) black pepper
1.5 g (1/2 teaspoon) garlic powder
6 g (1 teaspoon) MSG*
Vegetable oil, for pan-frying

For the garnish:

1 small bunch parsley, chopped
3 large scallions, thinly sliced
2 lemons, cut into wedges
Optional – 4 hard-boiled eggs, peeled and quartered

*MSG is wonderful for savory foods. But if you do not like to use MSG, it can be omitted.

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Cook the noodles.

– Boil a large pot of water.
– When the water reaches a rolling boil, turn off the heat and immerse the rice noodles.
– Let sit for 5 to 10 minutes until soft. Drain and the set aside.
– Cut the noodles down to bite-size, if desired.

2. Sauté the vegetables.

– Heat the oil in a wok or large skillet over medium-high heat.
– Sauté the onions until fragrant and starting to caramelize.
– Stir in the garlic and cook until fragrant.
– Add the carrots and cabbage and stir-fry until slightly softened, but still a bit crunchy.
– Add the MSG, garlic powder, onion powder and black pepper.
– Dissolve the bouillon in the hot water. Stir in the soy sauce.
– Pour half of the soy sauce/bouillon mixture over the vegetables.
– Cook just until the cabbage softens. Set the skillet aside.

3. Pan-fry the steaks.

– Pat the steaks dry with paper towels.
– Sprinkle the salt, pepper, garlic powder and MSG evenly on the steaks. Gently rub the seasonings in.
– Pour enough vegetable oil to coat the bottom of a cast-iron skillet (or other-heavy-bottomed skillet).
– Heat the skillet over medium-high heat until the oil is glistening hot, but not smoking. (The steaks should sizzle. If they do not sizzle, wait longer.)
– Place the steaks in the pan and let cook for 4 minutes per side for medium-rare. Leave the steaks undisturbed, moving the steaks only once or twice to get an even sear.
– Sear the sides as well by standing the steaks on their sides with tongs for a minute or so.
– Move the cooked steaks to a plate and cover with foil to keep warm. Let the steaks rest for about 10 minutes.
– Slice the steaks into thin bite-size strips.

4. Assemble the pancit bihon.

– Place the skillet with the vegetables over medium-high heat.
– Add the noodles and pour in the remaining soy sauce/bouillon mixture.
– Toss until the noodles are evenly coated and everything is heated through.
– Lastly, toss in the sliced steak.
– Top off with the chopped parsley and green onions.
– Transfer the pancit bihon to a serving dish. Garnish with the lemon wedges and hard-boiled eggs, if using.

TO STORE: Keep completely cooled pancit bihon in a sealed container in the refrigerator for up to a week. Or freeze for up to a month.

TO REHEAT: Heat the pancit bihon in a warm skillet. Toss gently in the pan, adding a little water, if needed, until the pancit is heated through.

*****

About this recipe

Pancit bihon is a popular and much-loved Filipino rice noodle dish filled with vegetables, typically cabbage, carrots, onions, and meats, such as chicken and shrimp.

We love pancit with steak. But pancit is great for other leftover (but flavorful) meats, too, such as leftover rotisserie or fried chicken, tofu and even leftover turkey Spam. And with a runny egg on top? Yum.

TIPS:

Here are a couple of tips:

1) Not familiar with bihon?

Bihon (rice stick) style noodles (rice vermicelli) are light and delicate and absorb flavors very well.
Find these noodles in the dry noodle section of ethnic groceries.

2) Maximize flavor at every step of cooking for a tasty pancit bihon.

Get some good color on the onions before adding the garlic to bring out the sugars.

Season the vegetables. They should be flavorful on their own before adding the noodles.
Stir-fry quickly at a high heat to keep the vegetables just a little crunchy.

Season the steaks well and get a good sear for maximum flavor.
Slice the steaks at the last moment before adding it to the pancit so that it’s at its juiciest.