Beef Rice Noodle Rolls, Delicious Dim Sum!
I always wanted a plate (or two) of Beef Rice Noodle Rolls or beef "cheong fun" when my parents and I used to go to San Francisco's Chinatown for brunch and then grocery shopping every weekend. I just loved the steamed rice noodle rolls with filling and drizzled with a sweet soy sauce.
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups rice flour
- 4 tablespoons tapioca starch
- 4 tablespoons wheat starch
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 2 tablespoon olive oil plus more for brushing pans
- 1 1/2 cups room temperature water
- 1 cup boiling water
- 8 oz. lean ground beef use the freshest and highest quality meat you can for the best flavor
- 2 tablespoons fresh cilantro leaves chopped
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch
- 2 teaspoon soy sauce
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon sugar
- 1/2 teaspoons sesame oil optional
- 2-3 tablespoons cold water
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon water
- 1/4 teaspoon sugar
Instructions
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Combine the rice flour, tapioca starch, wheat starch, and salt. Add olive oil and 1 1/2 cup room temperature water and stir with a whisk until the batter is smooth. Stir in the boiling water, set aside and allow the batter to rest at least 30 minutes.
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Mix together ground beef, cilantro, cornstarch, soy sauce, baking soda, sugar, and sesame oil (if using). Add water and stir until the meat almost resembles a paste, add an extra tablespoon of water if needed. Use a spatula and divide the beef into 6 sections, set aside to marinate.
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Stir together 1 tablespoon soy sauce, 1 tablespoon water, and 1/4 teaspoon sugar and set sweet soy sauce aside until ready to serve.
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While the batter is resting and the meat is marinating, brush two 9x9 inch metal baking pans with oil or use non-stick cooking spray.
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Use a large pan with a tight fitting lid and pour enough water 3/4 to 1 inch deep, check that the pan will be deep and wide enough.
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Use a small metal steaming trivet or shape aluminum foil into 1 inch balls. Add enough water so that the water level is higher than the rack and that there's still enough room for the baking pan under the lid (I use a 14 inch All Clad 4 qt. braising pan with a domed lid), bring the water to boil.
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When the batter and filling are ready, place one baking pan into the hot water bath and allow the pan to warm up slightly, stir the batter and use a ladle to pour 1/2 cup of the batter into the pan, tilt the pan until the batter is spread evenly.
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Cover and steam for 1 minute until set, use a spatula to shape 1/6th of the beef mixture flat approximately 1/4 inch thick, 1 1/2 inch wide and 8 inches long. Carefully transfer the flattened piece of beef on to the rice flour sheet down the center of the pan. Cover and steam for an additional 4-5 minutes.
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When the beef is cooked through, take the pan out and place on a dish towel (this soaks up the drips and keeps the rice flour sheet warm and pliable).
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Immediately place a second baking pan into the steamer, check that the pan is floating and add more water to the steamer as necessary.
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Stir the batter and repeat steps 7-10 above to steam a second rice noodle roll.
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In the meantime, use a silicone spatula to carefully loosen the first rice noodle sheet at the edge that is closest to the beef and second spatula to loosely fold the sheet over the beef, loosen the other side and fold that over, transfer the roll onto a serving plate and set aside.
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Prepare the first pan for a second round by washing and spraying with non-stick cooking spray. Flatten another piece of beef. Repeat until all the batter and filling are used up.
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Plate three rolls per serving dish. Right before serving, steam the finished rolls in the serving dish for a few minutes to warm them up. Cut each roll cross-wise into 4 pieces and serve with a light drizzle of the sweet soy sauce, to taste.
Recipe Notes
Calories are an estimate. Usually the sweet soy sauce is drizzled on for flavor and not consumed. Use a reduced sodium soy sauce and drizzle sparingly for those who are watching their sodium intake.