Try this wild game twist on this popular Thai noodle dish. This elk pad see ew recipe features stir-fried wide rice noodles, tender elk meat, crisp broccolini, and scrambled eggs enveloped in a sweet and savory sauce. Experience Thai food in a new way with this delicious elk stir fry!
What is Pad See Ew?
Pad See Ew is a popular Thai noodle dish that captures the essence of Thai street food with its simple yet bold flavors. Like its close relatives, Pad Thai and Pad Kee Mao (drunken noodles), Pad See Ew is characterized by its use of rice noodles stir-fried in vegetable oil, creating a delightful texture that's both chewy and tender.
This beloved dish is a staple in Thai restaurants worldwide and relies on key ingredients like dark soy sauce, garlic, eggs, and Chinese broccoli.
Why You'll Love This Recipe
Quick to Cook: The best thing about this delicious pad see ew is that it comes together in just 30 minutes making it perfect for any night of the week! For another weeknight-friendly recipe try this Asian cod recipe.
Versatility: Like most stir fry recipes, This dish can be customized with various vegetables and levels of spiciness, making it versatile enough to please any palate.
Family Friendly: Who doesn't love a bowl of stir-fried noodles? This dish is very mild (unless you want to add some spiciness!) and is enjoyed by people of all ages.
Ingredient Notes
- Elk Roast: Elk roast can be replaced by just about any choice of protein in this recipe. If you don't have elk roast, you can choose something to suit your personal preferences. Any red meat or even chicken or shrimp will work! For another way to use sliced elk roast, try elk stroganoff.
- Broccolini: Traditionally, pad see ew is made with Chinese broccoli (gai lan). But, I don't have access to it in my small-town Wyoming grocery store so I use broccolini instead. You can also use regular broccoli, bok choy, or a sturdy green like spinach or kale.
- Wide Rice Noodles: Wide rice noodles are essential for making pad see ew. They have the perfect chewy texture to contrast the other ingredients. You can use dry rice noodles or fresh noodles.
- Dark Soy Sauce: Dark soy sauce has a richer flavor and is typically a little less salty when compared to regular soy sauce. It is typically found in Asian grocery stores and is often used in pad see ew sauce. If you don't have access to it, you can use different types of soy sauce but the color of your finished dish may not be as dark.
See the recipe card below for a full ingredient list and amounts needed.
Equipment Notes
- Electric Skillet: Thai cuisine is often cooked in a carbon steel wok. I find that an electric skillet works well for stir fries too. You can also use another large pan or skillet.
How to Prep Ingredients for Elk Pad See Ew
Pad see ew cooks quickly so it's essential to have all your ingredients prepped and ready to go so you don't overcook anything!
- Step 1: Partially thaw elk meat before cutting. Cut meat into thin slices, approximately ⅛" thick, 3" long, and ½" wide. The measurements don't need to be exact, but they should be thin enough to cook quickly and bite-sized.
- Step 2: Place strips of meat in a paper towel-lined container and refrigerate until the meat is fully thawed.
- Step 3: Combine 1 tablespoon each of dark soy sauce, cornstarch, and peanut oil in a small bowl.
- Step 4: Pour the mixture over the meat and stir to coat the meat. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes before cooking.
- Step 5: While the meat is marinating, prepare the sauce and other ingredients. Prepare the rice noodles according to package directions. Most wide rice noodles require soaking before cooking. Soak the noodles according to the directions and boil them just a few minutes before you need them (when the vegetables are cooking).
- Step 6: Remove the leaves from the broccolini and set aside. Cut the tops off of the broccolini and cut into bite-sized pieces. Add the tops to the leaves. Cut the broccolini stems into 2-3" pieces. Keep the stems and leaves/tops separated.
- Step 7: Gather sauce ingredients (oyster sauce, dark soy sauce, fish sauce, rice vinegar, and brown sugar).
- Step 8: Combine all sauce ingredients in a medium bowl. Set aside until ready to use.
Pro Tip: The meat marinade and stir fry sauce use similar ingredients. Make them at the same time so you don't have to get the ingredients out twice!
How To Make Elk Pad See Ew:
Once the ingredients are prepped and the meat is marinating, the cooking process is only 20 minutes. Read below for how to make it!
Step 1: Bring a large pot of water to a boil.
Heat an electric skillet on high heat. Add 1 tablespoon of peanut oil and swirl to coat the pan.
Step 2: Add the strips of meat in a single layer and cook for 2-3 minutes, or until the meat is browned.
Step 3: Flip the meat and cook for an additional 1-2 minutes, or until the meat is cooked through. Remove the cooked meat to a bowl.
Step 4: Wipe out the skillet by wetting a paper towel and pushing it around the skillet with a spatula.
Step 5: After the noodles are done soaking, cook them according to the package directions while you follow the instructions below. Once the noodles are done cooking, drain and rinse them in cold water to stop them from cooking further. Drain thoroughly before stir-frying.
Step 6: Add 1 tablespoon of oil to the pan and swirl to coat the pan. Add minced garlic to the pan and cook for 1 minute, stirring frequently to make sure it doesn't burn.
Step 7: Add the broccolini stems to the pan and cook for 1 minute, stirring frequently.
Step 8: Add the broccolini tops and leaves to the pan and cook for 2-3 minutes, or until it is crisp tender. Add the broccolini to the bowl with the cooked meat.
Step 9: Reduce to medium-high heat. Add 1 tablespoon of oil to the pan and swirl to coat the pan. Add the eggs to the pan and cook for 1-2 minutes, or until the eggs are cooked through. Chop up the eggs with a spatula and add them to the bowl with the meat and broccolini.
Step 10: Add 2 tablespoons of oil to the pan and swirl to coat the pan. Add the cooked noodles and sauce. Stir and bring the sauce to a simmer. Cook for 2-3 minutes, or until the sauce is starting to caramelize on the noodles. There should be a small amount of sauce left in the pan to coat the remaining ingredients.
Step 11: Add the meat, broccolini, and eggs back to the pan. Stir to combine. Cook for an additional 1-2 minutes, or until all the ingredients are heated through.
Step 12: Top with your favorite spicy condiment, if desired (I prefer chili crisp). Serve hot and enjoy!
Pro Tip: For the perfect pad see ew, it’s all about the heat. Ensure your skillet is very hot before adding the ingredients. This high heat is crucial for achieving that distinctive “wok hei” — the slightly smoky flavor associated with authentic stir-frying.
Serving Suggestions
Pad see ew is just like any other stir fry where it can be customized to your liking. You can switch up the protein and vegetables. You can add some spice to the sauce or top it with your favorite spicy condiment.
You can also top it with sliced green onions or Thai basil to add some freshness. No matter how you choose to serve it, you're going to love this quick and easy stir fry recipe. Don't forget to try my elk pad Thai or spicy venison stir fry next!
Recipe FAQ's:
The ingredients and flavor profiles differ greatly between Pad See Ew and Pad Thai. Pad See Ew typically uses wider rice noodles than Pad Thai. Pad Thai often has a bigger variety of vegetables in it. Pad See Ew sauce is a soy sauce-based sauce while Pad Thai has a tangier sauce often from the use of tamarind.
Pad See Ew and Drunken Noodles (Pad Kee Mao) are similar dishes but drunken noodles are typically spicy while Pad See Ew is not.
There are several things that make stir fry taste better. First, cook the ingredients separately to avoid steaming them instead of browning them. Next, use very high heat so the ingredients cook quickly. Last, use a savory sauce to tie all the ingredients together and serve immediately for the best flavor and texture.
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Annie
Elk Pad See Ew
Ingredients
Meat:
- 1 lb elk roast (top round, bottom round, etc.)
- 1 tablespoon dark soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- 1 tablespoon peanut oil
Sauce:
- ¼ cup oyster sauce
- 3 tablespoon dark soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon fish sauce
- 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
- 1 tablespoon brown sugar
Other Ingredients:
- 1 lb wide rice stick noodles
- 5 tablespoon peanut oil, divided
- 2 tablespoon garlic, minced
- 4 large eggs, beaten
- 8 oz fresh broccolini
Instructions
Meat:
- Partially thaw elk meat before cutting. Cut meat into thin slices, approximately ⅛" thick, 3" long, and ½" wide. The measurements don't need to be exact, but they should be thin enough to cook quickly and bite-sized.
- Place strips of meat in a paper towel-lined container and refrigerate until the meat is fully thawed.
- Combine 1 tablespoon each of dark soy sauce, cornstarch, and peanut oil in a small bowl. Pour the mixture over the meat and stir to coat the meat. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes before cooking.
Other Prep:
- While the meat is marinating, prepare the sauce and other ingredients.
- Prepare the rice noodles according to package directions. Most wide rice noodles require soaking before cooking. Soak the noodles according to the directions and boil them just a few minutes before you need them (when the vegetables or are cooking).
- Remove the leaves from the broccolini and set aside.
- Cut the tops off of the broccolini and cut into bite-sized pieces. Add the tops to the leaves.
- Cut the broccolini stems into 2-3" pieces. Keep the stems and leaves/tops separated.
- Combine all sauce ingredients (oyster sauce, dark soy sauce, fish sauce, rice vinegar, and brown sugar) in a medium bowl and set aside until ready to use.
Cooking:
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil.
- Heat an electric skillet on high heat.
- Add 1 tablespoon of peanut oil and swirl to coat the pan. Add the strips of meat in a single layer and cook for 2-3 minutes, or until the meat is browned.
- Flip the meat and cook for an additional 1-2 minutes, or until the meat is cooked through. Remove the cooked meat to a bowl.
- Wipe out the skillet by wetting a paper towel and pushing it around the skillet with a spatula.
- After the noodles are done soaking, cook them according to the package directions while you follow the instructions below. Once the noodles are done cooking, drain and rinse them in cold water to stop them from cooking further.
- Add 1 tablespoon of oil to the pan and swirl to coat the pan. Add minced garlic to the pan and cook for 1 minute, stirring frequently to make sure it doesn't burn.
- Add the broccolini stems to the pan and cook for 1 minute, stirring frequently.
- Add the broccolini tops and leaves to the pan and cook for 2-3 minutes, or until it is crisp tender. Add the broccolini to the bowl with the cooked meat.
- Add 1 tablespoon of oil to the pan and swirl to coat the pan. Add the eggs to the pan and cook for 1-2 minutes, or until the eggs are cooked through. Chop up the eggs with a spatula and add them to the bowl with the meat and broccolini.
- Add 2 tablespoons of oil to the pan and swirl to coat the pan. Add the cooked noodles and sauce. Stir and bring the sauce to a simmer. Cook for 2-3 minutes, or until the sauce is starting to caramelize on the noodles. There should be a small amount of sauce left in the pan to coat the remaining ingredients.
- Add the meat, broccolini, and eggs back to the pan. Stir to combine. Cook for an additional 1-2 minutes, or until all the ingredients are heated through.
- Top with your favorite spicy condiment, if desired (I prefer chili crisp). Serve hot and enjoy!
Notes
- Elk roast can be replaced by just about any choice of protein in this recipe. If you don't have elk roast, you can choose something to suit your personal preferences. Any red meat or even chicken or shrimp will work!
- Traditionally, pad see ew is made with Chinese broccoli (gai lan). But, I don't have access to it in my small-town Wyoming grocery store so I use broccolini instead. You can also use regular broccoli, bok choy, or a sturdy green like spinach or kale.
- Wide rice noodles are essential for making pad see ew. They have the perfect chewy texture to contrast the other ingredients. You can use dry rice noodles or fresh noodles.
- Dark soy sauce has a richer flavor and is also a little less salty when compared to regular soy sauce. It is typically found in Asian grocery stores and is often used in pad see ew sauce. If you don't have access to it, you can use different types of soy sauce but the color of your finished dish may not be as dark.
- Thai cuisine is often cooked in a carbon steel wok. I find that an electric skillet works well for stir fries too. You can also use another large pan or skillet.
- The meat marinade and stir fry sauce use similar ingredients. Make them at the same time so you don't have to get the ingredients out twice!
- For the perfect pad see ew, it’s all about the heat. Ensure your skillet is very hot before adding the ingredients. This high heat is crucial for achieving that distinctive “wok hei” — the slightly smoky flavor associated with authentic stir-frying.
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