Cantonese Braised Beef Noodle Soup (清湯牛腩河)
Cantonese Braised Beef Noodle Soup (清湯牛腩河) is one of those dishes in Hong Kong that always brings me comfort. Tender beef, silky hor fun noodles and a fragrant, flavourful broth make every bite nostalgic. This bowl takes me straight back to the small noodle shops I used to visit as a kid.
- Prep time
- 15 min
- Cook time
- 40 min
- Yield
- 3 servings
- Difficulty
- MEDIUM
Ingredients
Quantities are shown as originally provided.
- 700 -800g beef short ribs
- 900 g radish, chopped into large chunks
- 1 tbsp neutral oil
- 20 g rock sugar
- 1 L hot water
- 1 tsp salt
- 3 tbsp Shaoxing cooking wine
- 2 tbsp fish sauce
- 300 -400g dried flat rice noodles
- 3 slices ginger
- 1 green onion
- A splash of Shaoxing cooking wine
- Water enough to cover the beef
- 5 ginger slices
- 3 garlic cloves
- 2 green onions
- 1 shallot
- 3 bay leaves
- 2 star anise
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 1 tbsp Sichuan peppercorns
- 2 tbsp chopped green onion
- 1 tbsp fried shallots
- Chilli oil (to taste)
- Chinese black vinegar (to taste)
Instructions
- 1
In a pot of cold water, add the beef, ginger, green onion and a splash of Shaoxing wine. Bring to a boil over high heat for 4–5 minutes until scum and foam rise to the top. Drain, rinse the beef and set aside. This step ensures a clear, clean-tasting broth.
- 2
Using the sauté function of a pressure cooker, heat the neutral oil. Add the aromatics (ginger, garlic, green onions and shallot) and the rock sugar. Sauté for 2 minutes until fragrant and the sugar has melted and caramelised.
- 3
Add the blanched short ribs and brown each side for about 30 seconds until golden.
- 4
Turn off the sauté function. Add hot water, salt, Shaoxing wine, fish sauce, bay leaves, star anise, cinnamon stick, and Sichuan peppercorn. Cover the lid and pressure cook on high for 25 minutes.
- 5
Carefully release the pressure. Add the chopped radish chunks and pressure cook on high for another 3 minutes. Cooking the radish separately keeps it firm and prevents it from getting mushy.
- 6
While the radish is cooking, cook your flat rice noodles according to the package instructions. Set aside.
- 7
u2028Slice the short ribs into 1cm thick pieces. In a bowl, serve the noodles topped with beef, radish, and broth. Garnish with chopped green onions, fried shallots, chilli oil and black vinegar to taste. Enjoy!