Taiwanese Beef Noodle Soup (红烧牛肉面)
Learn to recreate the iconic Taiwanese beef noodle soup at home. Comforting, hearty, deeply flavorful, it's a complete meal in one bowl.
- Prep time
- 10 min
- Cook time
- 1 hr 50 min
- Yield
- 6 servings
- Difficulty
- MEDIUM
Ingredients
Quantities are shown as originally provided.
- 2 lb beef shank (see note 1)
- 1 tablespoon neutral cooking oil
- 2 medium onions (sliced)
- 1 head garlic (cloves separated and peeled)
- 8 slice ginger
- 3 bay leaves
- 2 piece star-anise
- 1 piece Chinese cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon whole Sichuan peppercorn
- 3 tablespoon Sichuan chili bean paste (aka spicy doubanjiang)
- 2 tablespoon Shaoxing rice wine
- 1 tablespoon light soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon dark soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- 1 can chopped tomatoes (or 3 medium ripe fresh tomatoes, chopped)
- 6 cups hot water
- 1 tablespoon neutral cooking oil
- 1 tablespoon garlic (minced)
- 1 teaspoon ginger (minced)
- 7 oz pickled mustard green (see note 2)
- 6 portion noodles (See note 3)
- Leafy greens (such as bok choy, choy sum, spinach, etc.)
- Cilantro (optional)
Instructions
- 1
Blanch the beef
- 2
Put the beef in a pot and add enough cold water to fully cover the meat. Bring it to a boil and skim off any scum that rises to the surface. Once impurities stop appearing, remove the beef and set it aside.
- 3
Fry the aromatics
- 4
Heat oil in a clean pot, preferably a heavy, thick-walled one such as a Dutch oven (casserole pot). Add sliced onion, garlic cloves, ginger slices, bay leaves, star anise, Chinese cinnamon, and Sichuan pepper. Fry until the onion softens and browns on the edge.
- 5
Stir in Sichuan chili bean paste and fry for 20 seconds or so, then add Shaoxing rice wine, light soy sauce, dark soy sauce, sugar, chopped tomatoes, and 6 cups (1½ litre) of hot water. If using a thin-walled pot with a loosely fitted lid, increase the water by ½-1 cup
- 6
Cook the beef
- 7
Return the blanched beef pieces to the pot. Once the liquid starts to simmer, cover with a lid and reduce the heat to low. Leave to simmer for 1 hour 30 minutes, or until the beef becomes so tender that it breaks apart easily (see note 4 for Instant Pot method).
- 8
Transfer the beef to a plate. Strain the broth through a large sieve, discarding the solids and keep the clear soup.
- 9
Fry the topping
- 10
While the beef is cooking, prepare the topping. Sizzle minced garlic and ginger in oil, then add chopped pickled mustard greens and fry until fragrant. Set aside.
- 11
Boil the noodles
- 12
Bring a pot of water to a rolling boil. Add the noodles of your choice and cook until just done. Add the bok choy and blanch for 10 seconds.
- 13
Assemble the bowls
- 14
Divide the noodles in serving bowls, then add bok choy and beef chunks. Ladle in the hot broth. Top with the fried pickled vegetables and cilantro if using.
- 15
Store leftovers
- 16
Store any leftover beef and broth in airtight containers in the fridge for up to 3 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months. Keep the fried pickled vegetables in a separate container under the same conditions. Defrost and reheat each component gently before serving.