BEEF NOODLE SOUP (牛肉面)

Beef noodle soup is a Chinese/Taiwanese dish that is made from braised beef, broth, vegetables and noodles. It was created by the Chinese Hui ethnic group during the Tang Dynasty but due to an efflux of mainland Chinese natives to Taiwan in the early 1900s, beef noodle soup has become one of the most popular dishes in Taiwan, going so far as to be considered a national dish. In fact, there is an annual Beef Noodle Festival in Taipei where restaurants compete for the title of “best noodles”.

The immense popularity of this dish is the result of two crucial elements: the braised beef and the simmered bone broth. Similar to noodle soups of other cultures (ramen noodles from Japan and pho noodles from Vietnam), the richness this dish is derived from a base bone broth, wherein assorted beef bones are slowly simmered for several hours as the flavors are slowly extracted.

Beef noodle soup is an incredibly difficult recipe, due to the fact that the ingredients are somewhat exotic and it requires an extensive amount of time to prepare. Despite how much of a daunting cooking challenge this is, I assure you that the end product will absolutely worth the effort! I hope you give it a try!

Ingredients (serves 6-8 people):

• ~3 pounds of beef shank/tenderloin, sliced into 1-inch thick rounds (not too small, as the beef shrinks in size during braising)
• 1-2 pounds of beef bones (as a substitute, pork bones will also work)
• Chinese sauerkraut (1 packet, about 300 grams)
• 1 large piece of ginger (4-5 inches long), sliced into flat pieces
• 4-5 bunches of green onions
• Spice pouch for beef stew (if you can’t find at store, you can make your own with cardamom, peppercorns, cinnamon, cloves, fennel)
• 3 tablespoons of white sugar
• ½ cup of light soy sauce
• 2 cloves garlic, crushed (for preparing the sauerkraut)
• Chinese noodles, boiled and prepared according to package instructions
• 1 bunch of parsley
• 1 bunch of Chinese celery (compared to Western celery, it is more leafy)

Recipe

Bone stock:

1. To begin preparing the bone stock, dump the bones into a large pot, submerge them in water, and bring them to a vigorous boil for approximately 10-15 minutes. After this, discard the water and rinse off any foamy scum that may have accumulated on the bones.

2. Place the bones back into the large pot, along with 2-3 green onions and approximately 1 inch’s worth of ginger. Add enough water to the pot to bring it up to 80% filled. Bring the water to a boil, and then lower the heat to low, where the bones can gently simmer for 4 hours.

Braised beef:

1. Once your beef is sliced appropriately, we will sear them in a pan prior to braising. In a large pan over high heat, place some cooking oil and then brown the beef (approximately 1-2 minutes in the cooking oil). When all sides are appropriately brown, remove the beef from pan and set aside.

2. In the same pan, heat some more cooking oil over high and stir fry 2-3 green onions and the remaining sliced ginger until they are aromatic.

3. When green onions and ginger are aromatic, add in 3 tablespoons of white sugar. Continue cooking until the sugar is slightly caramelized and brown.

4. When the sugar is barely caramelized, add in ½ cup of soy sauce. Allow to cook for 1 minute and then add in 2 cups of water. Remove from heat.

5. In a separate large pot, add in the browned beef, the spice seasoning packet, and the contents of the pan in the step before. Add in more water as needed to ensure that the beef is submerged beneath approximately 1-2 inches of water.

6. Bring the pot to a boil and then lower the heat so that the liquid is at a gentle simmer. Cover and simmer for approximately 2.5 hours or until the beef is tender. Be sure to add in water as needed throughout the cooking process.

Chinese sauerkraut topping:

1. Chinese sauerkraut can usually be found in most Chinese grocery stores in the form of a small bag of pickled cabbage. If you are lucky, you can find small already-prepared packets that only require you to open and sprinkle into your soup.

2. To prepare it by hand, remove the pickled cabbage from the packaging and finely dice/mince it into tiny pieces.

3. Add some oil into a pan over high heat, and quickly sauté the minced cabbage with 2 cloves of crushed garlic for approximately 2-3 minutes or so. You can optionally add in some finely diced red chili peppers here.

4. Remove from heat and reserve until time to serve.

Preparing the final dish:

1. For the herb topping, remove the stems from the parsley and finely chop them. Combine this with an equal amount of finely chopped green onions and an equal amount of finely chopped Chinese celery.

2. When all elements of the dish are prepared and properly cooked, you will be ready to serve.

3. In your serving bowl, add in equal parts of bone broth and the braising broth. Add in cooked noodles, herb topping and sauerkraut. Top with the desired amount of beef.

4. Serve with chili oil on the side and enjoy!