Taiwanese Beef Noodle Soup

Ingredients

Beef

• 1 kg beef shank (with sinew; or beef short ribs)

Aromatics and paste

• 3 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 6 cm fresh ginger (sliced)
• 6 garlic cloves (smashed)
• 4 spring onions (whole, smashed)
• 1 onion (medium, quartered)
• 4 star anise
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 4 dried red chillies
• 2 tablespoons Sichuan peppercorns (lightly crushed)
• 3 tablespoons doubanjiang (Pixian-style)
• 2 tomatoes (medium, quartered)

Liquid and seasoning

• 100 ml Shaoxing rice wine
• 100 ml light soy sauce
• 2 tablespoons dark soy sauce (for colour)
• 30 g rock sugar (or 2 tablespoons brown sugar)
• 2 litres beef stock (or water)
• 1 teaspoon salt (or to taste)

To serve

• 400 g fresh wheat noodles (wide flat are traditional; udon as a substitute)
• 200 g pickled mustard greens (suan cai; sold at Asian grocers)
• 4 spring onions (sliced)
• A small bunch of coriander (chopped)
• Chilli oil (to drizzle)
• Bok choy (or pak choi, blanched briefly, optional)

Method

Stage 1 - Parboil the beef

1. Cut the shank into 5 cm chunks.
2. Place in a pot; cover with cold water; bring to the boil.
3. Boil 3-4 minutes; drain and rinse the beef thoroughly under cold water - this removes the scum and leaves you with a clean broth.

Stage 2 - Aromatics

1. Heat the oil in a large heavy pot over medium-high heat.
2. Add the ginger, garlic, spring onions and onion; cook 4-5 minutes until fragrant.
3. Add the star anise, cinnamon, dried chillies and Sichuan peppercorns; cook 1 minute.
4. Stir in the doubanjiang; cook 2 minutes - the oil should turn red.

Stage 3 - Tomato and deglaze

1. Add the tomatoes; cook 4-5 minutes, mashing slightly, until they break down.
2. Pour in the rice wine; cook 1 minute.

Stage 4 - Build the broth

1. Add the parboiled beef.
2. Pour in the soy sauces; add the rock sugar.
3. Cover with stock or water; bring to the boil.
4. Reduce to lowest heat; partly cover.
5. Cook 2-3 hours until the beef is fork-tender.

Stage 5 - Strain (optional but cleaner)

1. Lift the beef out into a bowl.
2. Strain the broth through a fine sieve into a clean pot - discard the spices and aromatics.
3. Return the beef to the strained broth.
4. Taste and adjust salt.

Stage 6 - Cook the noodles

1. Bring a wide pan of water to a vigorous boil.
2. Cook the noodles per packet instructions (usually 3-4 minutes).
3. Blanch the bok choy (if using) in the same water 60 seconds.
4. Drain and divide between 4 bowls.

Stage 7 - Serve

1. Ladle hot broth over the noodles, with 3-4 chunks of beef per bowl.
2. Top with pickled mustard greens, sliced spring onions, coriander and a drizzle of chilli oil.
3. Eat while hot - chopsticks for noodles and beef, spoon for the broth.