Beef Brisket Dry-mixed Rice Noodle Recipe

Blanch brisket

Place brisket cubes in a large pot and cover with cold water (about 1 liter). Bring to a rapid simmer and boil for 5 minutes to remove impurities. Drain and rinse brisket pieces under warm water. Discard blanching liquid and clean the pot.

Build broth

Return the cleaned brisket to the pot. Add 2400 ml fresh water, halved onion, crushed garlic, smashed ginger, star anise, cinnamon stick, and Sichuan peppercorns. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a gentle simmer.

Season and simmer

Add light soy sauce, dark soy sauce, and rock sugar. Simmer gently, partially covered, for 2 to 2.5 hours until brisket is tender and easily pierced with a fork. Skim foam occasionally. If liquid reduces too much, top up with hot water to keep brisket mostly submerged.

Finish broth and cool brisket

When brisket is tender, taste the broth and adjust seasoning with salt (start with 1 tsp). Remove brisket pieces; reserve 450–600 ml of strained broth for serving and keep remaining broth refrigerated or reduced further for later use. Let brisket rest 10 minutes, then thinly slice or shred into bite-sized pieces (about 1/4–1/2" thick slices).

Combine all dry mix ingredients (dried shallot/onion flakes, toasted garlic powder, chili flake, ground Sichuan pepper, white pepper, dehydrated scallion powder, powdered beef bouillon, five-spice, toasted sesame seeds, sugar, and fine salt) in a small bowl and mix thoroughly. Taste a small pinch and adjust heat or salt if necessary. This dry mix will be used to dress the cooked noodles.

Cook rice noodles

Bring a large pot of water to a rolling boil. Add dried rice noodles and cook according to package instructions until just tender (usually 3–5 minutes depending on thickness). Stir gently to prevent sticking. Drain noodles and briefly rinse under warm water to remove excess starch. Drain well.

Dress noodles with dry mix

Place drained hot noodles in a wide serving bowl or divide among individual bowls. Sprinkle the prepared dry mix evenly over the hot noodles so the heat helps bloom the aromatics. Drizzle 1 tablespoon neutral oil (if using) to help distribute the dry mix and prevent clumping. Toss gently to coat each strand/piece of noodle with the dry mix.

Plate noodles and toppings

Arrange a portion of sliced brisket over the dressed noodles. Spoon 120–150 ml of the reserved hot strained beef broth around the noodles (not poured over the dry mix center) so the diner can mix as desired — for a fully soupy experience add more. Add blanched bok choy or gai lan beside the noodle mound. Scatter fresh scallion, cilantro, optional pickled mustard greens, and crispy fried shallots on top.

Serve with condiments

Serve each bowl with chili oil and dark vinegar on the side so diners can add to taste. Encourage mixing the dry mix into the warm broth and noodles for maximum flavor. Leftover broth can be refrigerated up to 3 days.