Beef Noodle Soup 牛腩面 Recipe

Parboil to remove impurities

Place the beef cubes in a large pot and add enough cold water to cover by 2–3 cm (about 2–2.5 l). Bring to a rolling boil over high heat. Boil for 6–8 minutes until scum rises. Drain beef into a colander and discard the blanching liquid. Rinse beef briefly under running water to remove residual scum and set aside.

Brown the beef

Heat 2 tbs vegetable oil in a heavy-bottomed pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the parboiled beef in batches to avoid crowding and brown on all sides, about 4–6 minutes per batch. Browning is for flavor, not full cooking. Remove browned beef and set aside.

Sauté aromatics

In the same pot, lower heat to medium. Add the smashed ginger slices, crushed garlic and smashed white parts of the scallions. Sauté 1–2 minutes until fragrant, scraping up browned bits from the bottom of the pot.

Deglaze and combine

Add the Shaoxing wine (60 ml) to deglaze, let it bubble for 30–45 seconds to evaporate alcohol. Return the browned beef to the pot.

Add liquids and seasonings

Pour in 3 liters of water. Add light soy sauce (60 ml), dark soy sauce (15 ml), rock sugar (15 g), and the smashed scallion whites. Tie the aromatic spices (star anise, Sichuan peppercorns, cinnamon stick, dried tangerine peel, bay leaf) in a small piece of cheesecloth or place in a spice infuser and add to the pot. Bring to a gentle boil.

Simmer until tender

Reduce heat to the lowest simmer (barely bubbling), partially cover and simmer gently for 2 to 2 1/2 hours, or until beef is fork-tender. Skim any foam occasionally. If the liquid level drops below the beef during cooking, add hot water to keep the meat mostly submerged.

Season final broth

When beef is tender, remove the spice pouch and discard. Taste broth and season with salt (about 2 tsp total, adjust), white pepper (1 tsp) and additional light soy sauce if needed. Keep the beef in the broth to stay warm or remove and slice into bite-sized pieces (shredded or chunky) as preferred. Keep broth hot over very low heat.

Prepare vegetables

Bring a separate pot of water to a boil. Blanch bok choy or gai lan for 30–60 seconds until bright green and tender-crisp. Remove and immediately plunge into iced water to stop cooking if not serving immediately. Drain and set aside.

Cook noodles

Bring the braising broth or a fresh pot of water to a rolling boil (if using broth, be careful not to over-salt). Cook noodles according to package instructions (usually 2–4 minutes for fresh noodles) until al dente. Drain well.

Assemble bowls

Divide cooked noodles among 4–6 bowls (this recipe makes 4 hearty or 5–6 moderate bowls). Top each bowl with 150–200 g of beef (sliced or shredded), blanched greens, and ladle hot beef broth over to cover. Garnish with sliced scallions, cilantro and a drizzle of chili oil or a splash of light soy sauce to taste.