Name: Niu Rou Mian Taiwanese Beef Noodle Soup
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 1 h 50 min
Total time: 2 h
Ingredients: 2 Chinese black cardamoms; 2 bay leaves; 2 star anise; 2 licorice slices; 1 tbsp sichuan peppercorn; 1 tsp fennel seeds; 1 tbsp goji berries; 2 beef shanks (approximately 1 1/2 lb to 1 3/4 lb), cut into large chunks; 6 tbsp cooking oil; 15 to 18 cloves garlic, roughly chopped; 2 oz ginger slices; 1/2 large onion, sliced; 5 green onions, chopped; 3 tbsp toban djan; 1 large piece of rock sugar or 2 tbsp sugar; 1/2 cup soy sauce; 1/2 cup shaoxing wine; 1 tbsp dark soy sauce; 1/2 tsp salt; 2 large tomato, cut into large chunks; 2 tsp beef bouillon; 14 cups cold water; baby bok choy, cut into half (1 baby bok choy per serving); fresh, frozen or dry wheat noodles (1 portion per serving); chopped green onions & cilantro

Ingredients

Scale

For Spice Bag

2 Chinese black cardamoms
2 bay leaves
2 star anise
2 licorice slices
1 tbsp sichuan peppercorn
1 tsp fennel seeds
1 tbsp goji berries

For Beef Soup (makes 8 to 10 serving)

2 beef shanks (approximately 1 1/2 lb to 1 3/4 lb), cut into large chunks
6 tbsp cooking oil
15 to 18 cloves garlic, roughly chopped
2 oz ginger slices
1/2 large onion, sliced
5 green onions, chopped
3 tbsp toban djan
1 large piece of rock sugar or 2 tbsp sugar
1/2 cup soy sauce
1/2 cup shaoxing wine
1 tbsp dark soy sauce
1/2 tsp salt
2 large tomato, cut into large chunks
2 tsp beef bouillon
14 cups cold water
baby bok choy, cut into half (1 baby bok choy per serving)
fresh, frozen or dry wheat noodles (1 portion per serving)
chopped green onions & cilantro

Instructions

Bring all spices for spice bag and toast them on a dry pan until you can smell aroma, about 2 minutes. Place in a spice bag and fold it tight. Set aside.
Blanch beef in a large pot (8 qt) of boiling water for 1 minute to get rid of excess blood. Drain and set aside. Quickly rinse now-empty-pot to make soup.
Heat now-empty-pot over high heat and add cooking oil. Add garlic, ginger, onion and green onion. Sauté everything about 1 to 2 minute, then add toban djan and rock sugar. Sauté all together for 1 minute then add soy sauce, shaoxing wine, dark soy sauce and salt, stir.
Add blanched beef, tomatoes and beef bouillon. Stir everything together so tomato melts and beef will absorb sauces, about 3 to 4 minutes. Pour water and finally add spice bag. Stir one good time and bring it boil. When it’s boiling, cover and reduce heat to medium low and simmer for 1 hour 30 minutes.
When soup has about 10 minutes to finish cooking, bring another pot of salted water to boil. Blanch baby bok choy for 1 minute and remove from water. Set aside. Cook noodles by following directions of package you’re using. Drain and place in a serving bowl. Pour beef soup into noodle bowl, garnish with chopped green onions and cilantro. Serve immediately. Enjoy!