Taiwanese Beef Noodle Soup

Method

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1. Cover the beef and tendon with cold water, bring to a boil and blanch 5 minutes. Drain and rinse each piece. This is what makes the final broth clear.

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2. Heat the oil in a heavy pot and fry the spring onions, ginger and garlic for 2 minutes.

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3. Add the doubanjiang and tomato purée and fry 3 minutes over medium heat until the oil turns red and the paste smells cooked rather than raw.

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4. Add the Shaoxing wine and let it bubble, then the soy sauces, rock sugar, star anise, cinnamon, Sichuan pepper, chillies, bay and tomato.

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5. Return the beef and tendon, pour in the stock, and bring to a simmer.

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6. Cover and cook very gently for 2 1/2 to 3 hours, until the shin gives way completely and the tendon is translucent and soft.

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7. Lift out the meat. Strain the broth through a sieve and skim the fat, keeping a little for flavour. Taste and adjust with soy or sugar.

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8. Cook the noodles in a separate pot of water — never in the broth — and drain.

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9. Divide the noodles between bowls, add the beef and tendon, and ladle the hot broth over.

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10. Top with pickled mustard greens, pak choi, spring onions and coriander.

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Chef’s Tips

• Blanch and rinse the beef first. It is the difference between clear and cloudy.
• Fry the doubanjiang until the oil turns red. Raw bean paste tastes flat.
• Cook the noodles separately or the broth goes starchy.

Common Substitutions & Variations

• Out of spring onions? A small regular onion, finely sliced, or a few chives stirred in at the end both cover the job.
• A quarter-teaspoon of ground ginger per tablespoon of fresh is the standard ratio if you are working from the spice rack rather than a fresh root.
• An eighth of a teaspoon of garlic powder per clove is the usual stand-in when you are out of fresh garlic — it will not caramelise the same way, but it carries the flavour.

Pairing Suggestions

• Pickled mustard greens
• A cold Taiwan beer
• Smashed cucumber salad

Storage & Reheating

Refrigerate up to 4 days, freeze 3 months. Cook fresh noodles each time.

Common questions

Nutritional Highlights

Per serving, calculated from the ingredient list. Treat these as an estimate — brands and cuts vary.