Beef Noodle Soup

Taiwanese Beef Noodle Soup (Niu Rou Mian)

A comforting bowl of braised beef shank in a rich, aromatic broth with chewy noodles and tangy pickled greens, as served at Taiwan's famous beef noodle festivals.

Prep

20 min

Cook

160 min

Total

180 min

Serves

4

Difficulty

Medium

Recipe ingredients

• •1 kg (2 lb 3 oz) beef shank (cut into 5 cm chunks), or beef tendon, or a mix
• •200 g (7 oz) beef tendon (optional), if using, cut into similar chunks
• •2 tbsp doubanjiang (chilli bean paste), use less for milder heat
• •5 cm (2 in) ginger, sliced
• •6 cloves garlic, smashed
• •3 whole scallions, cut into 5 cm pieces
• •3 whole star anise
• •1 stick cinnamon (about 5 cm)
• •2 leaf bay leaves
• •1 tsp Sichuan peppercorns
• •3 tbsp light soy sauce
• •1 tbsp dark soy sauce
• •1 tbsp rock sugar (or granulated sugar)
• •2 L (8½ cups) water, or enough to cover beef
• •400 g (14 oz) wheat noodles (thick, like udon or lamian), fresh or dried, follow package for cooking time
• •150 g (5 oz) pickled mustard greens (suan cai), or other pickled leafy greens, rinsed and chopped
• •2 tbsp vegetable oil
• •salt, to taste

Steps

1. 1 Blanch the beef shank (and tendon if using) in a pot of boiling water for 5 minutes to remove scum. Drain and rinse under cold water; set aside.
2. 2 Heat vegetable oil in a large heavy-bottomed pot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add doubanjiang, ginger, garlic, scallions, star anise, cinnamon, bay leaves, and Sichuan peppercorns. Stir-fry for 2–3 minutes until fragrant and the oil turns red.
3. 3 Add the blanched beef and tendon, stirring to coat with the spice mixture. Add light and dark soy sauce and rock sugar; cook for 1 minute.
4. 4 Pour in the water, ensuring the beef is just covered. Bring to a boil, then skim off any foam that rises. Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer gently for 2–2.5 hours, or until the beef is fork-tender and the tendon (if used) is gelatinous and soft. Check occasionally and add more hot water if needed to keep beef submerged.
5. 5 While the beef braises, cook the noodles according to package instructions in a separate pot. Drain and divide among 4 serving bowls.
6. 6 Once the beef is tender, remove it from the broth with a slotted spoon. Shred or slice into bite-sized pieces (remove any loose fat if desired). Return beef to the broth and season with salt to taste. Keep the broth hot.
7. 7 To serve, place noodles in bowls, ladle the hot broth and beef over them. Top each bowl with a generous spoonful of pickled mustard greens and a sprinkle of fresh scallion slices if desired.