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Taiwanese Beef Noodle Soup
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Taiwanese Beef Noodle Soup

A fragrant broth and perfectly tender beef shanks make for the ultimate noodle bowl. Richard Ho of Ho Foods in NYC makes Taiwanese beef noodle soup, a dish he’s so passionate about, he devoted his restaurant to it. Richard’s adoration for this complex dish and a lack of Taiwanese restaurants in New York City inspired him to perfect this beef noodle soup recipe, which requires building flavors with ingredients like ginger, goji berries, ginseng, cinnamon, licorice, a variety of soy bean pastes, fuji apples, rock sugar, and more. This fragrant soup also features braised beef shank and crunchy pickled mustard greens.
Total Time2 minutes
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Asian, Beef, Soup
Servings: 6 Servings
Author: Richard Ho

Ingredients

Spice Bag:

Beef Braise:

  • 2 lbs beef shank
  • ¼ cup canola oil
  • 1 bunch scallions trimmed and cut into 1-inch pieces
  • 1 head garlic peeled and smashed
  • 1 2 inch piece ginger, sliced ¼-inch thick
  • 1 tablespoon spicy broad bean paste chopped
  • 1 tablespoon spicy soy bean paste
  • 1 tablespoon soy bean paste
  • 1 cup rice wine
  • ½ cup aged soy sauce
  • ½ cup light soy sauce
  • 2 medium tomatoes roughly chopped
  • 1 Medium carrot peeled and roughly chopped
  • 1 large piece rock sugar
  • 1 medium yellow onion halved
  • ½ mediium fuji apple roughly chopped

Pickled Mustard Greens:

  • 3 tablespoons canola oil
  • 2 cloves garlic minced
  • 2 piece Thai bird’s eye chilies thinly sliced
  • 1 cup pickled mustard greens roughly chopped
  • 3 tablespoons granulated sugar
  • kosher salt to taste

Noodles and Serving, per bowl:

Instructions

  • Make the spice bag: Place all the spices in a cheesecloth and tie with butcher’s twine. Set aside until ready to use.
  • Braise the beef: Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add the beef shank and cook for 2 to 3 minutes. Transfer to a sheet tray. Drain the water and wipe the saucepan clean.
  • Heat the oil in the saucepan over medium-high. Add the ginger, garlic, and scallions and cook until fragrant, 3 to 4 minutes. Add the pastes and cook 2 minutes more, then stir in the rice wine and soy sauce. Cook 3 minutes longer, then add the tomatoes, carrot, apple, rock sugar, and onion along with 6 liters of water. Return the shanks to the pan along with the spice bag and bring to a simmer over medium. Cook until the shanks are JUST tender, about 2 ½ hours. If the shanks are tender by the time you turn off the heat, they will be too tender. We let it rest in the braise so it can reabsorb some of the braise and be moist and delicious. After it cools down, strain and take out the meat so all you have left is a rich braising liquid and beef shanks.
  • Cut the beef shanks against the grain to about ½-inch pieces, then place in a shallow container and keep them covered. Keep the braise warm.
  • Make the mustard greens: Heat the oil in a medium skillet over medium heat. Add the garlic and chilies and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add the mustard greens and sugar and cook 1 to 2 more minutes. Season with salt and transfer to a bowl.
  • Cook the noodles: Bring a large pot of unsalted water to a boil. Add the noodles and cook according to the package instructions. Rinse under cold water, then dip back quickly into the boiling water before building your bowl.
  • To serve: Add 1 portion of soup base to the bottom of the bowl, then top with the cooked noodles. Add some of the braising liquid and a few slices of beef. Garnish with the cilantro, scallions, and pickled mustard greens.

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