Braised Beef Noodle Soup

Growing up in my family's Chinese restaurant, I remember frequently seeing the giant commercial wok bubbling with a rich braise of beef shanks. Once chilled overnight, the shanks could be sliced thinly, drizzled with soy sauce and sesame oil to be served as an appetizer. What I enjoyed most was the beef noodle soup that mom would make with the braising broth. But it wasn't just the homemade version that I liked. When we'd travel and find ourselves at the local Chinese restaurant in far-flung places, if braised beef noodle soup – especially with hand-shaved noodles – was an option, it would end up on our table. The anticipation of a steaming-hot bowl of broth, the flavors coaxed from the beef and spices, was almost as thrilling as the first bite. There wasn't always a satisfying payoff, but, to this day, I am ever the optimist that I'll find the ideal bowl of braised beef noodle soup at a restaurant that serves Taiwanese food.

I have not written this recipe before. Cooking has always been about the method and not specific recipes. Each time I make a dish, it may vary slightly according to the types or amounts of ingredients, and what my taste buds tell me might be an interesting addition or twist. Sometimes, steps happen out of proper order. So to write this recipe, I had to make the soup while measuring and recording, tasting, adjusting. The next time I make it, I may want to tweak the recipe – which is to say that you will probably see this again in a future post. I definitely want to make this again soon and serve it with handmade noodles, which have great body and texture to match this broth.

A note about the ingredients: Many recipes call for the addition of a spicy bean sauce in the broth. You may do that. Because my family has varying degrees of tolerance for spice, I leave the chili sauce to each individual to add to his/her bowl.

Making this soup isn't difficult, but the aromas will test your patience.

BRAISED BEEF NOODLE SOUP
Serves 4 with plenty of leftovers

Ingredients:

About 4 pounds of boneless beef shank

4 tablespoons vegetable oil

5 stalks green onions, cut in thirds

6 large cloves garlic, or to taste, lightly smashed

3 large slices of fresh ginger, cut on the bias, about 1/4-inch thick and 3 inches long

1/2 tablespoon Sichuan peppercorns

1/2 cinnamon stick

2 star anise

1/4 teaspoon whole cloves

1/4 teaspoon fennel seeds

1/2 cup soy sauce

1/2 cup dry white or red wine (whatever you have on hand)

1 chunk of rock sugar about the equivalent to 1 tablespoon.

2 1/2 quarts water

Sesame oil

 

Directions:

Cut the beef shank into 3- or 4-inch chunks. In a large, heavy pot, heat 3 tablespoons of vegetable oil over medium-high heat. Brown each piece of beef on all sides and set aside. Do this in batches as needed and set aside. Once you're finished browning the beef, add the remaining tablespoon of oil to the pot to heat. Add the onions, garlic and ginger, and stir fry for about 30 seconds or until fragrant. Add spices, soy sauce, wine and rock sugar. Stir ingredients to combine. Let the soy sauce mixture simmer for about 1 minute. Add the water. Bring liquid to a boil, reduce heat to low and let simmer for about 2 hours or until beef is just fork tender.

There will be a layer of rendered fat at the surface of the soup, and spices and other bits that are ideally strained out. I like to take a few extra steps to make the soup more pleasant. First, I remove the beef chunks and set aside in a bowl. In batches, I use my OXO fat separator to remove the layer of rendered beef fat. Once the broth has settled and the oil has risen to the top of the fat separator, I pour the broth through a small fine-mesh strainer to catch any "debris." Once all the broth has been defatted and strained, combine it and the beef back in the pot. Add a drizzle of sesame oil, about 1 teaspoon. Keep warm while you prepare the noodles to serve. Or, if you are working in advance, the soup can be chilled and then reheated the next day.

While these steps aren't imperative, I think it makes for a better eating experience – especially, in my case, for my children, who haven't quite mastered how to pick out such things from their food.

To serve:

1 pound your favorite Asian-style noodles (can be Chinese noodles or Japanese udon, for example), cooked according to the instructions on the package

Baby bok choy, blanched

Pickled Chinese mustard greens, chopped

Cilantro, optional

Chopped green onions, optional

Your favorite chili sauce

Portion noodles into large bowls. Add broth and chunks of beef. Serve with your choice of condiments.