Taiwanese beef noodle soup

Ingredients

For 10 servings.

1 cup = 240 ml; 1 tablespoon = 15 ml; 1 teaspoon = 5 ml. Use metric quantities where stated. Times and servings are indicative.

• 1.4 kg beef shank in 5 cm pieces
• 2 tbsp oil
• 5 cm bruised ginger, 6 garlic cloves and 3 spring onions
• 1 onion and 1 tomato, cut into wedges
• 4 dried chillies, broken in half
• 1 tbsp tomato paste
• 2 tbsp spicy doubanjiang
• 2 tsp sugar
• 120 ml soy sauce and 120 ml Shaoxing wine
• 1.92 litres water for the broth
• 1 Chinese cinnamon stick and 3 optional bay leaves
• 1/2 tbsp fennel seeds and 1/2 tbsp cumin seeds
• 1 tsp coriander seeds and 1/4 tsp black pepper
• 1 tbsp Sichuan peppercorns, optional
• 900 g fresh wheat noodles
• Bok choy, coriander, spring onion and pickled mustard greens to serve

Step-by-step method

1. Blanch beef in boiling water for 1 minute; drain and remove any clinging scum.
2. Heat oil in a large pot and fry ginger, garlic, spring onions and onion until lightly coloured.
3. Add tomato and chillies; add beef, tomato paste, doubanjiang, sugar, soy and wine and stir.
4. Pour in water. Put cinnamon, bay and remaining spices into a muslin bag and submerge in the broth.
5. Simmer over low heat for 3–4 hours until beef is very tender; add hot water if too much evaporates.
6. Remove spice bag. Cook noodles in another pot according to the packet and add bok choy for the final 1–2 minutes.
7. Divide noodles and bok choy among bowls, cover with beef and broth and finish with coriander, spring onion and pickled mustard greens.