Taiwanese Beef Noodle Soup

Zhu’s Taiwanese beef noodle soup brings tender beef shank and chewy wheat noodles together in a savoury, aromatic broth. She describes the broth as slightly sweet and contrasts it with other regional beef-noodle soups in Chinese cooking.

The selected boneless shank first blanches from cold water, then drains. Scallions, onion, carrot, garlic and ginger cook in vegetable oil before doubanjiang and Shaoxing wine build the flavour base.

Fresh water joins the beef with tomato, daikon, soy, tomato paste, selected rock sugar, star anise, fennel, Sichuan peppercorns and cinnamon. A long covered simmer tenderises the meat; the beef then moves out briefly and the broth solids are discarded.

An optional topping fries rinsed pickled mustard greens with garlic, birdseye chillies, oil and sugar. The selected bok choy blanches in a separate pot, which also cooks the fresh wheat noodles; both drain and receive a brief cold rinse.

Sliced beef warms in the soup before the noodles are arranged in bowls and the broth is poured over them. Beef, any selected mustard-green topping, bok choy and fresh scallion slices finish a main dish with tender meat, chewy noodles and a punchy pickle contrast.