Taiwanese Beef Noodle Soup

Ingredients

• 900g beef shank, cut into 4cm chunks
• 2 tbsp neutral oil
• 1 onion, cut into wedges
• 8 garlic cloves, peeled
• 6 thick slices ginger
• 2 large tomatoes, cut into wedges
• 2 tbsp doubanjiang (Sichuan chilli bean paste)
• 1 tbsp tomato paste
• 60ml Taiwanese rice wine or Shaoxing wine
• 3 tbsp light soy sauce
• 1 tbsp dark soy sauce
• 25g rock sugar
• 2 star anise
• 1 cassia or cinnamon stick
• 3 bay leaves
• 1 tsp Sichuan peppercorns
• 2 dried red chillies
• 1.8 litres water
• 500g fresh thick wheat noodles
• 200g baby bok choy, halved
• 80g pickled mustard greens (suan cai), chopped
• 1 small bunch coriander
• 2 spring onions, sliced

Before you cook

• Cut the beef shank into 4cm chunks and put them in a large pot.
• Cut the onion into wedges, slice the ginger thickly and peel the garlic cloves.
• Cut the tomatoes into wedges.
• Tie the star anise, cinnamon, bay leaves, Sichuan peppercorns and dried chillies into a square of muslin.
• Chop the pickled mustard greens and rinse them briefly under cold water.
• Halve the bok choy lengthways and wash out any grit.

Steps

1. Cover the beef with cold water and bring it to the boil over high heat.
2. Boil for two minutes, then skim off the grey foam that rises to the surface.
3. Drain the beef into a colander and rinse every piece under warm running water.
4. Heat two tablespoons of oil in a heavy pot over medium heat.
5. Add the onion wedges, garlic cloves and ginger slices and fry for four minutes until the onion softens and smells sweet.
6. Add the tomato wedges and cook for three minutes until they slump and release their juice.
7. Stir in the chilli bean paste and tomato paste and fry for one minute until the oil turns deep red.
8. Return the beef to the pot and turn it through the paste for two minutes.
9. Pour in the rice wine and let it bubble hard for thirty seconds.
10. Add both soy sauces, the rock sugar and the muslin spice bundle.
11. Pour in the water so the beef is fully submerged, then bring the pot to a gentle boil.
12. Lower the heat until the surface barely trembles, cover, and simmer for two hours.
13. Push a chopstick into a piece of shank; it should slide through with no resistance.
14. Lift out the beef, then fish out the spice bundle and discard it.
15. Taste the broth and adjust with salt or a little more rock sugar until it tastes round rather than sharp.
16. Bring a second large pot of water to a rolling boil.
17. Cook the noodles for the time given on the packet, dropping the bok choy in for the final minute.
18. Drain the noodles and greens and divide them between four deep bowls.
19. Lay the beef over the noodles and ladle the hot broth on top.
20. Finish each bowl with pickled mustard greens, coriander and sliced spring onion.