Weeknight-Friendly Taiwanese Braised Beef Noodle Soup

⏱ 180 min · Serves 4

A deeply savoury bowl of star-anise-scented broth, meltingly tender beef shin and slippery wheat noodles, finished with pickled mustard greens and a fistful of spring onion. It tastes like it simmered all day ly the pot does the work while you get on with your evening.

Per serving: 712 kcal · 57.0g protein · 72.0g carbs · 21.0g fat

Ingredients

• 900g beef shin or boneless short rib, cut into 4cm chunks
• 2 tbsp vegetable oil
• 4 spring onions, cut into 5cm lengths, plus extra sliced to serve
• 6 garlic cloves, smashed
• 1 thumb ginger, sliced
• 1 medium tomato, quartered
• 2 tbsp doubanjiang (spicy broad bean paste)
• 2 tbsp dark soy sauce
• 3 tbsp light soy sauce
• 2 tbsp Shaoxing rice wine
• 1 tbsp rock sugar or brown sugar
• 2 star anise
• 1 small cinnamon stick
• 1 tsp fennel seeds
• 2 dried bay leaves
• 1 tsp Sichuan peppercorns (optional)
• 1.5 litres water or unsalted beef stock
• 400g fresh or dried thick wheat noodles
• 200g pak choi or baby spinach
• 4 tbsp pickled mustard greens (suan cai), rinsed and chopped
• Chilli oil, to serve

Method

1. Blanch the beef: cover with cold water in a pot, bring to the boil, simmer 3 minutes, then drain and rinse off any scum.
2. Heat the oil in a heavy casserole over medium-high heat. Fry the spring onion, garlic and ginger for 1 minute until fragrant, then add the tomato and doubanjiang and cook 2 minutes until the oil turns red.
3. Add the beef and toss to coat. Splash in the Shaoxing wine, then add both soy sauces, sugar, star anise, cinnamon, fennel seeds, bay and Sichuan peppercorns.
4. Pour in the water or stock, bring to the boil, then cover and simmer very gently for 2 to 2.5 hours, until the beef yields easily to a spoon.
5. Skim off excess fat, fish out the whole spices and taste; add a splash more light soy if it needs salt.
6. Cook the noodles in a separate pan of boiling water to packet instructions, adding the pak choi for the final minute. Drain and divide between four deep bowls.
7. Ladle over the beef and plenty of hot broth. Top with pickled mustard greens, sliced spring onion and a spoonful of chilli oil. Eat immediately, loudly.