Taiwanese Beef Noodle Soup Food

TAIWANESE BEEF NOODLE SOUP

Steps:

• Make the braising liquid: Combine chicken broth, wine, dark soy sauce, sugar and doubanjiang in a medium bowl or large liquid measure. Sprinkle gelatin over the top and set aside.
• Sear the beef: Season short ribs lightly with salt on all sides. Heat oil in a large Dutch oven over high until shimmering. Working in batches if necessary, add short ribs in a single layer and cook, turning occasionally, until well browned on all sides, about 8 minutes, reducing heat if necessary if the oil smokes excessively. Transfer short ribs to a large plate and set aside. (Do not wash out the pot.)
• Add the aromatics: Add onion, tomatoes, garlic, ginger, scallions and dried chiles to the pot, season lightly with salt, and cook, stirring frequently, until the vegetables are starting to brown around the edges and the tomatoes are breaking down, about 4 minutes. Reduce heat if the bottom of the pot starts to blacken or smoke excessively.
• Bloom the spices: Add cinnamon, star anise, fennel seeds, coriander seeds, Sichuan peppercorns and black peppercorns, and cook, stirring frequently, until aromatic, about 1 minute.
• Stir the braising liquid to get the sugar off the bottom. (The hydrated gelatin will have formed a raft that will break up a little when you stir. It's OK if it's not dissolved at this point.) Pour the braising liquid into the pot, then scrape up any browned bits from the bottom of the pot.
• Return the short ribs to the pot and add enough water to barely cover them (1 1/2 to 2 quarts). Add bay leaves, bring the liquid to a boil, adjust heat to maintain a bare simmer, and cover the pot with a lid, leaving it slightly cracked to allow steam to escape.
• Cook until a toothpick or skewer inserted into the meaty part of the largest short rib shows very little resistance but isn't falling apart, 2 to 2 1/2 hours. Using a spatula and tongs, carefully transfer the short ribs to a plate. Strain the braising liquid through a fine-mesh strainer into a fresh pot. Discard the solids.
• Pick any stray spices or aromatics off the short ribs and discard. Return the short ribs to the braising liquid. For best results, allow short ribs to cool in the liquid on the countertop, then refrigerate overnight. Once liquid has chilled, using a ladle, skin and discard most - but not all - of the fat from the surface.
• To serve: If you have the right number of ribs for each guest, you can reheat them on the bone. If not, gently separate the meat from the bone (including the tendons) and break the meat into big chunks with your fingers before reheating. Bring broth and short ribs to a simmer. Add vinegar and season broth to taste with salt. Keep hot.
• Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add greens and cook until tender-crisp, about 1 minute. Remove greens with a slotted spoon or tongs and set aside. Return water to a boil and cook noodles according to package instructions. Drain noodles and divide among four serving bowls. Top with short ribs, divide the greens evenly among the bowls, and ladle the broth over the top. Place a small pile of chopped Chinese pickled vegetable or sauerkraut on top of each short rib, sprinkle with chopped cilantro, and serve.

TAIWANESE BEEF NOODLE SOUP

Steps:

• Bring water, soy sauce, rice wine, brown sugar, ginger, white parts of scallion, garlic, cilantro stems, tangerine peel, star anise, and red pepper flakes to a boil in a 5- to 6-quart pot, then reduce heat and simmer, uncovered, 10 minutes. Add short ribs and gently simmer, covered, turning occasionally, until meat is very tender but not falling apart, 2 1/4 to 2 1/2 hours. Let meat stand in cooking liquid, uncovered, 1 hour.
• Transfer meat to a cutting board with tongs and discard bones and membranes, then cut meat across the grain into 1/2-inch-thick slices. 3Pour beef broth through a cheesecloth-lined sieve into a bowl and discard solids. Skim fat from cooking liquid and transfer liquid to a 3-quart saucepan. Add chicken broth and meat and reheat soup over moderately low heat.
• Meanwhile, cook noodles in a 6- to 8-quart pot of (unsalted) boiling water until tender, about 7 minutes (14 to 15 minutes for linguine). Drain noodles well in a colander and divide among 4 large soup bowls.
• Ladle broth over noodles and top with meat, scallion greens, bean sprouts, pickled mustard greens, cilantro sprigs, and red chile (if using).
• *Available at some Asian markets.
• **Available at some Asian markets and Uwajimaya (800-889-1928).

CHINESE/TAIWANESE BEEF SOUP

Steps:

• While you are cutting vegetables, bring a pot of water to boil. Add the beef shank to the boiling water and simmer for about 10 minutes to remove any impurities.
• Remove beef shank from the boiling water and cut into desired size.
• In a stock pot (if you don't have a rice/slow cooker to use) or a wok (if you plan to transition to a rice/slow cooker), heat up the oil on medium-high heat.
• Add the garlic and red pepper flakes and sauté until the garlic is fragrant.
• Add the sliced onions to the pan and sauté until the onions are transparent.
• Add the black bean sauce, soy sauce, sugar, and rice wine and stir fry over medium heat for 1 minute. You can add the tomato at this point (optional).
• Add the beef back into the pot with the stir-fried ingredients.
• If you plan to use the stock pot, add the star anise, green onions, and ginger (ideally in a spice sachet so you can remove easily later) and ~10 cups of water to the pot, bring to a boil and simmer on low heat for at least an hour.
• If you are using a rice or slow cooker, transfer the contents to the rice/slow cooker container and add the star anise, green onions, and ginger (ideally in a spice sachet so you can remove easily later) and ~10 cups of water to the container. Cook on low heat for at least an hour.
• After broth is complete, let cool and store, or eat with noodles immediately. You can add additional water to taste. Tip: Cook noodles in a separate pot of water, then combine with the broth for best results.