Taiwanese Beef Noodle Soup Recipe Niu Rou Mian 牛肉麵

beef shank

🥗Healthier: chicken thighs

💰Cheaper: pork shoulder

Chicken thighs reduce fat while pork is often less expensive.

soy sauce

🥗Healthier: tamari

💰Cheaper: liquid aminos

Tamari is gluten-free, while liquid aminos are often cheaper.

beef broth

🥗Healthier: vegetable broth

💰Cheaper: water with bouillon cubes

Vegetable broth offers a lighter option, while bouillon is budget-friendly.

wheat noodles

🥗Healthier: zucchini noodles

💰Cheaper: rice noodles

Zucchini noodles are low-carb, while rice noodles are often cheaper.

Toast the spices (bay leaves, cardamom, licorice, star anise, Sichuan peppercorns, fennel, goji berries) in a dry pan over medium heat for a couple of minutes until fragrant.

Place the toasted spices into a spice bag.

Cut 2 beef shanks into pieces (or use stew meat/beef chuck if shank is unavailable).

Blanch the beef in boiling water for 1-2 minutes to remove excess blood, then drain and wash the pot quickly.

Heat the pot over high heat and add 6 tablespoons of oil.

Add 15 cloves of crushed garlic, 2 slices of ginger, 1/2 sliced onion, and 4-5 broken green onions to the pot and stir-fry for about 1 minute until fragrant.

Add 3 tablespoons of Doubanjiang, a large piece of rock sugar (or raw sugar), and stir-fry for 1 minute with the vegetables.

Add 1/2 cup soy sauce, 1/2 cup rice wine (or Shaoxing wine), 1 tablespoon dark soy sauce, and 1/2 teaspoon salt to the pot and stir everything together to create a deep flavor base.

Add the blanched beef, 2 large chopped tomatoes, and 2 teaspoons of beef bouillon to the pot and stir to coat the beef with the sauce.

Pour in 14 cups of water and add the spice bag. Bring to a boil over high heat without a lid.

Once boiling, cover the pot, reduce the heat to medium-low, and simmer for 1.5 hours.

About 10 minutes before the soup is done, bring a medium pot of water to boil to cook the noodles and bok choy.

Cook the noodles according to package directions, then drain and place in a serving bowl.

Add the soup to the bowl along with chunks of beef and tomatoes.

Garnish with chopped green onions and cilantro.

Cooking Techniques

Equipment Needed

Spice Level:

Dietary