Hong Shao Niu Rou Mian

Name: Hong Shao Niu Rou Mian
Prep time: 25 min
Cook time: 150 min
Total time: 175 min
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: Taiwanese
Ingredients: 1200 g beef shank (left in large pieces); 2 tbsp neutral cooking oil; 40 g fresh ginger (thickly sliced); 8 cloves garlic (lightly smashed); 4 stalks scallions (whites cut into lengths, greens finely sliced for garnish); 1 whole onion (cut into wedges); 2 whole ripe tomatoes (cut into wedges); 3 tbsp spicy chili bean paste (la douban jiang); 80 ml light soy sauce; 2 tbsp dark soy sauce; 120 ml rice cooking wine (mi jiu); 20 g rock sugar; 3 whole star anise; 1 stick cinnamon or cassia bark; 3 leaves bay leaves; 1 tsp Sichuan peppercorns; 4 whole dried red chilies; 2500 ml water; 500 g thick fresh wheat noodles; 4 heads baby bok choy; 100 g pickled mustard greens (suan cai) (chopped, for serving); 4 sprigs cilantro (for garnish); salt (to taste)

Serves 4 · 175 min · Taiwanese

Ingredients

1.2 kg beef shank
2 tbsp neutral cooking oil
40 g fresh ginger
8 cloves garlic
4 stalks scallions
1 onion
2 ripe tomatoes
3 tbsp spicy chili bean paste (la douban jiang)
80 ml light soy sauce
2 tbsp dark soy sauce
120 ml rice cooking wine (mi jiu)
20 g rock sugar
3 star anise
1 stick cinnamon or cassia bark
3 leaves bay leaves
1 tsp Sichuan peppercorns
4 dried red chilies
2.5 L water
500 g thick fresh wheat noodles
4 heads baby bok choy
100 g pickled mustard greens (suan cai)
4 sprigs cilantro
to taste salt

Method

01
Blanch the beef Put the whole pieces of beef shank in a large pot, cover with cold water, bring to a boil, and let it boil hard for five minutes to draw out the scum.
02
Rinse and cut Drain the beef, rinse it under warm water to wash off the scum, and cut it into chunks about four centimeters across.
03
Fry the aromatics Heat the oil in a heavy pot over medium heat and fry the ginger, garlic, scallion whites and onion wedges for about three minutes until fragrant and lightly golden.
04
Fry the bean paste Turn the heat to low, add the chili bean paste, and stir it in the oil for about one minute until the oil turns red.
05
Sear beef with tomato Add the beef and tomato wedges, raise the heat to medium high, and stir fry for about three minutes so the beef is coated in the paste and the tomatoes start to soften.
06
Season the pot Pour in the rice wine, light soy sauce and dark soy sauce, add the rock sugar, and stir until the sugar begins to melt.
07
Add spices and water Add the star anise, cinnamon, bay leaves, Sichuan peppercorns and dried chilies, pour in the water, and bring the pot to a boil.
08
Braise the beef Lower the heat to a gentle simmer, partly cover the pot, and braise for about two hours until the beef is tender enough to break with chopsticks.
09
Adjust the broth Remove the spices, skim off some of the fat if you like, then taste the broth and add salt as needed.
10
Blanch the bok choy Bring a separate pot of water to a boil and blanch the bok choy for about one minute, then lift it out.
11
Cook the noodles Cook the noodles in the same boiling water for about four minutes, or until just tender, then drain them well.
12
Assemble the bowls Divide the noodles between four deep bowls, ladle the hot broth and beef over them, add the bok choy, and top with sliced scallion greens, cilantro and pickled mustard greens.

Method

Blanch the beef

Put the whole pieces of beef shank in a large pot, cover with cold water, bring to a boil, and let it boil hard for five minutes to draw out the scum.

Blanch the beef · 5 min

Rinse and cut

Drain the beef, rinse it under warm water to wash off the scum, and cut it into chunks about four centimeters across.

Cut the shank fairly large because it shrinks a lot during the long braise.

Fry the aromatics

Heat the oil in a heavy pot over medium heat and fry the ginger, garlic, scallion whites and onion wedges for about three minutes until fragrant and lightly golden.

Fry the aromatics · 3 min

Fry the bean paste

Turn the heat to low, add the chili bean paste, and stir it in the oil for about one minute until the oil turns red.

Keep the heat low here. The bean paste burns quickly and turns bitter.

Fry the bean paste · 1 min

Sear beef with tomato

Add the beef and tomato wedges, raise the heat to medium high, and stir fry for about three minutes so the beef is coated in the paste and the tomatoes start to soften.

Sear beef with tomato · 3 min

Season the pot

Pour in the rice wine, light soy sauce and dark soy sauce, add the rock sugar, and stir until the sugar begins to melt.

If you cannot find Taiwanese mi jiu, Shaoxing wine works fine.

Season the pot · 1 min

Add spices and water

Add the star anise, cinnamon, bay leaves, Sichuan peppercorns and dried chilies, pour in the water, and bring the pot to a boil.

Tie the small spices in a muslin bag or tea strainer so they are easy to fish out later.

Add spices and water · 10 min

Braise the beef

Lower the heat to a gentle simmer, partly cover the pot, and braise for about two hours until the beef is tender enough to break with chopsticks.

Keep it at a lazy bubble, not a rolling boil, or the meat turns stringy and the broth goes cloudy.

Braise the beef · 120 min

Adjust the broth

Remove the spices, skim off some of the fat if you like, then taste the broth and add salt as needed.

Blanch the bok choy

Bring a separate pot of water to a boil and blanch the bok choy for about one minute, then lift it out.

Blanch the bok choy · 1 min

Cook the noodles

Cook the noodles in the same boiling water for about four minutes, or until just tender, then drain them well.

Never cook the noodles in the braising broth. The starch will make it thick and muddy.

Cook the noodles · 4 min

Assemble the bowls

Divide the noodles between four deep bowls, ladle the hot broth and beef over them, add the bok choy, and top with sliced scallion greens, cilantro and pickled mustard greens.

Hong Shao Niu Rou Mian

Ingredients

Method

Reviews · 0