Beef Noodle Soup (Niu Rou Mian)

This is hands down one of my favorite Taiwanese dishes. During my first visit to Taiwan with my husband and his family, I was greeted by his aunt (āyí) with a big bowl of Taiwanese beef noodle soup. Chris’ aunt is famous in the family for making this soup. I remember thinking if this is my introduction to Taiwanese food, I’m in for a really flavorful, culinary journey.

This soup has a rich bone broth with pieces of beef shank and lots of layers of flavor. With this recipe, I wanted to take some of the traditional flavors of the soup and recreate it. This soup is a labor of love, but you will not be disappointed in the final results.

I hope you enjoy this delicious soup and make some memories with your family! I love to serve this with scallion pancakes and spicy marinated cucumbers.

Ingredients

6 pounds bone-in beef shank, 2-inch-thick rounds (depending on the size of the meat, you should have 3 pounds of meat removed from the bone), cut meat into 2-inch pieces and reserve the bones
1 tablespoon of kosher salt
neutral oil (like canola, vegetable, or grapeseed oil)
2-inch piece of ginger, peeled and smashed
8 cloves of garlic, peeled and smashed
4 scallions, white and green parts, cut into 2-inch segments
1 large tomato, cut into wedges
1 large onion, cut into wedges
2 dried chilies
8 dried shiitake mushrooms
2 tablespoons of tomato paste
2 tablespoons of spicy bean sauce (doubanjiang)
2 teaspoons of sugar
½ cup soy sauce
½ cup Shaoxing wine (you could substitute for dry white wine or sake)
10-12 cups of bone broth (homemade or store bought), enough to cover the meat
32 oz of dried wheat noodles
Fried shallots or store bought
Lu bao spice sachet or store bought
For garnish:
Fresh cilantro, finely chopped
Fresh scallions, finely chopped
Pickled mustard greens, finely chopped
Chili crunch/oil

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 425 F. Place the bones on a large roasting pan and lightly coat the bottom of the pan with oil. Roast until they are a deep brown color, approximately 45 minutes.
2. Place the onions and tomatoes on a sheet tray and lightly coat them with oil and brown until caramelized, 25-30 minutes. Add 2 tablespoons of tomato paste and coat the vegetables. Cook until it darkens in color, about 10 minutes.
3. Salt meat evenly on all sides.
4. Heat a large pot over medium-high heat, add 1 tablespoon of oil. When oil is shimmering, add the meat in batches and brown on all sides for about 5 mins. Transfer to a plate.
5. Add in garlic, ginger, and scallions, and stir often until fragrant about 30 seconds.
6. Add sugar and bean sauce, stirring until the sugar is melted. Then, deglaze with the Shaoxing wine.
7. Place roasted bones, meat, and vegetables along with meat into the pot.
8. Add soy sauce and bone broth (use enough to cover the meat in order to cook properly).
9. Add the spice sachet.
10. Cover the pot and bring the soup to a boil. Then, reduce to low and slowly simmer with lid slightly ajar for 2-3 hours or until beef is fork-tender.
11. Over high-heat, fill a large pot with water, add salt and bring it to a boil. Cook the noodles according to package instructions or until al dente.
12. Check the meat and remove from the soup. Set aside.
13. Strain the broth with a fine-mesh strainer into a clean pot. It can be helpful to first use a colander for the large bits. I like to use a piece of cheesecloth in the strainer to remove any further impurities. Discarding the spice bag, vegetables, and aromatics.
14. Divide noodles into individual bowls. Place beef on top of the noodles and ladle hot broth over. Garnish with cilantro, scallions, pickled greens, and fried shallots. If you want additional spice, you can add chili crunch.