Taiwanese Braised Halal Beef Shank Noodle Soup

4 servings · 25 minutes preparation · 120 minutes cooking · 15 minutes cooling, chilling or resting

Ingredients

• 2.5 pounds bone-in or boneless halal beef shank, cut into 1.5-inch thick rounds (use halal-certified ingredients)
• 2 tablespoons neutral vegetable oil
• 2 inches fresh ginger root, sliced into thick coins
• 6 cloves garlic, peeled and lightly crushed
• 4 whole scallions, trimmed and sliced into 2-inch pieces, divided
• 1 medium yellow onion, quartered
• 2 medium Roma tomatoes, cut into wedges
• 1.5 tablespoons doubanjiang (broad bean paste)
• 1 tablespoon tomato paste
• 0.25 cup light soy sauce (use halal-certified ingredients)
• 2 tablespoons dark soy sauce (use halal-certified ingredients)
• 1 tablespoon brown sugar
• 3 whole star anise
• 1 whole cinnamon stick
• 1 teaspoon whole Sichuan peppercorns
• 6 cups water (or low-sodium halal beef broth) (use halal-certified ingredients)
• 16 ounces fresh Chinese wheat noodles (or dried equivalent)
• 4 heads baby bok choy, halved lengthwise

Step-by-step instructions

1. Place the cut halal beef shank into a 6-quart stockpot, cover completely with cold tap water, and bring to a rapid boil over high heat for 5 minutes to release foam and impurities.
2. Pour the contents through a colander into the sink, rinse the parboiled shank pieces thoroughly under cool running water to clean away scum, and wash the interior of the stockpot.
3. Dry the cleaned pot and place it back over medium heat with 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil. Add the sliced ginger, crushed garlic, yellow onion wedges, and half of the scallion pieces, frying for 3 to 4 minutes until fragrant and lightly golden.
4. Stir in 1.5 tablespoons of doubanjiang and 1 tablespoon of tomato paste, cooking in the oil for 1 to 2 minutes until the oil turns a deep red-orange color.
5. Return the rinsed beef shank pieces to the pot, then add the light soy sauce, dark soy sauce, and brown sugar, turning the beef pieces to coat evenly for 2 minutes.
6. Tie the star anise, cinnamon stick, and Sichuan peppercorns into a small cheesecloth spice bundle and drop it into the pot along with the Roma tomato wedges and 6 cups of water.
7. Bring the liquid to a rolling boil over high heat, then immediately reduce heat to low, cover with a tight-fitting lid, and simmer gently for 90 to 100 minutes until the beef shank is fork-tender and gelatinous.
8. Turn off the heat, discard the cheesecloth spice sachet and onion pieces, and let the broth and meat rest covered for 15 minutes off the burner to allow the rich braising liquid to settle and flavor the meat.
9. While the broth rests, bring a separate 4-quart pot of water to a rolling boil over medium-high heat. Cook the baby bok choy for 90 seconds until bright green and tender-crisp, retrieve with tongs, and divide among four large soup bowls. In the same water, cook the wheat noodles according to package directions (about 3 to 5 minutes), drain thoroughly, and divide between the bowls.
10. Ladle hot spiced broth and tender beef shank pieces generously over the cooked noodles, then garnish each bowl with the remaining freshly sliced scallions and serve hot.

Kitchen notes

Parboiling the raw halal beef shank and washing the pot before starting the aromatic base is an essential culinary step for clear, pure-tasting broth. It removes coagulated surface albumins and bone dust that would otherwise make the soup cloudy and impart an undesirable metallic bitterness to the finished Taiwanese broth.

Storage & make-ahead

Refrigerate leftover broth and beef separated from the cooked noodles in airtight containers within 2 hours of cooking. Store in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Reheat broth and meat gently over medium heat until reaching at least 165 F / 74 C before pouring over freshly boiled noodles.