Oxtail Thai Beef Noodle Soup (Instant Pot)

Ingredients

• 2 lb Oxtail (Can substitute with beef chuck roast, short ribs, or back ribs)
• 1 tbsp Thin Soy Sauce
• 1 tbsp Thick Soy Sauce
• 0.25 cup Seasoning Soy Sauce (Golden Mountain Brand (Green Cap) recommended)
• 3 Rock Sugar (Big pieces)
• 20 oz Thai Beef Paste (Por Kwan Brand recommended)
• 0.25 cup Fish Sauce
• Cilantro Stems or Roots (A handful for aromatics)
• 2 Galangal (Thinly sliced pieces)
• 0.25 cup Chicken Bouillon (Powdered)
• 0.25 cup Sugar (Granulated white sugar)
• 2 Bay Leaves
• 0.5 tsp Peppercorn
• 6 Garlic Cloves (Minced)
• 4 Star Anise
• 2 Cinnamon Sticks (1-2 sticks)
• 0.25 tsp Fennel Seeds
• 0.25 tsp Cloves (Whole cloves)
• Beef Meatballs (Preferably with tendon, found at Asian supermarkets)
• Rice Noodles (Soaked in cold water before use)
• Water (Enough to fill an 8-qt Instant Pot to the max line)
• Chinese Broccoli (For topping, blanched)
• Bean Sprouts (For topping, blanched)
• Scallions (For garnish)
• Cilantro (Fresh leaves for garnish)
• Lime (Wedges for serving)

Steps

1. 1

   Toast the spices (star anise, cinnamon sticks, fennel, cloves, peppercorn, garlic cloves, and bay leaves) in a dry pan until fragrant.

2. 2

   Place the toasted spices into a cheesecloth or a tea bag and tie the strings into a knot. If you do not have a spice bag, you can add them directly to the pot and strain the broth later.

3. 3

   Soak the rice noodles in cold water to soften while the broth prepares.

4. 4

   Add the meat (oxtail or your choice of beef) to the Instant Pot.

5. 5

   Add the aromatic spice bag (or loose toasted spices), cilantro stems/roots, galangal, and rock sugar to the Instant Pot.

6. 6

   Add the seasoning ingredients: thin soy sauce, thick soy sauce, seasoning soy sauce, beef paste, fish sauce, chicken bouillon, and granulated sugar.

7. 7

   Fill the Instant Pot with water up to the max line (based on an 8-qt model).

8. 8

   Close and lock the lid. Select the 'Pressure Cook' button. Set the timer for 1 hour and 20 minutes (80 minutes) if the meat is frozen, or 45 minutes if the meat is thawed.

9. 9

   While the soup cooks, prepare your toppings and garnishes: blanch the Chinese broccoli and bean sprouts, and chop the scallions and cilantro.

10. 10

    Once the timer goes off, you can either allow a natural pressure release or perform a quick release by pressing the valve button (use caution and consider covering with a cloth to prevent splatter).

11. 11

    Carefully open the lid and remove the cooked meat from the broth.

12. 12

    Strain the broth through a fine-mesh sieve to remove the loose spices and aromatics. If you used a spice bag, simply remove the bag.

13. 13

    Add the beef meatballs to the hot broth to heat through.

14. 14

    Boil a separate pot of water and blanch the pre-soaked rice noodles for 7-15 seconds until they reach your desired texture.

15. 15

    Strain the noodles in a colander and rinse under cold water to stop the cooking process.

16. 16

    Place the noodles in serving bowls, ladle the hot broth and meatballs over them, and add the oxtail meat. Garnish with Chinese broccoli, bean sprouts, scallions, cilantro, and lime wedges. Add chili oil or chili powder if desired.

Notes

For the most authentic flavor, use Golden Mountain Brand seasoning soy sauce (green cap) and Por Kwan Brand Thai beef paste. If using oxtail, the meat should be tender enough to fall off the bone. You can adjust the spice level at the end with garlic chili oil and chili powder.

Nutrition per serving

• Thai
• Noodle Soup
• Instant Pot
• Oxtail
• Main Course
• Pressure Cooker
• Beef