Taiwanese Beef Noodle Soup

Ingredients

• 500 g gravy beef (Cut into large pieces)
• 500 g beef cheek (Cut into large pieces)
• neutral cooking oil (For charring and pan-frying; use enough to coat the pan)
• 1 large onion (Quartered)
• 2 spring onions (Cut into batons for the broth)
• 1 inch fresh ginger (Sliced)
• 6 garlic cloves (For the soup; leave whole)
• 0.5 cinnamon stick (Half a stick)
• 5.5 star anise (Use 5–6 whole star anise)
• 1 tbsp black peppercorns
• 1 tbsp coriander seeds
• 1 tomato (Quartered)
• 1 carrot (Quartered)
• 3 tbsp chili bean paste (doubanjiang) (Heaped tablespoons)
• 2 tbsp tomato paste
• 2.25 L water (Add enough to submerge everything; approximately 2–2.5 L depending on the pressure cooker)
• 2.5 tbsp light soy sauce (Add to taste at the end)
• salt (To taste, for the soup and mustard greens)
• sugar (A small amount to round out the broth; also ½ tbsp for the mustard greens)
• 1 packet pickled mustard greens (Approximately 300 g; diced)
• 2 garlic cloves (For the mustard greens; diced)
• 1 tsp salt (For seasoning the mustard greens)
• 0.5 tbsp sugar (For the mustard greens)
• 1 tbsp Shaoxing wine (For deglazing the mustard greens)
• 400 g dried wheat noodles (Cook according to packet instructions)
• 3 spring onion (Finely diced, for serving; estimated amount)
• 0.25 cup fresh coriander (Roughly chopped, for serving; estimated amount)

Steps

1. 1

   Prepare all of the ingredients before cooking. Quarter the onion and tomato, cut the spring onions into batons, slice the ginger, cut both kinds of beef into large pieces, and dice the pickled mustard greens and the two garlic cloves reserved for them.

2. 2

   Heat a dry skillet, grill pan, or the insert of the pressure cooker over medium-high heat. Add the onion, spring onion batons, sliced ginger, and six soup garlic cloves. Char them, turning as needed, until blistered, browned in spots, and fragrant. Remove and set aside.

3. 3

   Add a thin film of neutral oil to the hot pan. Add the gravy beef and beef cheek in batches if necessary so the pan is not crowded. Pan-fry until deeply browned on all sides, then transfer the beef to a plate.

4. 4

   Reduce the heat to medium and add the cinnamon stick, star anise, black peppercorns, and coriander seeds. Toast lightly, stirring frequently, until the spices smell fragrant but are not burnt. Remove them from the heat.

5. 5

   Place the browned beef into a pressure cooker. Add the charred aromatics, toasted spices, quartered tomato, quartered carrot, doubanjiang, and tomato paste.

6. 6

   Pour in enough water to just submerge the beef and aromatics, approximately 2–2.5 L depending on the size of the cooker. Secure the lid and cook according to the pressure cooker's instructions until the beef cheek and gravy beef are very tender and nearly falling apart.

7. 7

   While the soup cooks, heat a little neutral oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add the diced pickled mustard greens and the two diced garlic cloves. Sauté until hot and fragrant.

8. 8

   Season the mustard greens with 1 teaspoon salt and ½ tablespoon sugar. Pour in the Shaoxing wine and scrape the bottom of the pan to deglaze. Cook briefly until the wine is mostly absorbed, then set the greens aside.

9. 9

   When the pressure-cooker cooking is complete, release the pressure according to the appliance's instructions. Open the cooker only once the pressure has fully released.

10. 10

    Strain the broth through a fine-mesh strainer into a large pot or heatproof bowl. Separate the beef from the strained solids and discard the onion, spring onion, ginger, garlic, spices, tomato, and carrot.

11. 11

    Return the reserved beef to the strained broth. Season the soup with 2–3 tablespoons light soy sauce, salt to taste, and a small amount of sugar to balance the spice and savoriness. Keep the broth hot.

12. 12

    Cook the dried wheat noodles separately according to the packet instructions. Drain them well so excess cooking water does not dilute the broth.

13. 13

    Divide the noodles among large serving bowls. Add plenty of hot broth and pieces of beef to each bowl. Top with the sautéed pickled mustard greens, finely diced spring onion, and roughly chopped coriander, then serve immediately.

Notes

The source does not specify an exact pressure-cooker time; follow the instructions for your appliance and cook until both cuts of beef are very tender. Keep the noodles separate from the broth until serving to prevent them from becoming over-soft. The soup and beef can be prepared ahead and reheated gently; cook fresh noodles for serving.

Nutrition per serving

• main
• soup
• noodles
• Taiwanese
• pressure-cooked
• beef
• spicy
• make-ahead