Red-braised beef noodle soup

• 1.5 kg3.3 lb beef bones (marrow and knuckle), for the stock
• 4 l17 cups water, for the stock
• 1 onion, quartered, for the stock
• 1 carrot, in chunks, for the stock
• 1 kg2.2 lb beef shank (牛腱), in 4 to 5 cm (1 1/2 to 2 in) chunks
• 500 g1.1 lb beef tendon (牛筋), whole
• 3 tbsp vegetable oil
• 8 slices fresh ginger
• 8 cloves garlic, smashed
• 4 scallions, in 5 cm (2 in) lengths
• 2 ripe tomatoes, in wedges
• 2 to 3 dried red chiles, optional
• 3 tbsp doubanjiang (spicy fermented bean paste, ideally Taiwanese Gangshan style)
• 20 g1 1/2 tbsp rock sugar, crushed
• 150 ml2/3 cup Taiwanese rice wine (米酒) or Shaoxing wine
• 120 ml1/2 cup light soy sauce
• 2 tbsp dark soy sauce
• spice bag: 2 star anise, 1 tsp Sichuan peppercorns, 1/2 tsp fennel seeds, a 5 cm (2 in) piece of cassia bark, 1 cao guo (black cardamom), 2 bay leaves, tied in muslin
• 600 g1.3 lb fresh wheat noodles, wide or knife-cut, or 400 g / 14 oz dried
• 6 small heads baby bok choy, halved
• 200 g7 oz suan cai (Hakka pickled mustard greens, 酸菜), rinsed, chopped, stir-fried with 1 tbsp oil, 1 tsp sugar and a chopped chile
• 2 scallions, thinly sliced, to serve
• chili oil and salt, to taste

Method

1. 1

   1. Put the bones, shank and tendon in a large pot of cold water, bring to a boil and boil for 5 minutes. Drain and rinse everything under running water.

2. 2

   2. Return the bones to the clean pot with the 4 litres of water, the onion and carrot. Bring to a boil, skim, and simmer uncovered for 2 hours while you braise the beef. Strain; you need about 2.5 litres (10 1/2 cups) of stock.

3. 3

   3. In a wide, heavy pot, heat the oil over medium-low heat, add the doubanjiang and fry it, stirring, for 2 to 3 minutes, until the oil turns brick red and smells toasty.

4. 4

   4. Add the ginger, garlic, scallions and chiles and fry for 1 minute, then add the tomatoes and cook until they collapse, about 3 minutes.

5. 5

   5. Raise the heat, add the shank and tendon and stir-fry for 5 minutes so the meat is coated in the red paste.

6. 6

   6. Add the rock sugar, pour in the rice wine and let it bubble for 1 minute, then add both soy sauces and stir until the meat is glossy and dark.

7. 7

   7. Add the strained beef stock (or water, if you skipped the stock) and the spice bag. Bring to a boil, skim, cover and simmer very gently.

8. 8

   8. After about 2 hours, test the shank: when a chopstick slides in easily, lift it out. Keep simmering the tendon until it is soft and translucent, usually another 30 to 45 minutes, then lift it out too.

9. 9

   9. Discard the spice bag and skim the fat from the broth. Taste: it should be deep reddish-brown, savoury, a little sweet and gently spicy; adjust with salt or water.

10. 10

    10. Slice the shank and tendon across the grain into thick pieces and return them to the broth to stay warm. If you have time, let everything cool and rest overnight in the fridge, then reheat; the flavour rounds out.

11. 11

    11. Cook the noodles in plenty of unsalted boiling water until just tender, adding the bok choy for the last minute. Drain.

12. 12

    12. Divide noodles and greens among large bowls, top with shank and tendon, ladle over the hot broth and finish with scallions. Serve the suan cai and chili oil on the table.