Lanzhou Beef Noodle Soup (兰州拉面)
Lanzhou beef noodle soup features springy noodles, melt-in-your-mouth beef, a bit of homemade fresh chili oil, and a rich broth. It’s a simple dish but you can’t help but wonder about the magical power of a plain bowl of beef noodles.
Servings: 6 to 8 servings
Ingredients
- 2 to 3 lb (1.4 to 1.8 kg) beef shin bones (*see footnote 1)
- 2 lb (1 kg) untrimmed beef flank , or brisket, or round roast (*see footnote 2), cut into 3” (7 cm) pieces
- 2 Chinese scallions or 4 green onions, white part, cut to 4” (10 cm) pieces
- 1 thumb ginger , sliced
- 5 cloves garlic
- 5 Chinese dried chili peppers
- 5 whole cloves
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 teaspoon whole Sichuan peppercorn
- 1 teaspoon fennel seed
- 1 whole nutmeg
- 1 star anise
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 2 teaspoons salt (or to taste)
- 1 small daikon radish , peeled and sliced to 1/2” (5 mm) quarters
- 1.3 to 2 lbs (600 to 900 g) fresh Lanzhou noodles (or 1 to 1.3 lb / 400 to 600 g dried wheat noodles)
Serving
- Homemade Chinese chili oil (for serving)
- Soy sauce (for serving)
- cilantro , chopped (for garnish)
- green onion , sliced (for garnish)
Instructions
To cook the broth
- Add the beef bones and meat into a large pot. Add 8 cups of cold water. Heat over medium-high heat until brought to a boil. Stir occasionally to prevent the bottom from sticking. When it starts to boil, turn to medium heat. Skim the brown foam from the top and discard it. Boil and skim until the broth turns almost clear, 10 minutes or so.
- Transfer the meat and bones into the Instant Pot, and pour in all the broth. You can keep cooking on the stovetop if not using an Instant Pot. (*Footnote 3)
- (Optional) Add the cloves, Sichuan peppercorn and star anise into a tea infuser. Submerge the tea infuser in the broth.
- Add the scallion, ginger, garlic, dried chili pepper, bay leaves, fennel seed, nutmeg, cinnamon stick into the Instant Pot. Set the pressure on high, timer for 1 hour. Once done, let pressure release naturally. If you want to use fast release, do a natural release for at least 20 minutes first, to prevent it from spilling.
- Once done, remove and discard the spices, aromatics, and beef bones using a pair of tongs. You can also strain the broth if that is easier. But you need to pick out the meat separately.
- You might find a thick layer of oil floating on top of the soup (depending on the fattiness of the beef). Use a ladle to skim the oil off according to your preference (*footnote 4).
- Add salt and mix well. Taste the broth and adjust seasoning if needed. The broth should taste a bit salty by itself, so it will be perfect after adding the noodles. You can also adjust the seasoning later, after assembling the bowls.
- Turn on the saute function if using Instant Pot. Add the daikon radish and cook until tender, 10 minutes or so.
- Boil the noodles according to package instructions.
To assemble noodles
- Add noodles to each serving bowl, then pour in the broth. Top noodles with beef, a few pieces of daikon radish, and some cilantro. Serve immediately with chili oil and soy sauce on the side. Enjoy hot as a main dish.
Notes
- If the bones are not cut, ask the butcher to cut the beef bones lengthwise into short pieces when purchasing.
- Using untrimmed cuts will generate a very tender and moist lean part after simmering. You can trim off and discard the fat before serving. Other beef cuts such as brisket, shank, or round roast are also suitable for this recipe.
- Add 2 cups of water into the pot if you keep cooking on the stovetop. Cover and simmer over low heat for 3 hours, or until the beef turns very tender.
- I usually skim off as much oil as I can and save it. Some people like to serve the broth with oil on top, but I found it delicious enough without the oil. You can use the oil for stir-frying later and it will help you create very delicious dishes. To store beef fat, allow the oil to cool in a small bowl at room temperature, then transfer it to an air-tight container. It can be stored in the fridge for up to 2 weeks.
Nutrition
Serving: 1serving, Calories: 429kcal, Carbohydrates: 51.5g, Protein: 35.1g, Fat: 9.1g, Saturated Fat: 2.9g, Cholesterol: 47mg, Sodium: 953mg, Potassium: 577mg, Fiber: 4.6g, Sugar: 7.3g, Calcium: 13mg, Iron: 4mg