A flavorful and comforting bowl of spicy Taiwanese beef noodle soup, featuring tender beef, fresh vegetables, and hearty udon noodles in a rich broth.
Ingredients
2 pounds beef
8 cups water
4 cups broth
1 bunch green onions
1/4 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup rice wine
2 tablespoons brown sugar
5 cloves garlic
2 pieces chile peppers
1 tablespoon chile paste
1 tablespoon ginger
2 pieces star anise
1 teaspoon five-spice powder
1 bunch bok choy
12 ounces udon noodles
to taste none mustard greens
Method
Start by placing the beef in a large stockpot and covering it with water. Bring the pot to a vigorous boil, then turn off the heat and drain the water.
In a slow cooker, heat some vegetable oil and add the beef along with 8 cups of water, broth, diced green onions, soy sauce, rice wine, brown sugar, minced garlic, sliced chile peppers, chile paste, grated ginger, star anise, and five-spice powder. Set the cooker to Low and let it simmer for 8 to 9 hours.
Once the beef is nicely tender, use a slotted spoon to take it out and place it in a bowl. Strain the broth into another container, discarding the solids, and return the clear broth to the slow cooker on the Warm setting.
In a separate pot, bring water to a boil and add bok choy. Cook for about 30 seconds before quickly transferring it to cold water to stop the cooking. Drain and roughly chop it.
Add udon noodles to the boiling water and cook them for about 4 minutes, until they're tender but still have a slight bite. Drain the noodles.
To serve, place the cooked noodles in bowls, top with the tender beef, add the chopped bok choy, and ladle the hot broth over everything. Finish with a sprinkle of mustard greens for an added flavor boost.
