How to Make Authentic Taiwanese Spicy Beef Noodle Soup Recipe | 拉麵 Asian Comfort Food

Today we're diving into the rich and flavorful world of Taiwanese cuisine. We'll be making a classic dish, the famous Taiwanese spicy beef noodle soup. Flavored with warm spices, a spicy chili paste, and fresh greens to garnish. This is a meal in one bowl that will warm you during these cooler days. So grab your apron and let's get cooking. Let's prepare the We're going to start by cutting the shallots in half. Then with the green onions, we'll finely chop the white part to use as a garnish, and cut the green part into 3 inch pieces, which we'll throw into the pot or pressure cooker. Next, we'll roughly chop the garlic. And with the tomatoes, we'll cut them into quarters. We're using chili guajillo, which has more of a mild to moderate heat. But if you like a bit more heat, you can use chilies de arbol, or even Thai chilies. And we're just going to split them open before throwing them into the pressure cooker. We'll also need some sliced ginger, and then we'll put them all to the side. Next, we're making the spice packet. So in a cheesecloth bag, we're going to add star anise, cinnamon stick, Sichuan peppercorns, fennel seeds, cumin, coriander, bay leaves, and some black pepper. Tie up the bag and then set that aside. Okay, let's talk about the beef. Typically, beef shank is used for this recipe, but I find that a nice fatty beef chuck is also great because it has such a robust and beefy taste. So we're going to use both because they both require a long, slow cooking time to soften up and release their flavor. Now, if you're going to do this on a stovetop, it might take about two to three hours to tenderize the meat. But with a pressure cooker, it's only going to take us 30 minutes. But first, we're going to blanch the beef to remove any impurities. In a large pot, bring the water to a boil and blanch for about one to two minutes, then rinse thoroughly with fresh water. Then transfer the beef to a large plate or bowl and set aside. Using the Ninja pressure cooker, we're going to set it to saute setting. Then add the oil and once the oil is shimmering, we're going to add the ginger, garlic, green onions, and shallots. Stir for about one to two minutes until the shallots are translucent and aromatic. Then add the tomato wedges and dry chilies and stir until the tomatoes start to soften, about four minutes. Next, add the beef, tomato paste, spicy bean paste, sugar, soy sauce, Shaoxing wine, eight cups of water, and lastly, the Chinese spice packet. Make sure it's submerged in the broth, then stir everything together. Now close the lid of the pressure cooker and make sure you have your vent closed. We're going to pressure cook for about 30 minutes. If you're using a Dutch oven or a regular pot on the stove, you want to cook the stew on a low simmer for two to three hours or until the beef is tender. So while the broth is simmering, we're going to cook these Taiwanese wheat noodles according to the package instructions. So I'm using these noodles which are made of wheat flour and a little bit wider than the traditional wheat noodles, but you can use anything from Japanese style noodles to rice flour. In my opinion, they all work pretty well. So we're going to cook these for about seven minutes according to the package instructions, then drain them and set them aside. Now once the pressure cooker timer is up and we've released it and let it rest for 10 to 20 minutes, we're going to carefully strain the broth through a fine mesh strainer into a fresh bowl or a pot. Now our broth is ready. We just need to assemble our bowls. Start by cutting the beef chuck into slices. They should be super tender and absorb all that braising liquid. In a nice large bowl, we're going to add the cooked noodles, top it with the beef, and the choice is up to you, but I am adding some bok choy, cilantro, those chopped green onions, and for a bit of acidity, some chopped pickled greens. Then finally, ladle on some of that braising broth. And just for a bit of heat, I've added some of the spicy bean paste to the broth. And there you have it, a savory and delicious bowl of Taiwanese spicy beef noodle soup. This dish has bold flavors and textures and is perfect for warming up your soul on a chilly day. If you enjoyed this recipe, don't forget to give it a thumbs up, subscribe to our channel, and hit that notification bell for more delicious recipes from around the world. Until next time, happy cooking.