FOOD NEWS
The Comforting Taiwanese Noodle Soup That's Filled With Tender Beef
BY NIKITA EPHANOV
Hong shao niu rou mian is an especially popular version of beef noodle soup throughout Taiwan that contains wheat noodles, chunks of beef, bok choy, and pickled mustard greens.
Stemming from the Chinese mainland, the soup uses tomatoes, chiles, and soy sauce to create a dark red broth. A pre-braising technique generates especially tender bites of meat.
Like other niu rou mian, the hong shao version utilizes boneless beef shanks and wheat noodles. Aromatics like garlic, ginger, and onions are also consistent across versions.
The soy sauce, tomatoes, chilies, and spices like star anise or five-spice are used to flavor most Taiwanese soups. For a dash of heat, hot peppers or doubanjiang are added.
However, this version does not employ the tingle-inducing Sichuan peppercorns found in other types of niu rou mian. Its distinction arises due to a soy sauce braising technique.
This method begins with parboiling the meat before frying it. After a brief saute, the aromatics are added, and the chunks of meat are cooked down.
After a quick caramelization, the other components are added with several cups of water to form a broth. Noodles and bok choy are boiled separately before the soup comes together.