Lanzhou Beef Noodle Soup
| 兰州牛肉拉面

A culinary legend from the city which it’s named after.

Introduction

Winter is a great season for noodles especially hot and warm noodle soup. Lanzhou beef noodle soup, one of the national soup star in China looks plain and common. But it successfully obtains the love of all the foodies who have token the first bite. Comparing with the newly rising stars (like Chongqing noodles), it has been a traditional national Chinese noodles for quite a long history.


A typical Lanzhou beef noodles soup is described to be “1 clear, 2 white, 3 red, 4 green, 5 yellow” to signify respectively clear soup, white radish, red chili oil, green coriander and garlic leek and yellow noodles. Alkali ash, a traditional important ingredient in real Lanzhou style hand pulled noodles, brings a faint yellowish to the noodles.

Ingredients

Noodels & Toppings

Spices

Garnish & Drizzling

INSTRUCTIONS

Part l: Beef Stock

Step 1: Removing the blood waters

  1. Add all the bones and meat in a large pot, pour in enough water to cover.
  2. Add green onion and 4 slices of ginger and then bring to a boiling.
  3. Transfer out and clean.

Step 2: Cooking beef

  1. Soak all the spices with around ½ cup boiling hot water for 10 minutes.
  2. Add all the bones and beef shank, scallion whites and spiced wrapped in the glaze bag.
  3. Pour around 2.5L to 3L water (separately for high pressure cooker and cast iron soup pot).
  4. Bring to boil and simmer for around 1.5 to 2 hours.

Step 3: Cut

  1. Add salt to taste.
  2. Take out the beef shank and cut thinly.

Part 2: Chive oil and garnish

Step 4: Preparation & Chili Oil

  1. Chop garlic leek and coriander.
  2. Pre-make the chili oil and let it set side for at least 4 hours (the oil turns red after soaking)

Step 5: Noodles

  1. Peel and daikon into thin slices and then cook in the soup base for 2 minutes. Transfer out.
  2. Cook noodles as directed. Scoop only soup to cover the noodles.

Step 6: Finals

  1. Assemble with slices of beef shank, cooked daikon slices and garnish garlic leek and coriander
  2. Drizzle chili oil before serving.
  3. ENJOY!
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