Photograph of the finished Lanzhou beef noodle soup

China · Mì bò Lan Châu

Lanzhou beef noodle soup

3 hr Hands-on time
HardDifficulty
6 stepsSteps
Serves 4 Amounts follow along 4

What to get ready

  • Photograph of Beef bones Beef bones 1.8 lb
  • Photograph of Beef shank slices Beef shank slices 11.3 oz
  • Photograph of Fresh noodles Fresh noodles 1.1 lb
  • Photograph of White radish White radish 8.5 oz
  • Photograph of Ginger Ginger 1.1 oz
  • Photograph of Spring onion Spring onion 8 sprigs
  • Photograph of Coriander Coriander 1.1 oz
  • Photograph of Cinnamon Cinnamon 2 bars
  • Photograph of Cinnamon and star anise Cinnamon and star anise 8
  • Photograph of Cardamom Cardamom 0.1 oz
  • Photograph of Bay leaf Bay leaf 4 leaves
  • Photograph of Red chilli powder Red chilli powder 0.7 oz
  • Photograph of Oil Oil ¼ cup
  • Photograph of Salt Salt 0.6 oz

Method

  1. 1 Blanch beef bones and beef shank in boiling water for 5 minutes, then rinse off the foam.
  2. 2 Simmer the bones with ginger, cinnamon, star anise, cardamom, and bay leaves for 2 hours, skimming off the foam frequently.
  3. 3 Remove the beef shank from the pot after 90 minutes, let it cool, then slice it thinly.
  4. 4 Add the sliced white radish to the pot and cook for another 20 minutes, seasoning with salt to make the broth clear and sweet.
  5. 5 Make chili oil by pouring hot oil over chili powder, then boil fresh noodles for 3 minutes.
  6. 6 Arrange the noodles in a bowl, pour in the broth, add the beef and radish, sprinkle with chopped scallions and cilantro, and a spoonful of chili oil.

With an appliance

  • Pressure cooker 1 hr 20 min

    Replace step 2: cook the bones and beef shank under high pressure for 45 minutes, then let it rest naturally for 15 minutes; this reduces the cooking time by over an hour, resulting in a richer broth and tender meat without the need to skim off the foam. The radishes in step 4 should still be cooked with the lid open for 12 minutes.

Start cooking