If you ever have the opportunity to go to San Dong Noodle House in Houston, you'll get to taste the masterpiece version of this recipe that I can only aspire to recreate. This recipe is as close as I've been able to get to the restaurant I've eaten at since I was 6 years old.
What you'll need
Ingredients
For the soup
- 1.5 - 2 pounds beef chuck roast, cut into 1.5 inch cubes
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 6 slices fresh ginger
- 6 cloves of garlic, cut in half
- 2 stalks green onion, cut into 3 inch pieces
- 3 dried red thai chili peppers
- 1 large beef tomato, roughly chopped
- 1 yellow onion, diced into roughly 0.5 inch chunks
- 3 tablespoons rock sugar
- 1 tablespoon sichuan chili bean sauce
- For a gluten free option, I've used this brand before
- ½ cup rice wine
- 1 tablespoon sichuan peppercorn
- 1¼ cup soy sauce
- 2 quarts water
For serving
- La mian (hand pulled noodles)
- I usually use Twin Marquis, found in most Asian grocery stores I've been to in the U.S. Dried noodles work well too.
- For a gluten free option, use pho rice noodles
- 1 bunch baby bok choy per person
- 2 green onions, finely chopped
- (Optional) 4 oz pickled mustard greens
- (Optional) 3 tablespoons white sugar
Materials
- Large pot or dutch oven, at least 3 quarts in volume
- (Optional) Medium pot, at least 2.5 quarts in volume
- Mesh sieve
- Ladle
- Tongs
- (Optional) Frying pan, for mustard greens
Instructions
- Prepare chopped ingredients
- Heat vegetable oil in your pot over medium high heat until shimmering.
- Use tongs to add the beef to the pot in two batches, cooking until all sides are brown all over. Cooking in batches prevents too much liquid from pooling and lets you achieve a nice sear. Transfer beef to a bowl and set aside.
- Add another tablespoon of vegetable oil to the same pot and add the ginger, garlic, and green onion. Cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
- Add onions and cook until they are softened and slightly translucent, about 3-5 minutes.
- Add the chopped tomato and stir for another minute.
- Add the chili bean paste to the pot and stir until the mixture starts to bubble.
- Add the cooked beef back into the pot and stir until the meat is coated in the spice mixture.
- Add the rice wine and cook for about 1 minute, until the smell of alcohol disappears.
- Stir in the sichuan peppercorn and thai chili peppers. If you want the soup to be less spicy, you can add less dried peppers and chili bean sauce (but don't forgo completely, because they add to the flavor!)
- Add the soy sauce, water, and rock sugar. Bring to a boil, and then reduce the heat to low and cover. If your pot is on the smaller end, crack the lid open so the soup doesn't boil over.
- Let the soup continue to simmer until the beef is tender and falls apart easily when pulled, about 2 - 3 hours. Taste test periodically – you may want to add more sugar, soy sauce, and/or water based on how it's tasting.
- (Optional) If you are eating with pickled mustard greens, sauté 4 ounces of chopped mustard greens with some vegetable oil and 3 tablespoons of white sugar in a frying pan (if your greens are not already chopped, chop them up into ¼ inch pieces first). The greens should taste sweet with just a hint of sour. Set aside and let cool while your soup is simmering.
- Once the beef is done, remove the beef with tongs or chopsticks and set aside in a separate bowl. Strain the soup to remove the leftover solids, and then return the beef to the soup.
- Cook the noodles according to the package instructions, and then blanch the bok choy in boiling water for about 1 - 2 minutes.
- To serve, place the noodles in a bowl, and ladle the soup on top. Add bok choy, mustard greens, and chopped green onions on top. Enjoy!
The mustard greens are done when the sugar has thickened into a syrup, with most water content evaporated.
If you don't have an extra pot to strain the soup into, you can scoop up the solids in the same pot with your strainer.
I also like to cook hot pot beef such as rib eye or pork belly in a pot of water to add to the soup.