If you ask my wife what her favorite food is, she will always say Beef Noodle Soup. There is something about it that she absolutely loves so I have started making it at home. The best beef noodle soup I had was in Hong Kong and this recipe is emulating it. Thick, chewy noodles are the best for this, but I did not have any, so I used rice noodles instead.
Can't get enough of Asian soups? Try my Chinese Chayote Soup next!
๐ฅ About This Recipe
Hong Kong Beef Brisket Noodle Soup has to be one of my favorite noodle dishes of all time. The beef is so flavorful and tender, the noodles are wonderfully chewy, and the rich broth brings everything together.
The first time I tried it was at a local Taiwanese spot near where I lived in Richmond, BC. It was tasty but nothing memorable. It was only when I visited Hong Kong that I became enamored with the dish. It was so much better than I remembered it being.
Using thick, fatty cuts of beef is essential because the soup cooks for a long time, and you do not want the meat to dry out. Thick cuts of beef brisket are the best, especially the part called the "point cut," which has the most fat.
๐ง Ingredients
- Beef Brisket: I highly recommend using beef brisket, especially the "point cut," but as you can see from my photo, any fatty cut of beef will do (I am using beef finger meat). Fatty cuts (which usually end up being cheap cuts), like beef chuck, shank, or finger, work best for this.
- Noodles: I am using rice noodles today because that is all I have, but traditionally, it is made with thick flour noodles.
- Vegetables: My favorite combination is just carrots and daikon. Bok choy and zucchini are also popular options.
- Aromatics: Ginger, garlic, onion, and scallions.
- Seasonings: Light soy sauce, oyster sauce, dark soy sauce, and brown sugar to taste.
- Spice bag: Star anise, cinnamon, bay leaves, cardamom, fennel, Sichuan peppercorns (optional), white peppercorns (optional), and coriander seeds (optional). The last three are optional, but I highly recommend including them.
- Oil: For frying the aromatics and searing the beef brisket.
๐ช Instructions
STEP 1: First, prepare a spice bag by combining all the spice ingredients. If you do not have a spice bag, you can use a cheesecloth and tie it using butcher's twine.
STEP 2: The next step is to sear the meat. Heat oil in a large pot (I used a skillet for photography purposes) over medium heat until it shimmers. Add one-third of the beef, sear for one minute until browned, then remove to a bowl. Repeat with the remaining beef in two batches.
STEP 3: Return the remaining seared beef to the pot. Add water, ginger, garlic, scallions, onion halves, the spice bag, and all the sauce ingredients. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to low and simmer for 1 hour and 15 minutes.
STEP 4: When an hour and 15 minutes have passed, add the carrot and daikon and simmer for another 45 minutes until the vegetables are tender.
STEP 5: Remove and discard the spice bag, scallions, ginger, garlic, and onion halves from the pot. Taste and adjust the seasoning as necessary. I usually add a little bit more salt.
STEP 6: Boil your choice of noodles, then serve with the soup. I like to add freshly chopped cilantro and chili oil to mine.
๐ Recipe
Beef Brisket Noodle Soup
Ingredients
Spice Bag
- 5 star anise
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 4 bay leaves
- 2 cardamom pods (any color)
- 1 ยฝ teaspoons Sichuan peppercorns (optional)
- 1 ยฝ teaspoons white peppercorns (optional)
- 2 teaspoons coriander seeds (optional)
- 1 teaspoon fennel seeds (optional)
Sauce
- 1 tablespoon dark soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce
- 3 tablespoons oyster sauce
- 1 tablespoon brown sugar
- 2 teaspoons coarse kosher salt
Soup
For serving
- flour noodles (or rice noodles)
- cilantro (chopped)
- chili oil
Instructions
- First, prepare a spice bag by combining all the spice ingredients. If you do not have a spice bag, you can use a cheesecloth and tie it using butcher's twine.
- Heat oil in a large pot over medium heat until it shimmers. Add one-third of the beef, sear for one minute until browned, then remove to a bowl. Repeat with the remaining beef in two batches.
- Return the remaining seared beef to the pot. Add the water, ginger, garlic, scallions, onion halves, the spice bag, and all the sauce ingredients. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to low and simmer for 1 hour and 15 minutes.
- When an hour and 15 minutes have passed, add the carrot and daikon and simmer for another 45 minutes until the vegetables are tender.
- Remove the spice bag, scallions, ginger, garlic, and onion halves from the soup. Boil your choice of noodles, then serve with the soup. I like to add freshly chopped cilantro and chili oil to mine.
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