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Home » Asian » Taiwanese Beef Noodle Soup

Taiwanese Beef Noodle Soup

By Hank Shaw on January 14, 2021 - 22 Comments

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4.91 from 11 votes
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Taiwanese beef noodle soup is serious Asian comfort food. It’s made with shanks, beef in most cases, but I’m using venison here. Pork, lamb or bear would be OK as well. Why shanks? In a word, silk.

Using shanks for this soup makes the broth extra silky, thicker than water, with body and a certain slickness you can only get from collagen. And shanks are loaded with collagen.

Two bowls of Taiwanese beef noodle soup
Photo by Holly A. Heyser

Over the years, I’ve been building a library of excellent venison shank recipes, and I wanted one from Asia. So I started looking around, and found Taiwanese beef noodle soup.

It makes sense to use shanks in this soup because of that collagen, but you could also use shoulder or neck meat. If you are using beef, shanks are easily found in Asian markets, and I see them a lot in regular supermarkets, too. Veal shanks are even better if you can find them.

At its core, Taiwanese beef noodle soup is that broth, plus chunks of shank meat, lots of Chinese wheat noodles, some baby bok choy or something similar, and lots of chopped herbs like cilantro and green onions.

One esoteric item that is almost always added is fermented greens, sort of like sauerkraut. I have a great recipe for Chinese pickled mustard greens here, but you can skip this and the soup will still be great.

It is street food, something to order on a cool, rainy day to slurp down to keep warm. That said, it’s just as good as a Sunday supper, and, once you make the broth, it will keep for a week in the fridge.

Close up of a bowl of Taiwanese beef noodle soup showing the herbs and bok choy.
Photo by Holly A. Heyser

A word on the noodles. Actual Chinese noodles make a difference. They are paler and chewier than spaghetti, which would be a reasonable substitute. You can obviously find them at Asian markets, but in many cases you will see these noodles in the Asian section of regular markets. Ramen noodles are similar and will work, too. Or, you can make your own.

If you are familiar with “red cooked” dishes, like red cooked pork, it is a braise made with spices, cooking wine and soy sauce. This is basically that, but thin enough to be a broth. Taiwanese beef noodle soup is much darker and richer than Vietnamese pho, but they eat similarly: Chopsticks in one hand, spoon in the other. Slurp some noodles, ideally wrapped around a piece of tender shank and some herbs, then a spoonful of broth.

The way to eat this all week is to have lots of broth and shanks cooked, on, say, a Sunday. Then, when you want to eat some soup, all you need to do is heat the broth and meat, boil some noodles and top with the vegetables and herbs. And, like most braises, Taiwanese beef noodle soup is indeed better a day or three after it’s made.

There are lots of versions of this soup, and to make this recipe I read several dozen, both online and in my collection of Chinese cookbooks. That said, I am indebted to Hsiao Ching-Chao’s Chinese Soul Food. Her recipe is excellent, and I can highly recommend her book.

Close up of a bowl of Taiwanese beef noodle soup showing the herbs and bok choy.
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4.91 from 11 votes

Taiwanese Beef Noodle Soup

Normally you would use beef shank (shin) meat for this, but I use venison shanks. Any shank will work, however. Lamb, veal, bear or wild pig would be good choices.
Prep Time20 mins
Cook Time3 hrs
Course: lunch, Main Course, Soup
Cuisine: Chinese
Servings: 8
Calories: 368kcal
Author: Hank Shaw

Ingredients

  • 2 deer shanks, or 3 to 4 pounds of similar shank meat
  • 3 tablespoons lard or peanut oil
  • 6 to 8 green onions, divided
  • 6 cloves garlic, peeled and smashed
  • A 4-inch long piece of ginger, peeled and sliced thinly
  • 4 star anise pods (optional)
  • 1 heaping teaspoon Sichuan peppercorns (optional)
  • 2 to 6 dried hot chiles, broken and seeded
  • 1 cup Shaoxing wine, or dry sherry
  • 1 cup soy sauce
  • 1/4 cup Chinese black bean sauce
  • 1 tablespoon sorghum syrup or dark honey (optional)
  • 2 pounds Chinese wheat noodles (see Headnotes)
  • 4 baby bok choy heads, leaves separated
  • 1/2 cup chopped cilantro
  • 1 cup chopped pickled mustard greens (optional)

Instructions

  • Submerge the shanks in water in a large soup pot. Bring this to a boil and let it roll for a couple minutes. Remove the shanks and toss the water. This process removes some of the scum that floats to the surface, and will make a cleaner tasting, clearer broth.
  • While you are waiting for this to happen, chop all your vegetables. Separate the white parts from the green parts of the green onions. Leave the white parts in large pieces, but finely chop the green parts.
  • Wipe the pot out and heat up the lard or oil over medium high heat. Sauté the white parts of the green onions, the garlic and ginger for about 1 minute. Add the star anise, Sichuan peppercorns and chiles and stir to combine. Return the shanks to the pot.
  • Pour in the Shaoxing wine, soy sauce, sorghum syrup (or honey) and bean sauce, then enough water to cover everything by about 1 inch. Bring this to a simmer, cover the pot and cook gently until the shanks are tender -- about 2 hours for beef, up to 4 hours for a very old deer or moose or elk or whatever.
  • When the shanks are tender, fish them out. While they are cooling, strain the broth. Pull the meat off the bones and cut it into largish chunks. Discard the bones and any weird, vein-y looking things. Wipe the pot again, then pour in the strained broth and add the shank meat to keep warm. Taste it for salt and add some if needed.
  • Bring a large pot of water to a boil, salt it, then add the bok choy. Boil the bok choy for about 2 minutes, then remove. Add the noodles.
  • To serve, when the noodles are done, put some in everyone's bowls. Top with broth and meat, then add some bok choy, the green parts of the chopped green onions, cilantro, and pickled mustard greens. Some people like a bit more heat, so if you have Chinese chile sauce handy, have that at the table.

Nutrition

Calories: 368kcal | Carbohydrates: 47g | Protein: 16g | Fat: 9g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Cholesterol: 10mg | Sodium: 2193mg | Potassium: 374mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 6g | Vitamin A: 2740IU | Vitamin C: 28mg | Calcium: 97mg | Iron: 5mg
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Filed Under: Asian, Featured, Recipe, Venison, Wild Game

Avatar for Hank Shaw

Hank Shaw

Hey there. Welcome to Hunter Angler Gardener Cook, the internet's largest source of recipes and know-how for wild foods. I am a chef, author, and yes, hunter, angler, gardener, forager and cook. Follow me on Instagram and on Facebook.

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Comments

  1. Avatar for StefanStefan says

    March 22, 2021 at 9:36 am

    Any estimate on the amount of water, in cups?

    Reply
    • Avatar for Hank ShawHank Shaw says

      March 22, 2021 at 12:45 pm

      Stefan: Just an estimate, but I’d say 6 to 8 cups.

      Reply
      • Avatar for StefanStefan says

        March 22, 2021 at 3:50 pm

        Thank You!! Cooking now. Smells Great! Didn’t have black bean paste; used dobanjiang instead. Hope it works out!

  2. Avatar for Steve BertelsenSteve Bertelsen says

    February 13, 2021 at 12:31 pm

    Damn, Hank! That is fantastic! I am glad I still have a few more shanks in the freezer!

    Reply
  3. Avatar for Julie ScismJulie Scism says

    January 27, 2021 at 9:16 am

    This has changed shanks for me. I never want to use them for anything besides this soup, it was incredible! This makes the meat fall apart tender. I used lamb shanks and was very glad I followed your initial boil then replace the water step because it was so scummy right away and that really did make it a better tasting soup. Thanks!

    Reply
  4. Avatar for Jeff LoomansJeff Loomans says

    January 23, 2021 at 2:59 pm

    This was great. I “cheated” with frozen beef shank stock I’d put up a ways back plus a little reduced veal stock to get similar silkiness. And used packaged Zha Cai instead of homemade pickled mustard. The spice and paste blend you recommended really made the soup a complete main course, excellent.

    Reply
  5. Avatar for Sandbarunner13Sandbarunner13 says

    January 20, 2021 at 7:04 pm

    My OH my! Once again Hank crushes it! I used a large Dutch oven and it was amazing. I will do this again. It took about 6 hours. I used a lot of shanks!!!

    Reply
  6. Avatar for Diana WelschDiana Welsch says

    January 18, 2021 at 10:25 am

    Will make this weekend. What about dark agave syrup as a sub for the dark honey? Or maple syrup? Have both!

    Reply
    • Avatar for Hank ShawHank Shaw says

      January 18, 2021 at 12:08 pm

      Diana: Definitely not maple. Maybe try the dark agave.

      Reply
  7. Avatar for James D HoodJames D Hood says

    January 17, 2021 at 6:06 pm

    We used fennel and black pepper corns as we are very remote..nearest Asian market 350 miles. I added some hoisin sauce for sweetness,and then some dark honey,as I had estimated too much crushed red pepper (another pantry failure).This was the best shank recipe I have ever found by far,even better than the pulled bbq I think was Hank’s.? The quick boil was a great tip,it did give a fantastic broth. I had used bacon grease instead of lard,so I cooled it and skimmed the fat off as well. Anyway,thank you for the inspiration,brought me back to traveling in my 20s.

    Reply
  8. Avatar for AnthonyAnthony says

    January 16, 2021 at 3:35 pm

    Can molasses be substituted for the sorghum syrup? Or regular honey as opposed to dark?

    Reply
    • Avatar for Hank ShawHank Shaw says

      January 17, 2021 at 8:08 am

      Anthony: I’d just use dark brown sugar in this case.

      Reply
  9. Avatar for chanmanchanman says

    January 14, 2021 at 12:39 pm

    If you have tendons (they can often be found at the butcher at Chinese markets), and don’t mind the texture (not everyone likes it), it’s often great braised with the shanks and helps thicken the broth even more. The beef shanks are also great shredded/sliced and eaten rolled up inside a scallion pancake.

    Reply
  10. Avatar for steve cordovanosteve cordovano says

    January 14, 2021 at 9:59 am

    Im confused…what is wipe the pot? Do you take everything out and dry it–saute the vegetables and return the water and shanks?

    Reply
    • Avatar for Hank ShawHank Shaw says

      January 14, 2021 at 11:09 am

      Basically I am saving you the full washing step. So yeah, bring the shanks to a boil, remove them and toss the water. Wipe it out with a paper towel and proceed. No need to scrub the pot in between those steps.

      Reply
  11. Avatar for Ashley EsareyAshley Esarey says

    January 14, 2021 at 9:03 am

    Wow, can’t wait to try this one. I’ve been wondering what else I can do with my venison shanks, besides use them in stews or barbacoa and I’ve been a huge fan of Taiwanese beef noodle soup since my first bowl 30 years ago. The five-star anise and Sichuan pepper corns are really nice ideas, though I associate the latter with Chinese cuisine more than Taiwanese fare. My mouth is watering and, just by chance, I have shanks to work with today! Thanks

    Reply
  12. Avatar for TadTad says

    January 14, 2021 at 8:23 am

    Hank,

    That is one great soup recipe!

    Will try this weekend.

    Thanks

    Tad

    Reply
  13. Avatar for Austin SuterAustin Suter says

    January 14, 2021 at 5:40 am

    I can’t wait to try this. I moved away from my favorite Taiwanese noodle shop and I have withdraws

    Reply
  14. Avatar for August RitterAugust Ritter says

    January 14, 2021 at 5:39 am

    I love all of Hank’s recipes, but especially those for the less popular cuts. These have allowed me to open many of my friends eyes.

    Reply
  15. Avatar for Ellen M SchwindtEllen M Schwindt says

    January 14, 2021 at 5:07 am

    Okay, here’s an ignorant (but eager to learn) question: What’s a shank? A leg, right?

    Reply
    • Avatar for Hank ShawHank Shaw says

      January 14, 2021 at 8:05 am

      Ellen: It’s the equivalent of your calf. It’s the second to last section of a four footed animal’s leg, between the trotter/foot and the shoulder/thigh.

      Reply
  16. Avatar for dennis congdondennis congdon says

    January 14, 2021 at 4:47 am

    Beautiful!Just beautiful! Thanks Dennis.

    Reply

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Hi, my name is Hank Shaw; I’m a James Beard Award-winning author and chef. I started this site back in 2007 to help you get the most out of all things wild: fish, game, edible wild plants and mushrooms. I also write cookbooks, have a website dedicated to the intersection of food and nature, and do a podcast, too. If it’s wild, you’ll find it here. Hope you enjoy the site!

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