Lanzhou-style beef noodle soup

Your ingredients

Get ready: Large stockpot, sieve, ladle, optional spice bag and second saucepan.

• 🥩1.4 kg beef brisket or shin, in large pieces
• 🥩2 beef marrow bones
• 💧3 litres water
• 🥣1½ tsp salt, or to taste
• 🥣2 star anise
• 🥣1 small cinnamon stick
• 🥣2 bay leaves
• 🥬1 tsp Sichuan peppercorns
• 🥬1 tsp white peppercorns
• 🥣A pinch each fennel seeds and cumin seeds
• 🍚½ tsp food-grade ground liquorice, optional
• 🥣2 small pieces dried sand ginger, optional
• 🥣3 dried chillies
• 🥣1 thumb-sized ginger piece
• 🥬3 spring onions
• 🥣500 g daikon, peeled and sliced
• 🍚6 portions ready-made wheat noodles, about 500–600 g dried
• 🥣Chopped coriander and chilli oil to serve

Let’s make it

1. Skim the broth

   Put beef, bones and water in a large stockpot. Bring to a full boil and skim off foam. Add salt, spices, ginger and spring onions. A spice bag makes removing small whole spices easier.

2. Simmer until tender

   Lower the heat and simmer gently for about 2–2½ hours, until beef is fully cooked and easily pierced. Top up with boiling water if necessary. Avoid vigorous boiling once the foam is removed.

3. Strain and slice

   Lift beef onto a clean plate. Strain broth carefully through a sieve, discarding bones and spices. Cool beef just enough to slice safely, about 20 minutes; keep the broth hot. Simmer daikon in the strained broth for about 15 minutes until tender.

4. Cook noodles separately

   Boil noodles following their packet, drain and divide between bowls. Return sliced beef to hot broth to heat through, then ladle beef, radish and soup over noodles. Finish with coriander and chilli oil to taste. A slow broth is a project; packet noodles are a sensible shortcut.