Taiwanese Beef Noodle Soup 牛肉湯麵

Shin-Ho Chen (aka Jack) has been staying as an exchange student from Taiwan now for several months, and in his honor we decided to try our hand at Taiwanese Beef Noodle Soup. After reviewing a bunch of recipes, we were really pleased with the final product. It reminds me a bit of the Korean samgyetang or the New Orleans hang-over cure ya ka mein (just google it. trust me on this one). Anything with salt and warmth is okay in my book. After writing that statement it really got me in the mood for boiled peanuts...

Ingredients:
2 2 lbs beef brisket (sliced)
4 scallions chopped into large pieces
8 slices of ginger
7 cloves garlic
1/2 cup Chinese cooking wine
2 tsp star anise seeds
2 tsp ground cardamom
24 whole peppercorns
10 cups water
10 cups beef broth
1 cup soy sauce
2 Tbsp sugar
1/2 tsp salt
8 portions egg noodles

Directions:
- Wrap the anise seeds, cardamon, and peppercorns in cheese cloth and tie with string.
- Blanch the beef in boiling water for a couple minutes. Strain, discard the water, and rinse the foam off the beef.
- Smash the garlic cloves. Stir fry the scallions, ginger, and garlic cloves in oil for approximately 1 minute.
- Add the wine and boil for 30 seconds.
- Add the herb satchel.
- Add the water, stock, beef, soy sauce, sugar, and salt.
- Bring to a slow boil.
- Cook partially covered at a slow boil for two hours until tender. Skimming fat if needed.
- Serve over egg noodles, garnish with carrots and anise seeds.