Ingredients
Chili Oil
3 cloves garlic, finely minced
¼ cup (60 mL) Sichuan chili flakes or Korean chili flakes (gochugaru)
2 tbsp (30 mL) white sesame seeds
2 EACH whole star anise and bay leaves
1 tbsp (15 mL) finely ground Sichuan peppercorns, see Note*
1 tsp (5 mL) EACH ground coriander and cumin
¼ tsp (1 mL) MSG (optional)
1 cup (250 mL) peanut oil
1 tbsp (15 mL) light soy sauce
Stock
1½ lb (750 g) Beef Brisket, Point Portion (Pot Roast)
4 lb (2 kg) Beef Soup Bones, 2- to 3-inch (5 to 8 cm) pieces
½ cup (125 mL) thinly sliced gingerroot (unpeeled)
4 large green onions, Welsh onions or small leeks (see Note**), trimmed
Soup
8 oz (250 g) Chinese white radish or daikon, trimmed and peeled
12 whole cloves
5 bay leaves
4 whole star anise
3 slices (¼ inch/0.5 cm thick) galangal
3- to 4-inch (8 to 10 cm) cinnamon stick
2 dried licorice root slices
1 Chinese black cardamom (tsao-ko)
1 piece dried tangerine peel (chenpi)
Half whole nutmeg
2 tsp (10 mL) whole Sichuan peppercorns
1 tsp (5 mL) EACH whole fennel seeds, cumin seeds and white peppercorns
Salt
1 pkg (400 to 500 g) fresh thin wheat noodles, such as Lanzhou style
¼ cup (60 mL) thinly sliced green onions
¼ cup (60 mL) coarsely chopped fresh cilantro
Instructions
- Chili Oil: Stir together garlic, chili flakes, sesame seeds, star anise, bay leaves, ground Sichuan peppercorns, coriander, cumin and MSG (if using) in a deep stainless steel bowl (the mixture will bubble when you add the hot oil so a deep bowl is necessary for safety precautions). Pour oil into a small saucepan; heat over medium heat until it reaches 300ºF (150ºC) on a candy/deep-fry thermometer. Immediately pour into bowl and stir with a wooden spoon until bubbling subsides; stir in soy sauce. Let cool to room temperature. Cover and refrigerate for at least 12 hours or for up to 1 month.
- Stock: Cut brisket with the grain into 2 equal pieces. Place brisket and beef bones in a large pot; add water to cover by 3 inches (8 cm). Bring to a boil over high heat; reduce heat and boil for 5 minutes, skimming off any scum that rises to the top. Drain and rinse well under cold, running water. Clean the pot. Return bones to the pot; wrap and refrigerate the brisket.
- Add water to cover the bones by 1 inch (2.5 cm). Bring to a boil over high heat, skimming off any scum that rises to the surface. Add gingerroot and large green onions. Cover, reduce heat to low and simmer for 5 hours, skimming the surface periodically.
- Soup: Meanwhile, cut radish into quarters lengthwise; cut crosswise into ¼-inch (0.5 cm) thick slices. Place in a saucepan and add water to cover. Bring to a boil over high heat; boil for 1 minute. Drain through a sieve, discarding the water. Transfer to a bowl and let cool. Cover and refrigerate until step 6.
- After stock has simmered for 3 hours, enclose cloves, bay leaves, star anise, galangal, cinnamon, licorice root, cardamom, tangerine peel, nutmeg, Sichuan peppercorns, fennel seeds, cumin seeds and white peppercorns in a cheesecloth bundle, a tea filter bag or spice infuser. Add to the pot along with the brisket; cover and simmer for 3 hours, until beef is fork-tender.
- Remove the beef with a slotted spoon and place on a plate. Drain soup through a colander into a bowl; reserve the soup and discard bones, gingerroot, large green onions and spice bundle. Measure the soup; there should be 10 cups (2.5 L). If there is too much, boil over high heat until volume is reduced; if there is not enough, add water. Return soup to high heat; season to taste with salt. Add reserved radish and bring to a boil; boil for 5 minutes. Return brisket to the pot; keep warm over low heat.
- Loosen the noodles and add to a large pot of boiling water; return to a boil and cook for about 1 minute or until noodles are tender. Drain immediately and divide among 4 serving bowls.
- Transfer beef to a cutting board with tongs; cut across the grain into thin slices Arrange beef over the noodles. Return the soup to a boil over high heat. Ladle over the noodles; garnish with the green onions and cilantro. Serve immediately with the chili oil on the side to drizzle over soup.
Notes
*For the Chili Oil, the Sichuan peppercorns can be ground in a spice grinder or mortar and pestle. If using a mortar and pestle, sieve ground peppercorns through a fine mesh sieve then regrind the particles left in the sieve.
**For the Stock, the “large green onions”, also called large scallions, look similar to a regular green onion or a small leek but are thicker and have a larger portion of white to green; Welsh onions are also called bunching onions or Japanese onions and have hollow leaves and a small white portion. Both are available at Asian grocery stores; small leeks can be used, as well. For the Soup, use regular green onions.