The first time I tried Lanzhou beef noodles was when I was very young, possibly aroud 10 years old. I remembered the noodle master stretching the noodles by hand behind a glass wall and I was mesmerised at how he turned a piece of dough into what looked like hundreds of strands of noodles in mere seconds. Fast forward several decades, I rediscovered the beauty that is Lanzhou beef noodles. But how could I recreate this at home? I am keenly aware I am no noodle master. I do, however, have a Philips noodle maker that comes close enough although is not the exact same thing. The strong bread flour used gives it a nice chewy texture without resorting to alkali solutions and the added salt gives it a bit more flavour.
The Lanzhou beef noodles found in restaurants here typically have these key elements: (1) clear broth, (2) radish, (3) chilli oil, (4) coriander and spring onion, and (5) noodles. Plus the sixth element, beef, which is typically sliced although some places have an entire shank in there if you choose. This is a labour of love and would take about half a day to make.
Serves 6 (or more)
Prep time 30 mins
Cook time 4 hours
1kg beef brisket
1kg beef bones (I used chuck bones, not marrow)
Soup spices: 1 cinnamon stick, 2 star anise, 2 bay leaves, 1 tsp Sichuan peppercorns, 1 tsp fennel seeds, 1 tsp cumin seeds, 5 whole cloves, 1 Chinese black cardamom (cracked a little open), knob of ginger
Approximately 5-10L water depending on your pot size
Soup seasoning: 1 teaspoon of salt and 1/2 teaspoon of Chicken bouillon powder per 1L of broth (optional 1/4 tsp white pepper if not too much heat)
1 small radish, thinly sliced into half-rounds
Coriander and spring onion, chopped for garnish
Chilli oil: 1/2 cup neutral oil (I used canola), 2 tbsp Chinese chilli flakes, 1 tbsp ground Sichuan pepper, 1/2 tbsp white sesame seeds, 1/2 tsp salt, 1/4 tsp sugar, 1/4 tsp cumin powder
Lamian noodles (in Phillips noodle maker): 500g strong bread flour, 1-1 1/2 tsp salt, 180g water.
Or alternatively, store-bought Lamian or ramen noodles are OK.
Boil your beef brisket and beef bones for 5-10 minutes in a rapid boil and allow all the scum to arise. Then drain it and clean the pot thoroughly. Add the brisket and bones and fill the pot with water until covered. Then add the soup spices (in a spice bag for the smaller spices) and bring it to a boil again but this time, simmer it at around the 97-100C mark, never allowing it to get to a rapid boil, and leave it like this for two hours. This is what keeps the soup clear, although it will have a brownish hue. Remove the beef brisket, chill in some ice water and place it in the fridge to firm up for slicing. Let the bones simmer for a further two hours. Then remove the bones, season it and keep it on low until ready to serve.
Meanwhile, you can prepare the chilli oil. Place the chilli flakes, white sesame seeds, salt and sugar in a bowl. In a small saucepan, heat up the neutral oil until smoking and then carefully pour the oil over the bowl and it will bubble up. Let it cool and thoroughly infuse.
Take some broth into a small saucepan and bring to a boil. Add your sliced radish and let it boil for approximately 10 minutes or until softened.
Prepare your noodles according to packet instructions or if you’re using the Phillips noodle maker, cook the noodles for approximately 3 minutes or until just cooked, rinse in cold water and set aside.
Take your chilled beef brisket out of the fridge and slice it as thinly as you can. You are now ready to start preparing your noodle bowls.
Place some noodles, beef and radish in each bowl. Pour the hot broth through a sieve to remove any last remaining impurities. Garnish genrously with the coriander and spring onion. Add a spoonful or two of chilli oil, depending on your preference, and serve immediately.
More Noodle Recipes
- Kid-friendly pork fried noodles
- Thai prawn glass noodles
- Squid ink pasta with prawn
- Chinese egg noodle stirfry (lo mein)
- Cambodian curry noodles (Cambodian laksa)