Beef shank bones with marrow were slow cooked for 16 hours until the attached tendons were tender and the broth was gelatinous. Beef tendon noodle soup makes an indulgent lunch on a rainy day.
The bones used in this recipe had one end open and the other closed. The closed ends were wrapped in tendon.
How long to cook the beef tendons depends on the age of the animal. Check the bones after ten hours to see if the tendons are tender enough. If not, continue cooking and check every two hours until tender enough for your taste.
Beef Tendon Noodle Soup
By cooking the bone and tendons in a slow cooker, all the flavors from the bone get expelled into the cooking liquid. Ergo, you get a rich broth to ladle over your noodles.
Equipment
- Slow Cooker
- Oven
Ingredients
- 3 beef shank bones
- 2 cloves
- ¼ teaspoon coriander seeds
- 1 half-inch piece cinnamon bark
- 1 star anise
- 2 cloves garlic no need to peel
- 1 small onion or half of a medium onion, halved or quartered
- 1 half-inch knob ginger no need to peel
- 1 stalk lemongrass pounded (optional)
- fish sauce
- cooked noodles
- cilantro
- scallions
- fried shallots
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400F.
- Arrange the beef shank bones on a tray lined with foil.
- Roast the bones until lightly caramelized.
- Transfer the roasted bones to the slow cooker and add enough water to cover.
- Throw in the cloves, coriander seeds, cinnamon bark, star anise, garlic, onion, ginger and lemongrass.
- Drizzle in two tablespoons fish sauce.
- Cook the bones on LOW for 16 to 18 hours.
- Cool the bones and broth.
- Carefully scoop out the bones and transfer to a container that can go into the fridge.
- Strain the broth directly into the container with the bones.
- Chill overnight to allow the flavors to deepen.
- Reheat the bones and broth. Taste and add more fish sauce, if needed.
- Place the cooked noodles in bowls.
- Divide the tendon among the three bowls and add a bone at the center (remember, that contains marrow).
- Garnish the beef tendon noodle soup with cilantro, scallions and fried shallots.
