What is Lanzhou beef noodle soup
Lanzhou beef noodle soup, or Lanzhou La Mian (兰州拉面), is a popular Chinese noodle dish that originated in Lanzhou, the capital city of Gansu province in northwestern China. Lanzhou beef noodle soup is famous for its simplicity, yet it takes some effort to get right. One of the defining features of Lanzhou beef noodle soup is the hand-pulled noodles. They are usually made fresh by the chef, skillfully stretching and folding the dough to create long, thin, and even strands. The noodles are served in a clear, savory beef broth. The broth contains beef, beef bones with various spices and seasonings, simmered for hours to create a broth that’s so savory and hearty. The noodles are topped with tender beef pieces, radishes, cilantro, and a dash of chili oil. In China, the real-deal Lanzhou beef noodle recipe is a commercial secret. Every noodle restaurant guards their own recipe as a secret weapon and it’s quite difficult to replicate it at home. The good news is, I’ve found that if you get the ingredients right, it’s possible to create a very similar dish in your own kitchen.
Lanzhou beef noodle soup ingredients
What type of noodle to use
If you want an authentic experience, the best answer is to make your hand-pulled noodles. I do have a hand-pulled noodle recipe here. It definitely takes some time and effort, but it’s not a super difficult thing to do if you follow my method. However, if you have access to an Asian market, I highly recommend the Lanzhou Fresh Noodles by Havista. They are semi-dried noodles that have a nice, chewy texture once boiled. I really like them a lot for this. If you do not have access to these noodles, you can also use dried noodles made with wheat. And the shape should be similar to spaghetti noodles.
Beef and bones for the broth
You will need beef and beef bones to make a super rich broth. For the beef, the best option is untrimmed flank steak. It is called Niu Nan (牛腩) in Chinese. Since the cut of the beef is quite different from the ones in the regular grocery stores in the US, you will most likely find it in a Chinese market. The cut is quite fatty with its untrimmed membranes. The fat and the membranes melt away during the cooking, keeping the beef buttery tender and juicy. Alternatively, you can also use cuts such as brisket, round roast, or chuck. I like to use beef shin bones for my Lanzhou beef noodle soup, but you can also use neck bones instead.
Mise en place
When you’re ready to cook, you should have:
Beef shin bone pieces Sliced beef pieces Daikon radish Aromatics (ginger, garlic, scallion) Spices (chili pepper, bay leaves, fennel seeds, nutmeg, cinnamon stick, star anise, whole cloves, and Sichuan peppercorns) Salt
How to make Lanzhou beef noodle soup
Making Lanzhou beef noodle soup is quite easy with an Instant Pot or a pressure cooker:
Cook without an Instant Pot
If you don’t have an Instant Pot, no worries! The cooking is actually very straightforward. Instead of moving everything into the Instant Pot, you can keep braising everything together after the initial blanching. The only downside is that the broth will take hours to simmer to reach the desired flavor.
How to serve Lanzhou beef noodle soup
Lanzhou beef noodle soup is usually served by itself as a quick main dish in a restaurant. It’s commonly accompanied by simple appetizers such as cucumber salad, wood ear mushroom salad, and braised peanuts. However, if you’re planning to host a dinner party and serve this special dish for it, you can also add a few more small dishes to make a beautiful spread. For example, serve small plates of crispy potstickers, fragrant scallion pancakes, or crunchy egg rolls as an appetizer. Or serve simple vegetables such as zucchini stir fry, garlic green beans, or baby bok choy stir fry on the side.
More delicious noodle recipes
Cumin Lamb Noodles Biang Biang Noodles (Chinese Hot Sauce Noodles) Yaka Mein (Beef Noodle Soup) Hot Dry Noodles (热干面) Green Bean Noodles (豆角焖面) Zha Jiang Mian (Old Beijing Fried Sauce Noodle, 炸酱面)
