We don’t know if we’ve mentioned this before, but we LOVE Niu Rou Mien. When K’s sweet mom decided to cook this delicious meal, we pounced on the opportunity to take pictures and jot down notes. 
Enjoy!
What You Need
- 2 lbs Beef Shank/Short Ribs and Beef for Stewing (Optional)
- 2-3 tomatoes
- 1 Whole Onion
- 5-6 Cloves of Garlic
- 2 big pieces of ginger
- 3-4 stalks of Green Onion
- 2 tbsp Chinese Bean Paste
- 5-6 Star Anise pieces
- Noodles
- Spinach
- Cilantro
- 1/2 cup of Soy Sauce (Dark and Regular)
- 2 cups Beef Broth
- 5 cups of water
What to Do
First start by washing your beef under cold water and removing any excess fat. Bring a big pot of water to a boil and flash boil your meat in order to remove any excess membranes/harmful/particles from your meat. This makes your final soup clear and cleaner.
Next, cut your onions, tomatoes, ginger, and garlic into semi-large pieces and begin frying them in a big pot with some oil. We like to use vegetable oil but any will do.
After your vegetables have been cooking for a few minutes, add in the Chinese Hot Bean Paste and incorporate everything. After getting some color on your vegetables, add in the beef and star anise.
Cook everything for another minute or two and add in your dark and regular soy sauce (half cup each). Next cover everything with water–add enough water to cover the soup. You can use 1/2 water and 1/2 beef broth if you want a more meaty flavor. You can also adjust the water levels later if the soup is too salty.
Finally add in some green onion, bring to a boil and reduce to a simmer.
It will take at least 2hours to cook everything, 4-6 hours of stewing for the best results.
We like to cook the stew the night before actual serving so that all the flavors can come together. On the day you want to serve everything, just simply bring the broth to a boil, cook some Chinese noodles and spinach and assemble!
Enjoy!
this recipe is a perfect fit to my recent addiction to stews ^_^
That looks fabuluous – but I have no idea where to find the bean paste and can you tell me the difference between regular and dark soy sauce? Much love, Raquel XO
this recipe sounds so good.
i always have cravings for noodles.
i love your blog btw – most particularly due to the step by step photos~
Rita – Let us know if it turns out well!
Raquel – Dark soy is used mainly used to add a distinct dark color to any dish you are cooking. It’s also slightly sweeter and less salty than your traditional soy sauce. We prefer it for this stew in additional to regular soy to get a good balanced flavor.
mK – Thanks for stopping by!
I’ve been dying to make niu rou mien for some time, yet have been putting it off and putting it off. This reminds me I have to make it. Thanks for the step-by-step.
eatingclub: you’re very welcome!
I seriously need to read your blog more. Your descriptions are always wonderful and your photographs are equally tantalizing. Consider yourself a Google Reader addition!
Mike: Thank you so much!!! We are glad you enjoy your time here.
I made this and was a huge success. I even brought it into work the next day for lunch. Someone at work actually said it smelled very authentic and thought I bought it at a restaurant some where nearby. I referred my coworker to check out your site. Thanks so much for this recipe.
P.S. I love your blog!
Hi Anne!
Thanks for trying our recipe! We’re glad that it came out great! Thanks for the referral too!
-tasty
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Thank you so very much for this recipe! I just landed across your page while searching for the perfect niu rou mein recipe and BAM, your wonderful photos and clear instructions caught my eye. It’s stewing right now and my house smells like HEAVEN! Thank you!
OMG Thank You, Thank You! I went to Shanghai last year and have been trying to find the name of this dish since then. I tried Niu Rou Mien there on the street! and I Loved It!
hey guys, thanks for this recipe! just wondering – how many servings would this come out to? i’m hoping to make this for just 2, and i’m wondering if i should halve the recipe. thanks!
yes, i believe reducing by 1/2 would be great for 2 (unless you want leftovers)!
I found your recipe last summer in my first attempt to make this dish for my Taiwanese-raised boyfriend, and it’s been a staple that we constantly crave ever since. Thank you so much!
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I had this kinda soup in a little place that i found somewhere in london.
!
And it was very tasty
Made it meself once (with this recipe) and it almost tasted the same as that time in london, making it again tonight
Thnx for this great recipe!!
I tried this recipe and I loooove it
can you please describe the technique of flash boil?
Sure! It is very easy. Once the water is boiling, place the vegetable in the water and once the vegetable has turned a bright green shade (10-15 seconds), remove the vegetable.
This is a very good recipe.thanks so much!