My Mom’s Famous Beef Noodle Soup

My dad goes on and on about it: my mom’s beef noodle soup.  This classic Taiwanese dish, simply put, has been perfected by my mom.  The pungent aroma flows throughout my entire house to the point where my stomach aches (especially for that first bite) in pain.  I get cravings for those meaty beef short ribs with a bit of tender fat attached, soaked in a thick broth of steaming soup and noodles.  People go crazy over beef noodle soup; there are even competitions between restaurants for the title of best tasting beef noodle soup in Taiwan!  If my mom entered the competition, she would win in every category: taste, appearance, flavor, and texture.  My mom is absolutely meticulous when it comes to her preparation of foods, especially for her beef noodle soup.  Even my parents’ friends raved about the special taste and scent of the beef noodle soup.  When they asked for the recipe, I wanted to tell them to go find their own recipe (that would not be too nice).  I wanted my mom to make millions off of her creation if she ever wanted to go back to Taiwan after retiring in the U.S.  Eventually, I came to the conclusion that even if she gave them her recipe, they would not be able to match my mom’s creation.

My mom’s collection of recipes has been passed down from her mother and many generations prior.  I’ve always wanted to attain a few of these recipes that I could pass on to my kids and family later on in life.  By passing down a family recipe, we not only pass down the food, but the memories and experiences cherished from eating the food.  Her recipe for beef noodle soup would surely be on the top of my list.  I will attempt to give a brief explanation of how to make beef noodle soup.

The main component of the entire dish is the soup base: the heart of the meal.  Using four coffee filters, bundle together Chinese star anise (a special spice), shallot, onions, cloves of garlic, and dried chile peppers and put them into a pot of boiling chicken broth.  The beef short rib can be bought at your local grocery store (make sure to pick a fresh piece that is deep red).  Cut the beef short rib and gently place into the boiling soup.  The noodles can be bought, either thick or thin, in large quantities for very cheap at grocery stores.  Simply bring water to a boil and cook the noodles until they are soft and tender.  Combine the beef, soup, and noodles into a bowl and add chopped scallion on top of the bowl.  This is a general idea of the actual recipe for my mom’s beef noodle soup.  I really do hope to get my hands on my mom’s special recipe.  One day I will be sure to ask for the recipe and put smiles on the faces of my friends and family after they take the first taste of my attempt at my mom’s beef noodle soup.