Daddy Ma's Beef Noodle Soup Recipe

TRADITIONAL CHINESE BEEF NOODLE SOUP RECIPE
by: Daddy Ma

Ingredients:
- large beef bones (cut into 3 inch pieces by butcher)
- tendon (牛jing)
- long strands of tender beef (小牛jian4)
- green onions
- celery
- garlic
- ginger
- tomatoes
- Spicy Broad Bean Paste w/ Chili (辣豆瓣醬)
- Soy Sauce
- Rice Wine (米酒)
- Sour Pickled Mustard Green w/ Leaves (酸菜)
- spice pouch
- star of anise
- salt & black pepper to taste
- bok choy (optional veggie)

 

STEP 1:  BEEF + BONE CLEANING
- rinse bones + all meat / tendon in sink
- boil ALL meat, tendon, and bones in large pot w/ a couple chunks of peeled ginger
- boil until blood boils to the top forming froth
- strain all of the water and dump everything out
(this process can be done twice if the meat is especially stinky)

 


STEP 2:  BEEF BROTH BASE
- boil bones, chunks of peeled ginger, celery, 4-5 stalks of green onions until meat falls off bones (about 3 hours)  (*Note: this process can be done day before)



STEP 3:  FLAVORED BEEF BROTH
- take out & discard everything from broth (celery, onions, and bones - eat the marrow & meat as a treat for all the hard work you're putting into make this!)










- THROW in:  cut tendon (牛jing) / ligament + long strands of tender beef (小牛jian4) into bite size pieces (about 1-2 inch think pieces),  peeled roughly chopped tomatoes, 米酒, bag of spices, star of anise, and black pepper
 

- ADD ***Spicy Mixture as soon as it's been stirfried for a minute or two.

***Spicy Mixture -  stirfry diced green onions, minced ginger, and minced garlic in hot oil, then add Spicy Broad Bean Paste w/ Chili (辣豆瓣醬)


STEP 4:  WAIT
- let everything stew in a rolling boil for a few hours until meat is tender
- add soy sauce to taste or salt if needed
- add more rice wine if needed as well


MUSTARD GREEN TOPPING (optional but highly recommended!)
- rinse "Sour Pickled Mustard Green w/ Leaves" throughly with water
- chop the mustard green into small pieces (I pulsed the food processor to get the proper size)
- dry cook in non-stick pot until dried
- add oil, minced garlic and halved red chili peppers
- stir fry together until heated and flavors are melded
 

and here's the final product: delcious and tender beef noodle soup.  Use wide thick noodles from Taiwan for most authentic flavor!  Add diced green onions for even more flavor and bok choy can be added here for color and veggies.  ENJOY! :)

Spaghetti Sauce

Seven of us tasted 8 store bought Tomato and Basil spaghetti sauces on a cool Tuesday night. The criteria were: Strength of Tomato Sauce Taste, Strength of Basil Flavor, Viscosity, Appearance, Aroma, and Overall Rank.

Top 3 (1st place, 2nd, 3rd)

Amanda B, C, G

Caro C, B

Quan G, H, B

Rebs B, G, E

Jake B, E, D

Terence B, E, G

Jen B, H, D

--------------------------

1st WINNER: B

2nd: G

3rd: E

*******************************

Bottom 3 (6th, 7th, 8th)

Amanda D, H, F

Caro F, G, A

Quan E, C, F

Rebs H, F, C

Jake H, C, G

Terence H, C, A

Jen E, F, C

------------------------

8th Place WORST: C

7th: F

6th: H

**************************

BREAKDOWN

Tomato Taste: B

Basil: B & G tied

Viscosity: B

Appearance: B

Aroma: B

******************************

Sauce Contestants

A) Target Market Pantry $1.32

B) Barilla Basilico $2.25

C) Pino's $1.86

D) Ragu Old World Style $1.84

E) HEB Pomodoro Con Basilico $

F) Prego $1.84

G) Central Market Organic $3.85

H) Giada $3.29

*** Congrats to Barilla Basilico!!! ***

I Scream, U Scream...

We all scream for ice cream - CHOCOLATE ice-cream that is! For this round of tastings, we had one of the biggest turnouts so the results, I would say, are even more "accurate." Tasters were to bring plain milk chocolate with no extra add-ins.

Contestants:
A) Kroger's Private Selection
B) HEB Creamy Creations
C) Dreyer's Rich & Creamy
D) Sheer Bliss
E) Whole Foods Purely Decadent (w/ coconut milk)
F) Haagen Dazs
G) Kroger Deluxe
H) Blue Bell
I) Marble Slab

Criteria:
Texture/Creaminess, Richness, Appearance, Taste (Sweetness), and ICF (can't stop eating)


After gathering around a large round table like the knights of Camelot, armed with our eating utensils, and lots and lots and lots of smacking - here are our results...

Coming in first place is:
1st - Kroger Private Select $2.69
2nd- Dreyer's $2.99
3rd - Haagen Dazs $2.99
4th - Blue Bell $3.50

Coming in LAST place is:
9th - Sheer Bliss $5.99 (was said to have very little chocolate taste and the LOWEST score)
8th - Purely Decadent $4.89 (Many disliked the coconut flavor which was too overpowering and diluted the chocolaty taste)
7th - Marble Slab $5.50 (this one was a surprise!)

SALSA

After doing many taste tests in the past, we thought it would be a good idea to actually record our findings so we don't forget what we decided was the best six months later. After doing taste tests for hot cocoa, break and bake chocolate chip cookies, and cupcakes, we thought that we should change it up and do something savory!

Contestants:
A) Arriba! Fire Roasted Garlic & Cilantro Salsa (Medium)
B) Randall's brand Safeway Select Southwest Salsa (Mild)
C) Wholly Salsa (Mild)
D) Pace Picante (Mild)
E) HEB Fresher Lasting Salsa (Hot)

Criteria:
Appearance, Consistency, Mildness, Smell, and Taste

Judges & their Results in order from Best to Worst:
Vampire Girl
Safeway, Wholly, Pace, HEB, Arriba!
"The Arriba! was nasty! That's all I gotta say." (just this particular flavor was really bad)

Cocolady
Pace, Safeway, HEB, Wholly, Arriba!
"I 2nd Vampire Girl... and Wholly was repulsive!"

Karebear
Safeway, Pace, HEB, Arriba!, Wholly
"It's the silent killer." (in response to the overwhelming content of corn)

Ms. R
Safeway, Pace, HEB, Wholly, Arriba!
"Wholly lacks flavor and the Safeway was slightly minty and sweet."

EZ Boy
Safeway, Pace, Arriba!, HEB, Wholly
"This smells like soy sauce!" (in response to smelling the Arriba!)

OVERALL Winner: Randall's Safeway Select Southwest Salsa

L-R: Best to worst in the salsa taste test.

What's YOUR favorite salsa? Let us know in the comments!