Niu Rou Mian (Beef Noodle Soup)

niu rou mian with braised beef shanks and braised short ribs

What I'm about to admit might be a little unbelievable and slightly embarrasing...

I've had niu rou mian every day for the past week. There's something so wrong, yet so right about that. What's a girl to do with braised beef shanks and niu rou mian stock just sitting in her fridge? Eat it, of course. The most surprising part? I'm still not sick of it...I've just ate it all so there's no more left.

Each warm bowl of soup was just as comforting as the last, and comforting was what I needed during finals week. Niu rou mian is the new brain food. I like to think it helped me study.

I wouldn't say my version of the beef noodle soup is authentic, but then again, who is to say what is authentic? This is the version I grew up with, the kind my mom had on rotation. There are little tweaks here and there, but that is the beauty of this dish. The basic ingredients are all there, but it's up to your own tastes and preferences how much of each you add. Here's a little insight on how I do it...

The Liu Family Niu Rou Mian

Ingredients

3-4 lbs beef shanks (Preferably with the bone and marrow still attached to make for a richer stock, or separated by tendons. If it is separated by tendons, the meat will have to be sliced before serving)

1 can chicken broth

1 yellow onion

1 tomato

soy sauce (make sure it's good soy sauce, not some weird Trader Joe's version)

shaoxing wine (rice cooking wine)

rock sugar (the best is the "red" kind from Taiwan)

spices (I use a special packet of spices I bring back from Taiwan, but star anise would work fine)

dou ban jian (hot chili bean paste)

noodles (I actually use a dry flour kind from Nijiya Market)

scallions

cilantro

1. Place the beef shanks in a pot of water and bring to a boil. This prevents the impurities in the beef from getting into your stock later. Remove the beef shanks and place in a clean pot.

2. Add one can of chicken broth (family secret!) and add enough additional water to cover the beef.

3. Cut both the tomato and onion in half before adding to the pot.

4. Add soy sauce, shaoxing wine, rock sugar, and spices in ratios that work for you. The best way to do this is to taste test. To get more flavor into the meat, don't be afraid to add a good amount of soy sauce. I like to thin this braising liquid with more chicken broth or water at the end to make the stock. If you want some spiciness in your stock, add some dou ban jian to taste. I grew up without it, but I think it adds a flavor that many associate with niu rou mian.

5. Bring to a boil and let simmer for at least 2 hour, or until tender. The meat will harden when cooled, so keep that in mind.

6. Before serving, cook noodles, reheat the stock, and slice the beef. Combine and garnish with cilantro and green onions.

Experiment!

Macaron

matcha green tea macarons [recipe linked]

earl grey salted caramel macarons [recipe linked]

I made these during a weekend in Fresno, when I went home to pick up my puppy and for the first time in my life, had the entire house that I grew up in to myself. Of course, the only place in the house that really mattered to me was the kitchen, and that was where I spent most of my time alone. It was an overcast weekend, with grey skies, no breeze, and a serenity about our garden. Minnie kept me company in the kitchen as I methodically measured out the almonds and sugar, ground them to a fine powder, and whipped my egg whites into tall peaks. I folded my batter in silence and carefully piped out little rounds on my silpats. I was in my own little world, dusted in sugar from head to toe.

I love these little things--maybe even more making them than eating them. I revel in the preciseness of the process. I love watching the rows of perfectly lined-up macarons grow their little feet in the oven. There's almost nothing I enjoy more, and all the while, Norah Jones would be playing in the background.

There really is no other point to this post. There are no recipes, no new tips--just a little insight on my affection for macarons. Also, I'm rarely as proud as I am of these photos. This was the first time I felt like I connected with my new DSLR. It did exactly what I wanted it to do, and I was so happy with these pictures, I could've kissed my lenses. Is that weird?

These little beauties are all gone now. But don't fret, there will be some more at Scoops Westside tomorrow!

Playa

I got a little preview of John Sedlar's Playa during the Test Kitchen "reunion" that preceded its opening night. I STILL haven't made it to Rivera (unacceptable, I know), but I have had his tortillas florales which I absolutely love. I was looking forward to this dinner not only because I was excited to try more of Sedlar's food, but also because of its connection with Test Kitchen. During its run, I actually visited Test Kitchen quite a few times. Not many of those meals were blogged due to ridiculously dark lighting, but I have very fond memories of my dinners there. It was not always about the food for me--it was more about the ambiance of the place and the company I had while eating there.

Our table of four tried a few of the dishes on the condensed menu offered that night. The menu at Playa now includes everything that we tried, plus some more. Everything was decent, but in the end, the most impressive part of Playa was the awe-inspiring wall of liqueur. Throughout the night the bartenders climb up and down a ladder to reach the bottles on the upper shelves. It was almost like a live dinner show, and I was actually a little nervous for them when they got up to the upper rungs. Call me easily amused, but I was very entertained by it.

The vibe in the restaurant is nothing like the dark, intimate setting of Grace, which occupied the space previously. The wall of alcohol is brightly lit, and there are large light fixtures overhead that reminded me of furry sea urchins--weird, but perhaps an allusion to the beach? I still haven't decided how I feel about them. Overall, Playa feels young and lively, and the playfulness is reflected in the food.

Playa Restaurant

7360 Beverly Blvd.

Los Angeles, CA 90036

tel: 323-933-5300

We all tried various cocktails throughout the night, but sadly I don't even know what my favorite one was called. All I know is, it was pink, it had strawberries, and Mr. Julian Cox made it. Maybe that's all you need to know. The one that's pictured here had St. Germain liqueur in it (my favorite), but actually turned out to be a little too strong for me.

[COOL]

Octo-Palm

Grilled octopus, palm hearts, scallions, oven-dried cherry tomatoes, oven-dred red onion

Maybe I just don't like grilled octopus. The texture just wasn't what I was wanting. I miss the octopus in Spain.

Lipsticks

Sweet peppers, crab, corn, olive oil, sorbet morado, rosemary oil, sal de colima, citrus beet pintura

Interestingly cold...and interestingly named...

[WARM]

Flor de Calabaza

Squash blossoms, Spanish bacalao, veal reduction, chorizo jus, capers, castelvetrano oil

Salty, but I guess bacalao is just always salty.

Maize Cake Breakfast

63 degree egg, pan-searned potato, espuma de queso, black trumpet mushrooms, truffle cheese

This one is a winner. Runny egg, woody mushrooms, and truffle-perfumed cheese. I want this for breakfast!

Arroz con Pato

Duck confit, baby vegetable pickles, arroz blanco jus, fresno chilies, chives, micro cilantro

I've had some bad duck confit, but I still always order it if it's on the menu. This preparation was actually really good. Not too salty and falling off the bone. The baby vegetables were so tiny though, I don't know if they were cute or a little ridiculous.

Tamalli Chateaubriand

Wild mushroom duxelle dumpling, filet mignon, chipotle béarnaise

This was my favorite savory dish of the night. I loved the mushrooms in the masa, and that chipotle béarnaise is so rich and delicious, I needed something to mop it up.

[SIDES]

Cauliflower

Indian Spices, green chilies, chana crisp

A little ambivalent about this...

[DESSERT]

Pastel Café

Mocha sponge, espresso crème, toffee honeycomb, colombian chocolate ice cream

When this dessert arrives, the server pours a warm chocolate sauce over a chocolate sphere, which melts the shell of the sphere and exposes some fresh raspberries. The toffee honeycomb adds a nice crunchy texture in contrast to the soft, sponge cake.

Luna Mescal

Chocolate cake, chocolate glaze, mescal ice cream, caramel popcorn, spanish peanuts, hibiscus sauce, blackberry basil sorbet

Also so good! The caramel popcorn was sweet and crunchy, and the tart sorbet was great with the chocolate cake. Most interesting component on the plate, however, was the mescal ice cream!

So basically, the best part of this meal was the desserts! So good, and such a perfect ending.

Super Bowl Ribs

My first attempt at making ribs was actually quite a success. I doubted myself, but I just went for it, and I got pretty close to what I was aiming for. I'm a little embarrassed to say this, but I may or may not have consulted a Paula Deen recipe during my pork rib research. In the end, I just sprinkled on some Tyler Florence brown sugar rub (courtesy of Matt), rubbed it in, and let it go for 3 hours at 250 degrees Fahrenheit, flipping once. Then I basted with some bottled BBQ sauce we happened to have in the fridge, and put it back in the oven for another 30 minutes. The final touch? 5 minutes under the broiler for that nice charred color.

The resulting ribs were juicy and much more tender than I had expected. They were finger lickin' good! For how simple they were to do, I was pretty satisfied. Now with one rack behind me, I'm definitely going to concoct my own rub and sauce next time.

So I had made these ribs in honor of the Super Bowl, but really I just wanted an excuse to make ribs. We had the Super Bowl on TV while we ate the ribs, but mainly for background noise. Also, I may have taken a nap during the 4th quarter as a result of a rib-induced food coma.

Obviously, I am a hardcore football fan.