Beef Mami

Ingredients

Measure and prepare everything before you begin cooking.

• 900 g beef brisket or chuck, cut into large pieces
• 2 litres water
• 1 onion, halved
• 30 g ginger, sliced
• 4 garlic cloves, crushed
• 2 star anise
• 2 tbsp soy sauce
• 1 tbsp fish sauce
• 500 g fresh wheat or egg noodles
• 2 bunches bok choy, halved
• 3 spring onions, sliced
• 4 tbsp toasted garlic
• Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Instructions

1. 1

   Put the beef in a large pot, cover with cold water and bring to a boil for 5 minutes. Drain, rinse the beef and wash the pot; this first blanch keeps the final broth cleaner.

2. 2

   Return the beef to the clean pot with 2 litres fresh water, onion, ginger, garlic and star anise. Bring just to a simmer, skim the surface and cook partly covered for 1½–2 hours, until the beef is fork-tender.

3. 3

   Lift out the beef. Strain the broth, discard the aromatics and return 1.5 litres broth to the pot. Stir in soy sauce and fish sauce, taste, and keep at a gentle simmer.

4. 4

   When cool enough to handle, slice the beef across the grain. Moisten it with a ladle of broth so it stays succulent while the noodles cook.

5. 5

   Cook the noodles according to their packet in a separate pot, drain well and divide among warm bowls. Blanch the bok choy in the mami broth for 1–2 minutes.

6. 6

   Arrange beef and bok choy over the noodles. Ladle over the hot broth and garnish with spring onion, toasted garlic and black pepper.