Lemongrass Beef and Noodle Soup
Photography by Aaron McLean.
The master stock left over from braising the pork hocks is the perfect base for this recipe. It needs only the addition of the beef, rice noodles and garnish to turn it into a tasty soup. However, if starting from scratch then ensure you use a good quality beef stock to achieve a great tasting soup.
Serves: 6
INGREDIENTS
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 cloves garlic, very thinly sliced
1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger
1 stalk lemongrass, tender inner stalk very finely chopped
6 cups good beef stock
2 star anise
1 tablespoon soy sauce
2 tablespoons Shaoxing Chinese cooking wine
¼ cup tamarind concentrate
3 tablespoons fish sauce
3 tablespoons grated palm sugar
1 tablespoon lime juice
300 grams beef sirloin, trimmed and very thinly sliced
To serve
300 grams fresh rice noodles
handful of coriander
3 spring onions, thinly sliced
sliced red chilli
crisp fried garlic or shallots
METHOD
Heat the oil in a large saucepan and gently cook the garlic, ginger and lemongrass for 1 minute. Add the stock and all the remaining ingredients except the lime juice and beef and bring to the boil. Simmer for a further 15 minutes.
Trim the beef of all fat and sinew and slice very thinly and add to the broth. Bring the soup back to the boil, remove from the heat and stir in the lime juice.
To serve: Drop the fresh rice noodles into a large saucepan of boiling water for 1 minute. Drain and divide between deep serving bowls. Ladle over the hot soup, dividing the beef evenly. Garnish with coriander, spring onions, chilli and fried garlic.
Pantry Note
Shaoxing cooking wine: (pronounced SHAU-sing) this wine for cooking is derived from glutinous rice. The flavour enriches braised dishes and marinades. Available from Asian food stores.
latest issue:
Issue #122
Our latest of dish is an absolute bumper issue, packed with over 70 recipes! We start by chatting with the MasterChef Australia judges and Kiwi contestant Ben Mcdonald before cooking up the very best of what’s in season. Then we make freezer meals easy and delicious with double-batch cooking. Next up we share some of our faves including Pretzel-crumbed Chicken Schnitty and French Onion Soup Mac and Cheese. Then we whip up warming curries, tempting dinners for two, epic sides like our Parmesan-crusted Roasted Potatoes, and crowd pleasers like our cover-star Miso French Onion Chicken. We finish up with irresistible sweet treats and a run-down of top Aussie shiraz!