Fujian Quan Zhou Niu Rou Tang

Quanzhou, the ancient Maritime Silk Road port of Fujian, has a distinctive beef culture rarely seen elsewhere in Chinese cooking. Quan Zhou Niu Rou Tang is a pre-dawn ritual: clear, intensely flavoured broth made from beef bones and spices, filled with sliced fresh beef that cooks in seconds at the table or in the bowl. It is the breakfast of choice for Quanzhou dockworkers and merchants alike.

Serves: 4

Ingredients

Broth:

• 1 kg (2.2 lb) beef bones (knuckle or neck)
• 300g (10 oz) beef brisket or shin, in one piece
• 3 slices fresh ginger
• 3 whole star anise
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 1 tsp Sichuan peppercorns
• 2 tbsp (30ml) soy sauce
• 1 tsp salt
• 2.5 litres (10 cups) water

Serving:

• 400g (14 oz) beef sirloin or tenderloin, very thinly sliced (2mm / ⅛ in)
• 200g (7 oz) rice noodles, soaked in hot water 10 minutes and drained
• 4 tbsp (60ml) Shacha sauce (sand tea sauce)
• White pepper, to taste
• Coriander, finely chopped
• 2 scallions, sliced
• 1 tbsp (15ml) sesame oil

Instructions

1. Blanch beef bones in boiling water for 3 minutes, drain, and rinse. Place in a large pot with 2.5 litres water, ginger, star anise, cinnamon, and Sichuan peppercorns. Bring to a boil, skim thoroughly, then reduce to a low simmer.
2. Add brisket piece to the pot. Simmer for 1.5–2 hours until brisket is very tender. Remove brisket, cool, and slice thinly. Continue simmering broth for a further 30 minutes.
3. Strain broth through a fine sieve. Add soy sauce and salt. Adjust seasoning — it should taste clean and deep, not muddy.
4. To serve: place soaked rice noodles in each bowl. Add 1 tbsp shacha sauce and a drizzle of sesame oil. Ladle boiling broth over the noodles — the hot liquid will par-cook the raw beef slices placed on top.
5. Alternatively, bring broth to a rolling boil and add raw beef slices directly — they cook in 20–30 seconds. Ladle over noodles immediately.
6. Top with sliced brisket, coriander, scallion, and white pepper.

Cook's Notes: Shacha sauce (a Fujian-Taiwanese blend of shrimp paste, brill fish, and dried spices) is essential and available at Chinese supermarkets. This soup is traditionally eaten at breakfast but makes a superb light dinner.