Lanzhou Beef Noodles
Lanzhou, China
The art of Lanzhou hand-pulled noodles (la mian) is a spectacle — a single lump of dough is stretched and folded into hundreds of uniform strands in under a minute. The clear beef broth is simmered for hours with bones, star anise, and cardamom. Served with paper-thin radish slices, chili oil, cilantro, and garlic sprouts. Authentic shops in Lanzhou open at 6 AM and close when the broth runs out.
Ingredients
- 500 ghigh-protein wheat flour
- 1 tsppeng hui (alkaline water)
- 800 gbeef shank
- 1 largewhite radish (daikon/sliced)
- 3 piecesstar anise
- 1 piececassia bark (cinnamon)
- 1 tspsichuan peppercorns
- 4 tbspchili oil
- 50 gfresh cilantro & scallions
Directions
- 1
Simmer beef shank with star anise, cassia, ginger, and peppercorns for 3 hours; strain to keep the broth crystal clear.
- 2
Mix flour with water and alkaline solution (peng hui); knead until the gluten is highly elastic and the dough doesn't snap when stretched.
- 3
Pull and fold the dough repeatedly into thin strands (or slice into thin ribbons if hand-pulling is too technical).
- 4
Boil the fresh noodles for only 1-2 minutes until they float.
- 5
Parboil the radish slices in the beef broth until translucent.
- 6
Assemble by placing noodles in a bowl, topping with thin slices of the cooked beef and radish.
- 7
Ladle the hot, clear broth over the top and garnish heavily with cilantro, scallions, and a signature swirl of deep red chili oil.