Oodles of Noodles

Noodle and pasta dishes are my favorites! You can cook them any way and they are still delicious (provided that you have the right combination of ingredients). Given the extra time that I now have (since I've been done with school and haven't quite found the right job... yet), I've become a wee bit obsessed with the notion of 'hand-made' foods. I've tried my hand at making bao and bread loafs, and have made dumpling wrappers before (though I can't say I've mastered them just yet). Now I'm giving noodle making a try! In terms of soup noodles, I'm completely satisfied with how I've 'mastered' some of the different types of broths. For the noodle aspect, let's just say I'm getting there...slowly. The only problem with making soup noodles is the amount of time that goes into the stock/broth (there is a difference between stock and broth, which I didn't learn until now :P Stock = made by simmering bones, meat and veggies for long hours, generally you brown the ingredients first, Broth = same process only no bones and generally no browning beforehand) making as well as the noodle making. But certainly one can always make a big batch of broth and freeze it for the future. Same goes for the noodles - just make a lot and then save the extras in the fridge.

I'll share the recipes that I've tested for Beef Pho, Chinese Beef Noodle Soup, and Tonkotsu Ramen in a 3 separate posts. This first one covers stock making and Beef Pho.

The Beef Pho and Chinese Beef Noodle Soup use beef stock as a base and the Tonkotsu Ramen uses pork stock as a base. Making the stock is really simple, but it take awhile to simmer.

Making the stock:

Bones - People have suggested to use leg bones, short ribs and such. I tend to use what I can get at the supermarket which is usually neck bones, ribs, feet and sometimes, beef marrow bones
Water - Have more water than bones and fill the pot to about 1-2 inches from the top
Large Yellow Onion (I use either a 1/3 of the onion or half of it)
Green Onions (white/light green parts) 
Ginger (about 1-1.5 inch piece - bigger if you have a huge pot)

Blanch the bones first for about 5 min, then wash them thoroughly. Once they're washed, put them into the pot and fill with water. Bring to a boil and then simmer for about 3 hours. While it is simmering, "char" the onion, green onion and ginger. I usually just use the broiler to get them slightly burnt, but you can fry them or grill them. I remove any big black parts afterwards. Once you done the charring, throw them into the pot of simmering bones.

Beef Pho (Vietnamese Soup Noodle) Ingredients (Medium Pot)

1 to 2 bags of bean sprouts

Thinly sliced yellow onion 
Thinly sliced beef (I buy the shaved beef steak!)
Sliced beef tripe (not the honeycomb, blanch first)
Beef tendon balls (I like to cut them in half, boil separately first)
Chopped cilantro
Thai basil
Lime wedge
4-5 Star anise
1-1.5 inch Cinnamon stick 
5 whole cloves
3 tablespoons of fish sauce
1 inch of rock sugar
Beef stock (Enough to fill the medium sized pot)
Bahn Pho noodles (Cook separately according to package directions - make sure to rinse well in cold water after draining)

Put the star anise, cinnamon stick and whole cloves into a tea ball (that way you don't have to pick them out when you eat your noodles!) and put in with the beef stock. Add the fish sauce and rock sugar, beef tripe and beef tendon balls and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and add the bean sprouts, yellow onions and sliced beef. Simmer for about 1-2 minutes.

Have your noodles ready in bowls and pour in the broth. Garnish with cilantro, thai basil and fresh squeezed lime juice if you like :). Enjoy!

http://flic.kr/p/dL1sdm