bonus recipe: ching tong ngau naam for Emma Pei Yin

a taste of home for Emma

Serves: 4–6
Prep time: 15 mins
Cooking time: 1 hr 15 mins

“Jax, how would you feel about making a recipe from When Sleeping Women Wake and Those Opulent Days for me and Jacquie? no pressure but my dream dish would be the beef brisket noodles Mingzhu shares with Henry.” that was the message Emma sent me (along with the requisite page numbers in the book) and so, naturally, i couldn’t say no.

the beef brisket noodle dish Emma was referring to, known as ching tong ngau naam in Cantonese, is one we both know well. there’s a couple of spots in hong kong famous for the dish, but our favourite variation comes from kau kee on gough street in central. there, they have a perpetual pot of bones and meat bubbling away in the kitchen, giant slabs of beef brisket hanging from hooks on the side, and you can choose to have it with rice or egg noodles, the broth as is or flavoured with curry powder.

personally, i’m a traditionalist when it comes to the broth, preferring mine as is, and for me (and Emma), rice noodles are a must. a true taste of home, this is the perfect dish for the cooler months, whether you share it with your very own star-crossed lover or devour it all on your own.

SPECIAL EQUIPMENT:

• large pot

• pressure cooker

INGREDIENTS:

for the soup:

• 500 g beef brisket with fat

• 1 beef leg bone

• 250g beef tendons, cut into bite-sized pieces

• ¼ large daikon, peeled and cut into bite-sized pieces

• 1 tbsp neutral oil

• 5cm piece of ginger, sliced

• 1 spring onion, white part only, cut into 2cm pieces

• 2 cloves of garlic, finely minced

• 1 tbsp Shaoxing wine

• 250ml water + 1L water

• 1 star anise

• 1 cinnamon stick

• 2 bay leaves

• 1 black cardamom pod

• 10g rock sugar

• 2 tsp table salt

• 1–2 tbsp fish sauce

• 1–2 tbsp light soy sauce

• White pepper, to taste

to serve:

• rice noodles of choice

• green part of spring onion, sliced finely

METHOD:

1. place the beef tendons, brisket, and bones in a large pot and fill with cold water until just covered. place over a medium-high heat and bring to the boil, allowing it to boil for 3–5 mins.

2. strain the pot and rinse everything with cold running water. set aside.

3. in the pot of a pressure cooker, add neutral oil and sauté the white part of spring onion, garlic, and ginger slices until fragrant. deglaze with the Shaoxing wine, then add 250ml water, deglazing again. Add all the spices and seasonings, followed by the remaining 1L of water.

4. add the tendons, brisket, and bones into the pressure cooker, put the lid on and ensure it’s set to seal, then pressure cook for 30 mins. at the end of this time, allow to natural release for 20 mins.

5. add the daikon and pressure cook for a further 5 mins, then natural release for 15 mins.

6. remove the bones and meat, and skim excess fat from the top of the broth. cut the meat into bite-sized pieces and set aside. at this point, taste the broth and season further to taste.

7. when ready to serve, cook rice noodles according to packet instructions, then plate noodles in a bowl, top with pieces of brisket, and ladle hot soup, tendons, and daikon on top. garnish with spring onion and serve hot.

NOTES:

• a pressure cooker makes it much faster and easier to make this traditional Cantonese beef brisket soup, but if you don’t have one, you can make it in a large pot on the hob (just keep an eye on the water as you may need to top up):

  • follow step 3 as written using a large pot instead of the pressure cooker, then add only the tendons and bones in and simmer for 1 hr

  • add the brisket and simmer for a further 1 hr

  • add the daikon and simmer for another 1 hr

  • finish as per recipe above.

• this recipe was developed using this recipe from Ang Sarap and this recipe from amy + jacky.