World Kitchen Taiwan Beef noodle soup

Spicy beef noodle soup is the ultimate Taiwanese comfort food, which you'll find everywhere across this beautiful island country: restaurants, night markets and food courts. It's a symphony of spicy, savoury, fresh and salty notes that really hits the mark when you want to impress your dinner guests with something intricate and unusual, or when you're just in the mood for spending some time in the kitchen and putting your knives and chopping boards to good use.

Method:

1. Fill a large pot with water and add the beef shank, half of the spring onions, half of the ginger slices, and half of the anise pods. Cover, bring to a boil over high heat, and cook for 5 minutes.

2. Remove the meat from the pot and cut into thick, 1-inch slices. Discard the cooking liquid.

3. In a wok or large pan over medium-high heat, pour in the vegetable oil and add the remaining spring onions, ginger slices, the garlic, red chillies, remaining star anise pods, the onion and bean paste.

Cook until the onions start to become translucent.

4. Add the sliced beef.