Beef Short rib and Macaroni Soup

beef short rib and macaroni soup main.jpg

Good lord, it’s already mid-September! I can’t believe how this year has flown by, but has also felt like the longest year ever. Autumn will be here in no time, and I cannot wait for cooler weather and the leaves turning colors. Cooler weather also means soups—and lots of them. Today I’ll be sharing a recipe that is based off of a friend’s (@singlegirldinner) recipe for beef short rib and macaroni soup. Using my Vietnamese soup/canh formula, I transformed this already delicious recipe into my own version—essentially a Vietnamese soup. This recipe is pretty easy, but it does require some time for the beef short rib to tenderize in a slow simmer. The good news is that you just have to leave it alone for the most part. This is definitely something the kids will love, and a great soup to have leftovers and enjoy all week. You can also skip out on the macaroni and simply serve it with white or brown rice. Recipe below:

BEEF SHORT RIB AND MACARONI SOUP / CANH

Degree of difficulty: 2 (on a scale of 1-5)

Preparation time: 20 minutes

Cook time: Approximately 3.5 hours (most of it is simmering time, don’t be intimidated!)

 

YOU’LL NEED

  • A 5.5 quart pot

  • A non-stick frying pan

 

INGREDIENTS (SERVES 4-6 PEOPLE)

  • 2 pounds of pre-packaged, pre-cut bone-in beef short rib chunks (rinsed and patted dry)

  • 2 medium carrots, peeled and cut into 1” chunks

  • 4 medium red potatoes, skin on and quartered

  • 13 cups of hot water

  • 1 TBS chicken stock powder

  • 2 TSP salt

  • 3 TBS fish sauce

  • 1 large onion, peeled

  • 2 heads of garlic, with the bottoms sliced off (exposing the bulbs)

  • ½ a bunch of parsley, rinsed and tied together using natural string

  • 5 peppercorns

  • Freshly ground pepper (for topping)

  •  Scallions, very thinly sliced (for topping)

  • Roughly chopped cilantro (for topping)

  •  1 box of macaroni pasta, cooked according to directions, and drained

DIRECTIONS

  1.  In a non-stick frying pan on high heat, heat up a few tablespoons of cooking oil of your choice, and brown all sides of your short rib chunks (you may have to do this in batches). I usually will brown about 1 min and 20 seconds per side. Transfer the short ribs to your 5.5 quart pot.

  2. Add 13 cups of hot water to the pot and bring to a boil. Once your water reaches boiling, reduce the heat to a medium-low simmer, and cover. Simmer for one hour.

  3. After an hour has passed, remove all of the impurities/scud from the broth surface completely, using a large spoon. Then add in 2 TSP of salt, 1 TBS chicken stock powder, 1 large peeled onion, and ½ a bunch of parsley. Continue cooking on a medium-low simmer for another 1.5 hours.

  4. After 1.5 hours has passed, add in your 3 TBS of fish sauce, carrot chunks, and simmer on medium for 15 minutes. After 15 minutes has passed, add in your quartered potatoes, and continue simmering on medium for an additional 20 minutes. This process of layering will prevent your veggies from turning into mush (carrots take longer to cook, which means you throw them in first, then potatoes last). Meanwhile, take this time to cook and drain your macaroni. 

  5. Once the carrots and potatoes have gently softened, turn off the heat. remove your onion, parsley, and fish out your short rib chunks. At this point, they should almost be falling off the bone. Set them aside and allow them to cool. Once they have cooled, shred them into chunks either using your hands (I used gloves), or a fork. Set the beef aside to top your soup when you are ready to serve.

  6. Add some macaroni to a bowl. Ladle your soup (including carrots and potatoes) into the bowl, and then top with the desired amount of beef short rib. Top with freshly ground pepper, thinly sliced scallion, and a handful of chopped cilantro. 

VI HOANG