Chao Long is a fragrant Vietnamese-Filipino beef noodle soup with lemongrass, five-spice, and calamansi.
4 hours 20 minutes · Serves 8
Ingredients for Chao Long
6 cloves garlic, minced
1 thumb-sized ginger, thickly sliced and pounded
4 tbsp fish sauce
2 tsp five-spice powder
1 tbsp brown sugar
1 kg beef brisket, cubed
1 kg beef bones
3 carrots, cubed
2 stalks lemongrass, pounded
1 whole head garlic, minced
2 red onions, quartered
2 litres water
4 tbsp tomato paste
2 tbsp banana ketchup
2 tbsp soy sauce
Salt, to taste
White pepper, to taste
400 g round or flat rice noodles, cooked according to package directions
Calamansi or lemon wedges, for serving
Bean sprouts, for serving
Coriander, for garnish
Sliced white onions, for garnish
Oil, for cooking
How to cook Chao Long
1.Mix 6 cloves minced garlic, ginger, fish sauce, five-spice, and brown sugar. Coat brisket and marinate 30 minutes.
2.Cover bones with water, boil 10 minutes, drain, and rinse. Simmer bones with 2 litres water, lemongrass, and 1 tablespoon salt, covered, for 2 hours.
3.Brown marinated brisket in oil; deglaze with ½ cup water and add this liquid to the bone stock.
4.Sauté whole-head garlic and red onions in the same pan. Cook tomato paste 1 minute, then soy sauce and banana ketchup 1 minute; toss in beef.
5.Add pan contents and carrots to stock. Boil, then simmer low 1–1½ hours until brisket is tender; season with salt and white pepper.
6.Place cooked noodles in bowls, add beef, carrots, and broth, then garnish with bean sprouts, coriander, white onion, and calamansi.
