Sichuan Beef Noodle Soup with Pickled Mustard Greens

Ingredients

• 3  baby bok choy rinsed trimmed halved lengthwise
• 5 pounds beef shanks boneless
• 10 servings pepper white black freshly ground
• 2.5 tablespoons chili bean paste hot (Sichuan bean paste; dou ban jiang)
• 10 servings cilantro leaves fresh chopped (for garnish)
• 2.5 inch ginger fresh with flat side of knife peeled smashed cut into 1/3-inch-thick rounds, each
• 3 large garlic cloves coarsely chopped
• 3  green onions whole trimmed chopped (for garnish)
• 0.5 cup soya sauce low-sodium () (do not use )
• 2 cups onions chopped
• 0.5 tablespoon sichuan peppercorns 
• 8 ounces plum tomatoes cut into 4 wedges
• 2 tablespoons salt ()
• 5 ounces cubes rock sugar yellow chinese
• 0.3 cup vegetable oil 
• 6  star anise whole
• 1 pound eggless wheat noodles chinese (Shandong la mian)

Equipment

• ladle
• pot
• cheesecloth

Directions

1. Bring large pot of water to boil over highheat.
2. Add beef; return water to boil. Reduceheat. Simmer until beef is brown on outside,turning occasionally, about 8 minutes;drain. Rinse beef under cold water untilcool; cut into 1 1/2-inch cubes. Wipe out pot.
3. Heat 1/4 cup oil in same pot over medium-highheat.
4. Add ginger and garlic. Sauté 1minute.
5. Add chopped onions; sauté untiltranslucent, about 3 minutes.
6. Add chili beanpaste; stir 30 seconds.
7. Add 16 cups water,whole green onions, 1/2 cup soy sauce, 2tablespoons salt, star anise, and rock sugar.
8. Mix in beef. Tie peppercorns in cheesecloth;add to pot. Bring soup to boil. Reduce heatto medium-low. Gently simmer uncovered1 hour, adjusting heat to avoid boiling.
9. Add tomatoes to pot. Continue tosimmer soup until beef is very tender, 45 to60 minutes. Adjust seasoning, adding moresoy sauce by tablespoonfuls and more salt,if desired. Season with pepper.
10. Meanwhile, cook noodles according topackage directions.
11. Drain well.
12. Divide noodles among large soupbowls.
13. Add some bok choy to each, ifdesired. Ladle soup and meat over.
14. Garnishwith chopped green onions and cilantro.
15. Serve with Pickled Mustard Greens.
16. Chili bean pasteis a spicy, fermented soybean paste. Staranise—a star-shaped seedpod—is availableat some supermarkets. Chinese yellowrock sugar is made from raw sugar; it isoften used in Chinese sauces and teas.Despite their name, Sichuan peppercornsaren't related to regular peppercorns; themildly hot dried berries, which resemblesplit peppercorns, come from the pricklyash tree. Shandong la mian are Chinesewheat noodles. Look for these ingredientsat specialty foods stores and Asian markets.
17. Bon Appétit