Asian Beef Noodle Soup

This is a favorite dish of mine and the best places to get them are from the night markets in Asia (a lot of the best Asian foods are found there actually). The noodle and the broth was always cooked separately an only combined right before consumption (brought back from the markets in two separate plastic bags). I haven't quite found their equal in the U.S. but the Grand Asia Market in Cary is about as close as it's gotten. They're usually served VERY spicy and the beefier the meal the better. I've tried duplicating this using ramen and braised chuck roast as well as rib eye steaks but it never was quite right. I hope these recipes will guide me to duplicating this deliciously hearty meal.

For more information: http://www.sinica.edu.tw/tit/dining/0396_Noodle.html and http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beef_noodle_soup. I can actually remember visiting the Lai Lai Sheraton mentioned in these two articles, but did not try the noodles there. According to a post I found on an Asian food blog, "(s)ome chefs ... substitute tomatoes for chili peppers for their similar reddish color. The addition of tomato adds a slight acidity and sweetness, which further stimulates the appetite. "

• http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Taiwanese-Beef-Noodle-Soup-231502


• http://www.gourmet.com/recipes/2000s/2009/02/southeast-asian-soup


• http://southeastasianfood.about.com/od/riceandnoodles/r/VietBeefNodleSo.htm


• http://scienceblogs.com/goodmath/2008/03/friday_random_recipe_niu_rou_m.php

Check back to see my notes on this recipe. Bon appetite.