Bandung-Style Beef Noodle Soup with Tendon and Red Beans

Be the first to rate

(No Ratings Yet)

Loading...

A hearty Indonesian noodle soup from West Java featuring flat yellow egg noodles in a fragrant turmeric-and-ginger beef broth, topped with meltingly tender braised shank and honeycomb tripe, red kidney beans, crunchy bean sprouts, and a sharp squeeze of lime. This Bandung classic balances deep, slow-simmered beef flavor with bright herbaceous aromatics and a kick of sambal on the side.

Nutrition Facts

Per serving (estimated)

• 620 kcalCalories
• 22 gFat
• 7 gSaturated Fat
• 58 gCarbs
• 6 gFiber
• 7 gSugar
• 44 gProtein
• 980 mgSodium
• 820 mgPotassium
• 140 mgCalcium
• 6 mgIron
• 14 mgVitamin C
• 85 mcgVitamin A

Ingredients

For the braised beef and honeycomb tripe

• 700 g (1.5 lb) beef shank, bone-in
• 350 g (12 oz) cleaned honeycomb beef tripe (kikil), cut into 2-inch pieces
• 2 L (8 cups) water for parboiling
• 1 tbsp white vinegar
• 3 slices fresh ginger, smashed
• 2 Indonesian bay leaves (daun salam)

For the spice paste and broth

• 8 shallots, roughly chopped
• 5 garlic cloves
• 3 candlenuts or macadamia nuts
• 2 cm (3/4 in) fresh ginger, peeled
• 2 cm (3/4 in) fresh turmeric, peeled (or 1 tsp ground)
• 1 tsp whole white peppercorns
• 1 tbsp coriander seeds
• 3 tbsp beef tallow or vegetable oil
• 2 lemongrass stalks, white part only, smashed
• 55 g (1/2 cup) dried red kidney beans, soaked overnight
• 3 L (12 cups) water or beef stock
• 2 tsp salt, plus more to taste
• 1 tsp sugar
• 2 scallions, thinly sliced

For the noodles and bowl assembly

• 600 g (about 1.3 lb) fresh flat yellow egg noodles (mie kuning pipih), blanched
• 150 g (5 oz) fresh bean sprouts, rinsed and drained
• 4 hard-boiled eggs, peeled and halved lengthwise
• 6 lime wedges
• 2 tbsp fried shallots
• 2 tbsp chopped celery leaves
• 6 bird's eye chilies, sliced (optional)

For the chili sauce (sambal kecap) on the side

• 4 tbsp sweet Indonesian soy sauce (kecap manis)
• 3 bird's eye chilies, finely sliced
• 2 shallots, finely sliced
• 1 tsp lime juice

Directions

1. Parboil the beef shank and tripe: bring 2 L water with vinegar, smashed ginger, and bay leaves to a boil. Add beef shank and tripe, simmer 10 minutes, then drain and rinse the meat under cool water. Discard the liquid. This removes impurities and any gaminess from the tripe.
2. Make the spice paste: in a small food processor, blend the shallots, garlic, candlenuts, ginger, turmeric, white pepper, and coriander seeds into a coarse paste, adding a splash of water if needed.
3. Build the broth: heat the beef tallow in a large heavy pot over medium heat. Fry the paste with the lemongrass for 8-10 minutes until fragrant, darkened, and the oil begins to separate. Pour in the 3 L water or stock, add the drained kidney beans with their soaking water, return the shank and tripe to the pot, and season with salt and sugar.
4. Simmer gently, partially covered, for 2.5-3 hours, skimming any foam that rises, until the beef shank is fork-tender and pulling away from the bone and the tripe turns glossy and soft. The kidney beans should also be fully tender. Lift out the shank, cool slightly, and slice the meat against the grain into bite-size pieces; keep the tripe and broth warm in the pot.
5. Whisk together the sambal kecap by stirring the kecap manis, sliced chilies, shallots, and lime juice in a small bowl; set aside so the flavors can mingle.
6. Prepare serving bowls: bring a large pot of salted water to a rolling boil. Briefly blanch the fresh noodles for 1-2 minutes until just tender, drain well, and divide among 6 wide bowls. Top each with a small handful of raw bean sprouts, several slices of beef shank, a few pieces of tripe, a generous spoonful of kidney beans, and half a hard-boiled egg.
7. Ladle the hot spiced broth over each bowl, scatter with scallions, fried shallots, and celery leaves, and serve immediately with lime wedges, sliced fresh chilies, and the sambal kecap on the side.
8. Instruct diners to squeeze lime over the bowl, add chilies to taste, and spoon sambal kecap into the soup or directly onto bites for a sweet-spicy-savory finish.

Cook’s Notes

• If honeycomb tripe is hard to find, substitute beef tendon (urat) or another 350 g of beef shank; tendon needs about 3.5-4 hours to become gelatinously tender, so add it 45 minutes after the shank starts cooking.
• Pre-soaking the kidney beans overnight is essential for even cooking; if short on time, use a pressure cooker and reduce the bean-cooking step to 25 minutes at high pressure before adding them to the main broth.
• Traditional Bandung vendors cook the broth the day before and chill it so the beef fat solidifies on top and can be skimmed off, leaving a cleaner, more concentrated broth the next day.
• Always slice the beef shank against the grain while still slightly warm to keep it juicy and tender; cold, over-handled shank turns chewy.
• For a richer mouthfeel, do not skim all the fat from the broth; the small amount of emulsified beef fat carries the warm turmeric-white-pepper aromatics across the palate.

You might also like

Asian

Surabaya Classic Black Beef Soup

Desserts

Indonesian Coconut Shaved Ice Dessert

Asian

Indonesian White Chicken Curry

Asian

Indonesian Sweet Fermented Cassava