An Introduction to Lanzhou Ramen & Hand-Pulled Noodles

Lanzhou ramen, often featuring hand-pulled noodles, is not as well known to Americans as Japanese ramen. The dish originated among Hui Muslims in China’s Gansu province, and preparation of these noodles has changed little since their earliest days. A chef stews Halal beef in a clear broth. This helps to highlight the meat’s robust flavor. It also ensures that the noodles are fresh, springy, and delicious once preparation is complete.

Lanzhou Noodles – A Registered Trademark

Lanzhou noodles are officially registered as a commercial designation and chefs must follow several rules when preparing it. For starters, the noodles must be even in width and thickness and abide by certain diameters. White radish noodles must be 4 x 2.5 x 0.2 centimeters. Beef needs to soak in water for several hours with the chef adding beef blood into the broth of the meat as it cooks. Cooking the broth also requires the chef to use beef bones, lamb liver, and a whole chicken in addition to the beef itself.

List of Ingredients for Lanzhou Ramen

The list of ingredients needed to make Lanzhou ramen is a long one that will probably require a special shopping trip. Note that this is not the official Z & Y Bistro recipe, but one that can be replicated at home with relative ease. Here’s the ingredients:

• 1 beef leg bone cut into 5 or 6 equal parts
• 1 teaspoon of Sichuan peppercorn
• 1 thumb-sized portion of sliced ginger
• 1 cup of chopped scallion to only include the white part
• 1 whole nutmeg seed
• 1 star anise
• 1 cinnamon stick approximately 2.4 inches long
• 1 teaspoon fennel seed
• 2 pounds of untrimmed beef flank
• 2 teaspoons of salt
• 2 teaspoons of chili oil freshly made
• 2 bay leaves
• 5 whole cloves
• 5 dried chili peppers
• 6 to 8 servings of hand-pulled noodles

After gathering all ingredients, the next step is to rinse and place them in a 5-liter pot. Next, cut strips of beef flank three inches wide and five inches long and put them inside of a dutch oven. The bones and beef now need 10 cups of water added to them. Keep the water turned on high until it reaches a boil and then reduce to a medium low heat. Remove the foam from the water using a ladle until the broth is completely clean.

The chef should now add Sichuan peppercorns and cloves into a tea infuser and place it inside of the Dutch oven where the bones and beef are still cooking. It’s now time to add the following ingredients:

• Bay leaves
• Chili peppers
• Cinnamon stick
• Fennel seed
• Garlic
• Ginger
• Nutmeg
• Scallion
• Star anise

Cover the ingredients and allow them to cook for the next three hours. As the broth simmers, get the daikon radish ready by cutting it into slices two inches thick and making four equal quarters. Add the daikon radish slices 30 minutes before the broth is done cooking. Transfer the beef to a hot plate using a ladle and skim off the oil.

It’s now time to boil the hand-pulled noodles. When they finish boiling, shake off the excess water and combine them with the meat and other ingredients. The only thing left to do now is dig in and enjoy.