Noodle SoupsThaiMedium

Thai Boat Noodle Soup (Kuay Teow Reua)

Name: Thai Boat Noodle Soup (Kuay Teow Reua)
Prep time: 1 h 1 min
Cook time: 1 h 45 min
Total time: 2 h 46 min
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: Thai
Ingredients: 1 lb (454 g) beef shank, in 1 or 2 whole pieces; 2 lb (900 g) beef neck or marrow bones, rinsed; 12 cups (2800 ml) water, cold, for simmering (extra water needed for parboiling and blanching); 2 3-inch sticks (6 g) cinnamon sticks, broken in half; 3 pods (3 g) whole star anise; 1 tsp (3 g) white peppercorns, lightly crushed; ¾ cup (25 g) cilantro stems and roots, well washed, roughly chopped; 1 oz (2-inch piece) (30 g) galangal, unpeeled, sliced into ¼-inch coins; 6 cloves (30 g) garlic cloves, smashed, skins left on; 2 medium (80 g) shallots, peeled and halved; 2 tbsp (30 g) fermented red bean curd (nam tao hu), cubes mashed with a little of their brine; 1 tbsp (15 g) palm sugar, chopped (or packed light brown sugar); 3 tbsp (45 ml) fish sauce; 1 tbsp (15 ml) light soy sauce; 1 tsp (5 ml) dark soy sauce; kosher salt, to taste, if needed; 8 oz (225 g) beef sirloin, trimmed, frozen 20 minutes, then sliced against the grain as thinly as possible; 8 oz (225 g) dried thin rice noodles (sen lek); 8 oz (225 g) morning glory (water spinach), washed, cut into 3-inch lengths, thick stems split lengthwise; 4 oz (115 g) mung bean sprouts, rinsed; 1 oz (30 g) fully cooked, ready-to-eat pork cracklings (pork rinds), store-bought, already fried and crisp; broken into bite-size pieces; 2 tbsp (15 g) crispy fried garlic, store-bought or homemade; 2 stalks (30 g) scallions, thinly sliced; ¼ cup (10 g) cilantro leaves, loosely packed, picked from stems; 2 tsp (4 g) dried red chili flakes; 2 tsp (8 g) granulated sugar; 2 tbsp (30 ml) distilled white vinegar; 2 chilies (10 g) Thai bird's eye chilies, thinly sliced

From the MyKitchenBank Kitchen

A deeply savory, cinnamon- and star anise-scented beef broth ladled over thin rice noodles, tender braised shank, quick-cooked sirloin and crisp morning glory, then crowned with crunchy pork cracklings and fried garlic. This version skips the traditional blood thickener but keeps the dark, sweet-salty-funky character from fermented red bean curd.

Prep: 1 hr 1 min
Cook: 1 hr 45 min
Wait: 45 min
Total: 3 hr 31 min
Makes: 4 generous bowls

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Ingredients

4 servings

For the broth
1 lb (454 g) beef shank, in 1 or 2 whole pieces
2 lb (900 g) beef neck or marrow bones, rinsed
12 cups (2800 ml) water, cold, for simmering (extra water needed for parboiling and blanching)
2 3-inch sticks (6 g) cinnamon sticks, broken in half
3 pods (3 g) whole star anise
1 tsp (3 g) white peppercorns, lightly crushed
¾ cup (25 g) cilantro stems and roots, well washed, roughly chopped
1 oz (2-inch piece) (30 g) galangal, unpeeled, sliced into ¼-inch coins
6 cloves (30 g) garlic cloves, smashed, skins left on
2 medium (80 g) shallots, peeled and halved
2 tbsp (30 g) fermented red bean curd (nam tao hu), cubes mashed with a little of their brine
1 tbsp (15 g) palm sugar, chopped (or packed light brown sugar)
3 tbsp (45 ml) fish sauce
1 tbsp (15 ml) light soy sauce
1 tsp (5 ml) dark soy sauce
kosher salt, to taste, if needed
For the bowls
8 oz (225 g) beef sirloin, trimmed, frozen 20 minutes, then sliced against the grain as thinly as possible
8 oz (225 g) dried thin rice noodles (sen lek)
8 oz (225 g) morning glory (water spinach), washed, cut into 3-inch lengths, thick stems split lengthwise
4 oz (115 g) mung bean sprouts, rinsed
1 oz (30 g) fully cooked, ready-to-eat pork cracklings (pork rinds), store-bought, already fried and crisp; broken into bite-size pieces
2 tbsp (15 g) crispy fried garlic, store-bought or homemade
2 stalks (30 g) scallions, thinly sliced
¼ cup (10 g) cilantro leaves, loosely packed, picked from stems
To serve at the table
2 tsp (4 g) dried red chili flakes
2 tsp (8 g) granulated sugar
2 tbsp (30 ml) distilled white vinegar
2 chilies (10 g) Thai bird's eye chilies, thinly sliced

Equipment (7)

5- to 6-quart (5–6 L) stockpot with lid
Small dry skillet for toasting spices
Fine-mesh strainer
Large pot (3 quart / 3 L) for blanching
Sharp knife and cutting board
Ladle and tongs
4 deep soup bowls (about 2-cup / 500 ml)

Steps

Before you start

Buy thin dried rice noodles (sen lek) and fermented red bean curd (nam tao hu) at an Asian market; both are essential to the authentic flavor.
Place the sirloin in the freezer at the very start; partially frozen beef slices paper-thin.
Plan about 3½ hours from start to bowl. The broth simmers unattended for 1 hour 45 minutes, so most of the time is hands-off.
Have a large stockpot (at least 5 quarts / 5 L) and a fine-mesh strainer ready.
Use fully cooked, ready-to-eat pork cracklings (the packaged, crisp kind); do not use raw pork skin.

1
Chill the sirloin
- Trim any thick fat from the sirloin, wrap it in plastic, and place it on a plate in the freezer for 20 minutes.
- It should be firm on the outside but still slightly give in the center.
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Ready when: Firm to the touch outside with a little give in the center
2
Toast and prep aromatics
- Set a small dry skillet over medium-low heat.
- Toast the cinnamon, star anise and white peppercorns for 2 to 3 minutes, shaking the pan often.
- While they toast, smash the garlic, halve the shallots, slice the galangal and chop the cilantro stems and roots.
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Ready when: Spices smell fragrant and warm; star anise darkens slightly
Tip: Pull the pan off the heat the moment the spices smell strong; burnt spices make the broth bitter.
3
Parboil shank and bones
- Put the beef shank and bones in the stockpot and cover with cold water by 2 inches.
- Bring to a rolling boil over high heat and boil 5 minutes until grey foam rises.
- Drain into a colander, then rinse each bone and the shank under cold water to remove scum.
- Scrub out the pot.
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Ready when: Grey foam has risen and the drained meat looks clean after rinsing
Tip: This step is what keeps the finished broth clear and clean-tasting.
4
Simmer the broth
- Return the shank and bones to the clean pot.
- Add 12 cups (2.8 L) cold water, the toasted spices, garlic, shallots, galangal, cilantro stems and roots, mashed red bean curd and palm sugar.
- Bring just to a boil over high heat, then reduce to low so the surface barely bubbles.
- Cover with the lid slightly ajar and simmer 1 hour 45 minutes, skimming any foam in the first 15 minutes.
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Ready when: A fork slides easily into the shank and the broth smells strongly of cinnamon and beef
Tip: A hard boil makes the broth cloudy; keep it at a bare simmer.
5
Strain and season
- Lift out the shank and set it on a plate to cool 10 minutes.
- Strain the broth through a fine-mesh strainer into a clean pot, discarding the bones and aromatics.
- Stir in the fish sauce, light soy sauce and dark soy sauce.
- Taste and add salt only if needed.
- The broth should taste savory, lightly sweet and slightly spiced.
- Keep it at a gentle simmer over low heat.
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Ready when: Broth is deep brown, clear and well seasoned when tasted
Tip: Season slightly boldly; the noodles and vegetables will dilute the broth in the bowl.
6
Soak noodles, slice meat
- Cover the rice noodles with warm tap water in a large bowl and soak 15 minutes until pliable but still firm.
- Meanwhile, slice the cooled shank against the grain into ¼-inch slices.
- Slice the chilled sirloin as thinly as possible against the grain, then bring a large pot of water to a boil over high heat for blanching.
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Ready when: Noodles bend easily but still have a firm white core
7
Blanch noodles and greens
- Drain the noodles.
- Divide them into 4 portions.
- In the boiling water, blanch one noodle portion at a time for 20 to 30 seconds, then lift out with a strainer into a bowl.
- Repeat.
- Blanch the morning glory for 30 seconds and the bean sprouts for 10 seconds, and divide among the bowls.
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Ready when: Noodles are tender but springy; morning glory is bright green and crisp-tender
Tip: Do not overcook the noodles; they continue to soften in the hot broth.
8
Cook sirloin and assemble
- Bring the broth to a steady simmer over medium heat.
- Drop the sliced sirloin in and stir for 15 to 20 seconds until the slices turn from red to mostly grey-brown.
- Immediately ladle broth and beef over the noodles and greens, then add the sliced shank.
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Ready when: Sirloin slices are no longer red; no pink remains
Tip: Pull the beef quickly; thin slices overcook and toughen in seconds.
9
Garnish and serve
- Top each bowl with scallions, cilantro leaves, fried garlic and a handful of the fully cooked, ready-to-eat pork cracklings (they are already cooked through and need no further heating).
- Stir the vinegar and sliced Thai chilies together in a small dish.
- Serve at once with chili flakes, sugar and the chili vinegar at the table for each person to adjust.
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Ready when: Bowls are steaming, with cracklings still crisp on top
Tip: Add the cracklings last so they stay crunchy.

Good to know

Tips

Parboiling the bones first is the key to a clear, clean broth.
Salt and sweetness are balanced at the table in Thai noodle shops; let everyone add sugar, chili and vinegar to taste.
Slice the sirloin against the grain and as thin as you can so it cooks in seconds.
For deeper flavor, char the shallots and garlic under a broiler or in a dry pan before adding them to the pot.

Make ahead

Make the broth through step 5 up to 3 days ahead; cool, refrigerate, and slice the shank just before serving. Reheat to a simmer before assembling.

Storage & reheating

Store broth and sliced shank separately from noodles and vegetables. Refrigerate in airtight containers up to 3 days, or freeze the broth and shank up to 3 months. Reheat broth to a full simmer on the stove. Cook fresh noodles, greens and sirloin for each serving; do not store assembled bowls. Pork cracklings are best fresh and keep at room temperature in a sealed bag 1 day.

Substitutions

galangal → fresh ginger. Use the same weight; the flavor will be sharper and less piney.
morning glory (water spinach) → baby bok choy or spinach. Blanch bok choy 45 seconds; spinach 10 seconds.
palm sugar → packed light brown sugar. Use 1 tablespoon.
dried thin rice noodles (sen lek) → dried rice vermicelli. Cook according to package time, usually 2 to 3 minutes.

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Steps

Chill the sirloin

Toast and prep aromatics

Parboil shank and bones

Simmer the broth

Strain and season

Soak noodles, slice meat

Blanch noodles and greens

Cook sirloin and assemble

Garnish and serve

Good to know

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