The kitchen smells odd.

Tonight we are making a recipe that we have used before from chef Ming Tsai from the Food Network.

It's a 5-spice beef soup.

Here is the recipe:

Soup with Five Spice Beef Short Ribs and Wonton Noodles

Wonton Noodle Soup

2 quarts chicken stock
2 large slices ginger
4 heads baby bok choy, washed and cut into 1/4 inch slices
1/2 teaspoon white pepper
1 tablespoon naturally brewed soy sauce
1 tablespoon salt
1 pound fresh wonton noodles, blanched in salted water right before serving.
1/2 cup sliced scallions
1/4 cup chopped cilantro
2 teaspoons sesame oil
Five Spice Beef Ribs

Heat the stock in a stock pot with the ginger and reduce by 20 percent. Add the bok choy, white pepper, and soy sauce. Cook 3 minutes until bok choy is soft. Check for seasoning. Place the hot noodles in 4 large bowls and top with stock and bok choy. Place ribs on top. Garnish with scallions, cilantro, and drizzle with sesame oil.

Five Spice Beef Ribs:

1/2 cup vegetable oil
1/2 teaspoon crushed peppers
8 thin slices fresh ginger
3 cloves garlic
2 pounds beef short ribs
1 cup soy sauce
4 cups red wine
1 tablespoon five spice powder
1 tablespoon salt
3 pieces star anise
Dash cinnamon powder
1 large piece rock candy (1-inch cube)


Prepare a large non-stick stock-pot coated with oil over high heat. Add the crushed pepper, ginger, and garlic and stir for 30 seconds. Place the beef in the stock-pot and cook, covered, about 4 minutes on each side. Add the soy sauce, red wine, five spice powder, salt, star anise, cinnamon, and rock candy and bring the mixture to a boil for about 5 minutes.

Reduce the heat and let simmer for 2-1/2 hours. Remove the ribs from the pot and add to the Wonton Noodle Soup.

We make substitutions. Wonton noodle is not common in the grocery stores here. The chef himself suggested angel hair pasta as a substitute. Baby bok choy ain't likely. Napa cabbage is a substitute, or we use the larger bok choy when we can.

We leave the rock candy out altogether.