Taiwanese beef noodle soup

Cut the beef into 1 inch cubes and put it in a stock pot with the water and the neck bones.

Bring to a boil with the lid partially on, skim the foamy scum with a sieve.

Remove the beef, rinse under running water and rub it clean, especially the gaps of the neck bones; drain and set aside.

Pass the blanching water through a fine cheesecloth to remove the impurities and reserve the clear broth.

Preheat a clay pot until hot, add the cooking oil and the sugar and stir over low heat until caramelized, a few minutes.

Add the soy sauce and stir so the heat activates its fragrance; it will splatter.

Add the doubanjiang and stir over low heat until the oil turns bright red.

Add the tomato paste and the dark soy sauce and mix until well combined.

Add the beef and the cooking wine and stir a couple of minutes.

Pour in the reserved blanching water to cover, adding more water if needed, and bring to a boil over high heat.

Put the ginger, garlic, scallions, onion, cinnamon, bay leaves, star anise, dried chilies, tangerine peel and Sichuan peppercorns into spice bags.

Add the spice bags, turn the heat to low and simmer the beef 2 hours.

Remove and squeeze the spice bags; take the meat off the neck bones and discard the bones; return the meat to the broth.

Taste and adjust the salt.

Boil the noodles in a separate pot of water so they do not cloud the broth; fresh noodles need only a few minutes.

Add the baby bok choy to the noodle water for the last 30 seconds.

Ladle 1 and a quarter cup of braising broth into a serving bowl, add the noodles, top with beef and bok choy.