Servings: 4
Prep time: 45 minutes
Total time: 9 hours
Ingredients
for the broth:
¼ cup|60 ml vegetable oil
5 pounds|2 ¼ kilograms beef shank
5 pounds|2 ¼ kilograms beef bones
5 (⅛ ounce|4 grams) bay leaves
2 medium yellow onions, quartered
1 head of garlic
kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
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for the soup:
¼ cup|60 ml vegetable oil
5 pounds|2 ¼ kilograms oxtails
3 pounds|2 ¼ kilograms short ribs
21 cups|5 liters broth
10 tomatillos, husks removed and washed
8 guajillo chiles, seeded and stemmed
5 tomatoes
4 pasilla chiles, seeded and stemmed
3 garlic cloves
¼ small onion
1 tablespoon cumin seeds
1 tablespoon dried oregano
1 tablespoon whole cloves
udon or ramen noodles
cilantro, roughly chopped
1 white onion, thinly sliced
2-3 radishes, thinly sliced
Directions
- Heat the oil in a large saucepan over medium-high. Season the shanks generously with salt and pepper and cook, turning as needed, until browned, about 12 minutes. Add the beef bones, bay leaves, onions, garlic, and 29 cups|232 ounces water and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to maintain a simmer, skimming any fat and scum that appears at the surface occasionally, for 3 ½ hours. Strain, discarding the solids, and cool.
- Season the oxtails and ribs generously about 2 hours prior to cooking. Heat the oil in a large saucepan over medium-high. Fry the oxtails and ribs, turning as needed, until browned all over, about 5 minutes for the oxtails and 6 minutes for the rubs.Add the broth and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to maintain a simmer.
- Meanwhile, make the adobo. Heat a large cast-iron skillet over high and, working in batches, blacken the tomatillos, chilies, tomatoes, garlic, and onion, about 15 to 20 minutes for the tomatillos and tomatoes, 2 to 3 minutes for the chilies, and 6 minutes for the garlic and onion. Transfer everything to a blender. Toast the cumin, oregano, and cloves for 1 minute, then transfer to the blender along with 1 cup|250 ml water and purée until smooth. Add to the soup and cook at a simmer for about 3 more hours.
- Cook the ramen noodles or udon noodles based on packaging directions. Drain them and add to the soup. If you use top ramen noodles, let the soup rehydrate them. Otherwise cook the noodles before adding it to the soup. Serve with cilantro, onions, and radish.
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