Liu Longzi Beef Noodle Soup

Liu Longzi Beef Noodle Soup

　　By the banks of the Lishui River and at the foot of Jiashan Mountain lies a beef noodle shop hailed as the “Number One in Lishui,” widely celebrated as the Jinshi Liu Longzi Beef Noodle Shop. Established in the early 1940s, the shop got its name from its founder, a deaf man surnamed Liu. From the very beginning, it became immensely popular in the regions of Jinshi and Lixian due to its unique flavors, and today it continues to attract visitors from all over with its distinctive style. The beef noodle soup at Liu Longzi is known for being spicy, hot, fragrant, and fresh. The beef slices are cooked to the perfect tenderness and seasoned just right. The process of preparing the beef for the dish follows strict standards—from the moment the beef arrives at the shop, it is immediately hung on an iron hook and sorted by age, tenderness, fatness, and leanness, then cut into chunks weighing about one pound each. These chunks are soaked in clear water; in winter the soaking time is longer, while in summer it takes only about an hour. The beef is then repeatedly rinsed and squeezed to remove all blood and impurities until the water runs completely clear. After draining, the beef is simmered in a specially prepared herbal broth made from more than 20 ingredients, including fennel, cardamom, sandalwood, cinnamon, licorice, tangerine peel, cloves, peppercorns, and others. The herbs are wrapped in a cloth bag and placed at the bottom of the pot, with the beef on top. The pot is left uncovered to allow any unpleasant odors to dissipate. During cooking, any blood bubbles that rise to the surface are promptly skimmed off, and depending on the fat content of the beef, an appropriate amount of beef tallow is added to enhance the flavor. When the beef becomes tender enough to be mashed with a finger, it is removed, spread out to cool, and then cut into small pieces for use as the beef topping. Half of the cooking broth is then set aside, mixed with fresh water, brought to a boil again, and simmered until the fat rises and is skimmed off, leaving behind a clear, transparent, and glossy broth. This refined broth is transferred to another pot to serve as the base stock. When serving the noodles, this flavorful broth is poured over the rice noodles, resulting in a delicious and aromatic beef noodle soup. Thanks to the meticulous preparation and unique taste of the Liu Longzi Beef Noodle Shop, every visitor to Jinshi looks forward to tasting its famous beef noodles. (Changde)