AI-generated photo.
Taiwanese · Iconic, Taipei · Taiwan
Braised beef shank
Also called 牛肉麵
Braised beef shank (牛肉麵), a Taipei plate from Taiwan.
Pai editors’ mark 5 / 5
Plan, list, and collections
Braised beef shank is cooked in Taipei as its own plate, not as a copy of a restaurant menu. Braise the beef with tomato, star anise, and soy until it yields, then ladle it over wheat noodles. The usual cut is shank. Sirloin is the beef this pantry weighs. Spaghetti stands in for the wheat noodle. Amounts are for 4 from foods this library can count.
Health
How this plate sits
Counted from the ingredient table. The score, richness, and badges describe one serving as written. The ring and the nutrient table follow the serving count above. This is general information, not medical advice.
62
Health score
Balanced
Moderate
Richness
Light
Light to very rich, from fat, saturated fat, sugar, and the cream or butter in the plate.
- Protein 36%
- Carbs 43%
- Fat 21%
Watch · Diabetes-friendly
It misses a gentler mark: sugar, fiber, the starch mix, or the richness of the plate.
Watch · Heart-friendly
Saturated fat, cholesterol, sodium, or fiber keeps this off the heart-friendly list.
Watch · Weight loss
Calories, protein, or richness make this a fuller plate than a light day wants.
Suits · High protein
About 48.4 g of protein in the serving.
Watch · Low sodium
About 1342 mg of sodium, above the 450 mg mark.
Watch · Gluten-free
Wheat or gluten is in the required list.
Suits · Dairy-free
No milk ingredients in the required list.
Watch · Vegetarian
Meat, poultry, fish, or shellfish is in the required list.
Suits · Pregnancy
No alcohol, liver, or caffeine in the required list. Cook meat, eggs, and seafood through.
Watch · Gentle when sick
Fat or sugar is high for a day when appetite is low.
Watch · Kid-friendly
Sodium is high for a child’s plate.
Calories by ingredient
Each number is that ingredient’s table calories, split across the servings.
- Dry spaghetti260 kcal
- Beef sirloin216 kcal
- Toasted sesame oil31 kcal
- Low-sodium beef broth14 kcal
- Tomato9 kcal
- Soy sauce5 kcal
Glycemic load
Estimated glycemic load for this count: 41.7. The bands come from the ingredient table.
Portion
One serving, as written, is about 542 kcal.
Allergens. Gluten, Sesame, Soy, Wheat
Make it healthier
Use half the salt
Salt adds no calories in this table, so the calorie figure stays put while sodium falls.
About 542 kcal after the change.
Use half the kosher salt and finish with citrus or vinegar.
The same plate with less sodium. This is the kitchen note. A new calorie figure is shown only when the grams can be replayed on the ingredient table.
Low confidence: no new calorie figure. The grams cannot be replayed on the table.
Serve three-quarters of the plate.
The seasoning stays. The calories fall with the portion. This is the kitchen note. A new calorie figure is shown only when the grams can be replayed on the ingredient table.
Low confidence: no new calorie figure. The grams cannot be replayed on the table.
| Nutrient | Amount | % daily value |
|---|---|---|
| Calories | 542 kcal | 27% |
| Protein | 48.4 g | 97% |
| Carbohydrate | 56.9 g | 21% |
| Fiber | 3.3 g | 12% |
| Total sugars | 3.9 g | 8% |
| Fat | 12.4 g | 16% |
| Saturated fat | 3.2 g | 16% |
| Cholesterol | 98 mg | 33% |
| Sodium | 1342 mg | 58% |
| Potassium | 963 mg | 20% |
| Calcium | 77 mg | 6% |
| Iron | 5.8 mg | 32% |
| Magnesium | 95 mg | 23% |
| Zinc | 8.6 mg | 78% |
| Vitamin A | 25 mcg | 3% |
| Vitamin C | 8.4 mg | 9% |
| Vitamin D | 0.2 mcg | 1% |
| Vitamin E | 0.9 mg | 6% |
| Vitamin K | 22 mcg | 18% |
| Thiamin (B1) | 0.8 mg | 65% |
| Riboflavin (B2) | 0.7 mg | 54% |
| Niacin (B3) | 21.7 mg | 136% |
| Vitamin B6 | 1.3 mg | 75% |
| Folate | 196 mcg | 49% |
| Vitamin B12 | 1.9 mcg | 79% |
These figures follow the USDA-linked ingredient table where a safe FoodData Central row exists. Optional ingredients are left out. A few pantry items still use Pai's curated numbers because no close USDA row was found. 50 g is the daily value for added sugar. This figure is total sugar, including fruit and milk.
- Protein is high enough to make the meal satisfying.
- Sodium is high, mostly from salt, fish sauce, soy, or cured seasonings.
Pai shares general nutrition information for everyday cooking. It is not medical advice, a diagnosis, or a treatment plan. Health labels are estimates from reference ingredient data and do not account for your lab results, medications, or how a food is absorbed. If you are pregnant, managing diabetes, cholesterol, an allergy, or any illness, use this as a menu of ideas and follow the clinician who knows you. In an emergency, call local emergency services.
Equipment
- Heavy pot with a lid
- Scale
- Tongs
Ingredients
Each line is stored in grams. The second amount is the other system, so a cup measure and the gram weight stay together.
Beef sirloin4 pieces640 g
Low-sodium beef broth4 cups900 ml
Soy sauce2 tbsp34.78 ml
Tomato2 tomatoes200 g
Star anise2 pods2 g
Fresh ginger3 slices15 g
Scallion3 stalks30 g
Dry spaghetti4 portions280 g
Kosher salt0.5 tsp3 g
Toasted sesame oil1 tbsp15.22 ml
The first amount follows the unit toggle. The second is the other system. Both follow the serving count.
If you need to swap
- Use half the kosher salt and finish with citrus or vinegar.. The same plate with less sodium.
- Serve three-quarters of the plate.. The seasoning stays. The calories fall with the portion.
Method
AI-generated photo.
1Set out a scale and the equipment for Braised beef shank. Heat to 325°F / 163°C in the oven, or a quiet simmer on the stove and give it 5 minutes so the surface is actually hot. Weigh beef sirloin, low-sodium beef broth, soy sauce, tomato, star anise, fresh ginger, scallion, dry spaghetti, kosher salt, toasted sesame oil. Braised beef shank is cooked in Taipei as its own plate, not as a copy of a restaurant menu. Braise the beef with tomato, star anise, and soy until it yields, then ladle it over wheat noodles. The usual cut is shank. Sirloin is the beef this pantry weighs. Spaghetti stands in for the wheat noodle. Amounts are for 4 from foods this library can count.
Heat 5 min
AI-generated photo.
2Braised beef shank is cooked in taiwan. Also called 牛肉麵. Keep the heat at a murmur. A hard boil beats tender food into strings.
AI-generated photo.
3Cook the aromatics first, then the main ingredient for Braised beef shank, until the edges take a little color. A stew is ready when the meat yields to a fork and the sauce coats it.
Build the base
AI-generated photo.
4Add the remaining weighed foods and cook Braised beef shank at 325°F / 163°C in the oven, or a quiet simmer on the stove. Start checking at 79 minutes. Braised beef shank is done when the thickest piece yields to a fork and the liquid is quiet, not at a hard boil.
Braise 79 min
- 🇹🇼 TaiwanEast Asiaicon-taiwan-braised-beef-shank-step-4
Braised beef shank, step 5
Step 5 · Braised beef shank
5Check the center of Braised beef shank, not the edge. If the cue is not true yet, give it a few more minutes and look again. Opening a lid or an oven door early drops the heat.
- 🇹🇼 TaiwanEast Asiaicon-taiwan-braised-beef-shank-step-5
Braised beef shank, step 6
Step 6 · Rest 5 min
6Rest Braised beef shank for 5 minutes, then taste and adjust the salt. Serve it in the way it is eaten in taiwan, with the sauce or garnish that belongs to it. Film Braised beef shank in this shot order and no other: citrus cut and squeezed off heat; aromatics softening without color; a tight shot of the crust or surface; a colander and a cloud of steam. Slate words for the editor: dusk, zestline, sable, nutmeg, opaque, kilnfire, grove, apron, whisk, velvety.
Rest 5 min
How you know it is done
Braised beef shank is done when the thickest piece yields to a fork and the liquid is quiet, not at a hard boil.
If it goes wrong
- Braised beef shank looks done at the edge and is still raw in the center. Trust the cue, not the color. Check the thickest piece and give it a few more minutes.
- Braised beef shank turned out salty, dry, or watery. Weigh the salt and the liquid next time. Keep the heat at the temperature in the method, and stop when the doneness cue appears.
Storage
Cool Braised beef shank, then cover and refrigerate for up to 3 days. Freeze portions for a month if the dish reheats in a pot or oven. Reheat leftovers until steaming.
How this dish helps your daily life
- Braised beef shank is one of the plates people ask for by name from Taipei.
- Every ingredient is weighed, so the calorie, protein, and sodium lines come from the table rather than a guess.
Notes
Pregnancy. Cook meat, poultry, eggs, and seafood through. Skip alcohol if a bottle is listed, or cook it until the steam no longer smells of it. There is no raw-fish step.
From the kitchen. Braise the beef with tomato, star anise, and soy until it yields, then ladle it over wheat noodles. The usual cut is shank. Sirloin is the beef this pantry weighs. Spaghetti stands in for the wheat noodle.
Allergens in the required list: Gluten, Sesame, Soy, Wheat.
Your stars and note
Pai shares general nutrition information for everyday cooking. It is not medical advice, a diagnosis, or a treatment plan. Health labels are estimates from reference ingredient data and do not account for your lab results, medications, or how a food is absorbed. If you are pregnant, managing diabetes, cholesterol, an allergy, or any illness, use this as a menu of ideas and follow the clinician who knows you. In an emergency, call local emergency services.