Entree: China – Qinghai – 牦牛酥油茶面 ➤ Maoniu suyou cha mian (Noodles served in a savory salted yak butter tea broth with meat and tsampa)

Food safety reminder: Follow safe food-handling practices and use a food thermometer to verify safe internal cooking temperatures.

Serving Size: 4

Approximate Time

Prep 20 min

Cook 20 min

Total 40 min

Ingredients

- 12 oz (340 g) fresh wheat noodles or hand-pulled noodles
- 3 cups (720 ml) strong brewed black tea (preferably brick or strong black tea)
- 2 cups (480 ml) beef or yak stock
- 2 tbsp (30 g) yak butter or unsalted butter
- 8 oz (225 g) ground yak or beef
- 1 medium onion, finely chopped (about 4 oz / 115 g)
- 2 tbsp (30 ml) vegetable oil
- 1/4 cup (60 ml) whole milk or yak milk (optional for richness)
- 2 scallions, thinly sliced (about 1 oz / 30 g)
- 2 tbsp (16 g) tsampa (roasted barley flour) for sprinkling or stirring
- 1 tsp (5 g) coarse salt, or to taste
- Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Instructions

1. Bring a pot of salted water to a boil and cook the noodles until just tender, drain and set aside. Meanwhile, heat oil in a saucepan over medium-high heat and brown the ground yak or beef with the chopped onion until cooked through; add the brewed black tea and stock, stir in yak butter and milk (if using), season with salt and pepper, and simmer gently for 8–10 minutes to meld flavors.
2. Divide cooked noodles among bowls, ladle the hot yak butter tea broth and meat over the noodles, sprinkle each serving with tsampa and sliced scallions, and serve immediately so the tsampa can be stirred in to thicken and flavor the broth.