Hello Fall!
It’s getting cold and rainy here in the PNW, so what’s the soup I’ve been craving lately? Beef tendon soup! A lot of you have requested me to show you how to make this classic soup and so here it is. This dish is most commonly served during special occasions when a cow is butchered such as funerals, weddings, new years etc. It’s quite easy to make as long as you have all the right ingredients. It’s simple in taste but very delicious if you are fond of beef tendon.
Beef tendon is the tissue that aligns the meat to the bones. It is very chewy and fibrous if it’s not cooked down. When it’s cooked down, it does get pretty gelatinous. So if you’re not fond of that texture, this may not be the soup for you. But I love love tendon so I’ll show you how my mom and I like to make it. Our recipe is fairly simple and is pretty much a good base to start with and add other ingredients to your liking after trying it out first. So get creative after giving it a try! Hopefully this brings back memories. Let me know what you like to add into beef tendon soup. Happy Cooking!
Beef Tendon
A very fibrous & chewy beef tissue. When it’s cooked down, it becomes soft & gelatinous. Beef tendon can be found at the meat section of most Asian grocery stores or ask your local butcher shop if they have it.
What it looks like after cooking it down. 
Other ingredients to add
Smoked beef & beef skin: Smoked beef gives this dish that great distinct traditional Hmong soup taste.
Mushrooms: I like to use wood-ear mushrooms as well as oyster mushroom. But the choices are yours.
I also like to add Thai green eggplants as well as silk squash
Herbs & Spices: Lemongrass, kaffir lime leaf, chili peppers, galangal, & green onions
Canned goods: Bamboo shoots, & banana blossom
Seasonings: Salt, red curry paste, and 1 packet of Dynasty wonton seasoning packet
Boil and enjoy!
YUM!
I love to mix it over rice. Oh the comfort! 🙂 
ENJOY! 
Happy cooking!
-CHawjCreations
Ingredients
- 1.5 lb beef tendon (cooked w/ 6 cups of water & 1 1/2 tsp salt)
- 12 oz (350g) smoked beef (sliced)
- 6 oz sliced beef skin (precooked) [optional]
- 1 lemongrass (smashed) and leaf
- 4 slices of fresh galangal
- 8 kaffir lime leaf
- 1 Canned banana flower (280g or 10oz) (rinsed & sliced)
- 1 can bamboo shoots (10oz drained or 280g) (rinsed & sliced)
- ½ lb oyster mushroom (sliced)
- 9 oz Wood Ear mushroom (if using dried, soak about 1oz in weight)
- 2 silk squash or any winter squash (peeled & sliced)
- 10 Thai green eggplant (1lb) (quartered)
- 4 green onions (sliced)
- 2 tsp red curry sauce (.5oz or 16g)
- 1 tbsp salt
- 1 packet of Dynasty wonton seasoning
- 3 chili peppers (sliced)
- 8 cups water
- To thicken: ¼ cups short grain sticky rice soaked for 1 hr in water. Blend with ½ cups water
- Optional ingredients: Yardlong bean, quail eggs, bean curds, dill, basil, etc
Instructions
Cooking the tendon
In a instant pot, add in the rinsed beef tendon along with 6 cups of water and 1 1/2 tsp of salt. Set the instant pot under the stew/meat button on High for 45 minutes. After 45 minutes, release the air and then open to check for the tenderness. If you want it more tender and soft, cook for another 45 minutes. If you want it soft but still a little firm cook for just 20-30 minutes. Timing is up to you for the texture you desire. The total time I cooked it under the stew/meat setting was 1.5hrs.
W/ a pressure cooker: Add water, salt, and tendon. Cover and cook for at least 30 minutes. Release the air and then check for tenderness.
On the stove: In a pot, add the tendon, 10 cups water, 1 1/2 tsp salt and cook it down for at least 3-4 hrs until tender. Check for water level as it cooks.
Cooking the Soup
- While the tendon is cooking, soak the sticky rice in warm water for a good 1 hr. After 1 hr, drain water and then add the rice to a blender with 1/2 cups of water. Blend well and then set aside to be used later.
- Wash & sliced all vegetables/herbs and drain out any canned vegetables. Set aside
- Cut the smoked beef & cooked tendon
In a pot, add in 1 tbsp of oil, the smashed lemongrass and sliced galangal. Saute for 30 secs to 1 minute to release the herb oil. Then add in the sliced smoked beef and the red curry paste. Cook & stir for about 30 secs. Then add in 8 cups of water. Cover and bring to a boil.
Once it has come to a boil, add in the sliced precooked beef skin, kaffir lime leaf, mushrooms, and the blended sticky rice. Cook for 5 minutes or so. Then add in the silk squash, green eggplant, lemongrass leaf, sliced chili peppers, salt, and wonton seasoning packet. Cook for 2 minutes or so (just until the eggplant/squash or just about cooked to your liking) Then add in the cooked & chopped tendon. Once the vegetables are cooked to your liking, turn off the heat. Taste for seasonings, and then add in the sliced green onions. Stir and it's ready to be served with white rice.
Notes
You can add other vegetables you desire.
3 comments
Such a fantastic site you have set up here for these recipes that our younger Hmong generations can search for and make… thank you so much!
Hello Cindy Her, The recipe you put here is amazing. I will try this. But I a bit confused about the amount of beef. I will make for 3 members of my family. How much should I take? Please let me know.
Close to about 3 full strips of smoked beef (depending on how long/big they are though). For 3 people, you can probably just use 2 strips of smoked beef.