Chopsticks in one hand, spoon in the other, napkin within reach. That’s the only way to tackle Pig and Tiger‘s beef noodle soup, a steaming bowl of fall-apart beef, springy noodles, and pickled mustard greens that slice right through the richness. Co-chefs and owners Darren Chang and Travis Masar have come a long way since their food hall days at Boulder’s Avanti Food & Beverage. They opened their Five Points dining room in 2025, then snagged one of Colorado’s three new Bib Gourmands this September. The soup, meanwhile, has been part of Darren’s life since childhood. We sat down with the duo to get the story behind the bowl, from a family recipe to the 24-hour broth and the local makers who help bring it all together.
At the family table: Beef noodle soup was one of my dad’s favorites, Darren says, so it was always in rotation for our family meals. The recipe my family made was the baseline for our soup. As you scale recipes for a restaurant setting, it is not as simple as multiplying the list of ingredients.
The long simmer: We soak our beef marrow bones and tendons for 24 hours, then blanch the bones to purge impurities for a clear, clean-tasting broth. Next, they slow-simmer for 24 hours. The tendons go in for eight more, with aromatics and spices for the final four. Once it cools, we skim the fat, leaving a clean, rich broth.
A little heat, your way: Darren wanted a lightly spiced, clean broth, and I wanted a spicy, rich, intense one, Travis explained. We really wanted to showcase both styles. A few cinnamon sticks and some star anise give us a lightly spiced, rich broth. The beef tallow chili oil lets guests add heat while adding more essence of beef.
Close to home: We made our noodles from scratch at Avanti, but after breaking a few mixers and struggling to keep up with demand, we turned to Kwan Sang Noodle, a local family-owned business. We chose Tonali’s for the beef because they could source harder-to-find cuts, including whole beef foreshanks.
A bowl to gather around: Soup, in our opinion, should be eaten year-round, but we understand most people want it to warm up on a cold winter day. It’s one of those dishes that feels comforting and homey, one you gather around the table for.
Pig and Tiger Beef Noodle Soup
Ingredients
- 2 lbs. beef bones (preferably cut marrow or femur bones)
- 1 lbs. beef tendon (cut)
- 2½ lbs. boneless beef shanks
- 8 qts. water (plus more for soaking, blanching, and topping off)
- Oil (as needed)
- 4 bay leaves
- 3 tbsp. white peppercorns (whole)
- 1 star anise
- 3 tbsp. Sichuan peppercorns (whole)
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 2 yellow onions (roughly chopped)
- ½ c. ginger (roughly chopped)
- 4 tomatoes (roughly chopped)
- 1 c. scallions (roughly chopped)
- ⅓ c. garlic (roughly chopped)
- 2½ tbsp. sugar
- 1¾ c. mijiu wine, Shaoxing wine, or dry sherry
- ½ can Sichuan-brand hot bean paste (doubanjiang)
- 2¼ tbsp. mushroom powder (optional)
- ¼ c. soy sauce
- salt (to taste)
Directions
- Soak bones, tendons, and shanks in cold water overnight, changing the water at least once. Drain and rinse. Place in a stockpot (at least 12-qt. capacity), cover with fresh water, and bring to a rapid boil. Drain and rinse thoroughly.
- Clean pot, return bones, tendons, and shanks, and add 8 qts. water. Simmer gently for 4 hours, checking shanks and tendons for tenderness after 2½ hours and removing when tender. Set meat aside to cool. Strain broth, reserving bones, and add water as needed to return broth to 8 qts.
- Clean pot and heat over medium-high. Add a splash of oil and whole spices; toast until fragrant. Add onions and ginger; sauté until lightly browned, taking care not to burn spices. Add tomatoes and cook until softened. Stir in scallions, garlic, sugar, wine, hot bean paste, mushroom powder, if using, and soy sauce.
- Add onions and ginger; sauté until lightly browned, taking care not to burn spices.
- Add tomatoes and cook until softened. Stir in scallions, garlic, sugar, wine, hot bean paste, mushroom powder, if using, and soy sauce.
- Add reserved broth and bones. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer gently for 4 hours.
- Meanwhile, cut beef into 1-inch cubes and tendons into ½-inch pieces. Strain broth and discard solids. Season with salt, or dilute with water if too salty. Return broth, beef, and tendons to pot and heat through.
“We discussed what each of our Chinese zodiac signs meant and found that the Pig and Tiger are highly compatible business partners.” —Darren Chang, co-chef of Pig and Tiger
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