Common in Chinese cooking, and a frequent ingredient in Vietnamese Pho soups, Beef Tendon is surprisingly tasty and a texture not found in western food. My son refers to it as “beef gummy,” and it’s one of my “go to” recipes: Beef Tendon Noodle Soup.
Our pediatrician said other ethnic families he serves have asked him about feeding it to children – but he had no idea the nutritional content – other than “It’s loaded with collagen – it’s probably good for you.” If anyone knows a nutritionist help me out. Most staples of authentic Asian diets are healthy – but I want hard data. Several sites sell pill supplements and make some strong claims about the benefits of collagen, but I don’t find sources credible – tho they may be correct. 
Some in Asia will tell you eating collagen is the reason Asians keep their youthful complexion so long, but …
I start with large beef soup bones cut into pieces – and the bones don’t need any flesh. Asian 
markets have good soup bones – unless anyone knows a butcher in the KC area who’ll cut up bones for stock (if so share in the comments). Hint: throw in some previously boiled eggs – peeled – and let them stew. By the time you serve the eggs will take on a nice rich color and flavor throughout.
Bones cook in the crock pot (slow cooker) over night with the spice packet shown, and a small handful of star anise. That’s important. Add also some garlic, a couple red peppers, some whole black pepper corns, some orange peel (fresh or dry. I generally dry and keep orange peel).
FYI: Chinese food and “medicine” are more closely related than westerners generally understand. The revolutionary AIDs drugs that made life so much better for Magic Johnson and others was developed by a Taiwanese researcher and derived largely from star anise. Wish I could remember where I learned that [Citation Needed].
Cook the broth 12 + hours, and then throw in the raw thawed tendon 3 hours or so before you want to eat. Hint: I struggle cutting raw tendon and I like knives. Cook the tendon first and it’s easy to cut. Throw in green onions, a little brown sugar and a dash of white pepper if you have it.
It’s a rich relatively clear and light, though savory broth with a clean body.
30 minutes before serving I add 3 -5 tomatoes cut in wedges. Serve over noodles – the fresh frozen kind you find in Asian markets is the best. I like the Korean Oriental Market on Metcalf in Overland Park for the bones and the tendon and most all produce. Ho’s Market in Lenexa for the spice packet and the noodles.
Soup photo by W. Hsu. Anise image from flickr
