Taiwanese Beef Noodle Soup

Ingredients

• water
  5 cups
• soy sauce
  1 cup
• Chinese rice wine or medium-dry sherry
  1 cup
• packed light brown sugar
  ¼ cup
• (1-inch) cube peeled fresh ginger

  smashed
  1 unit
• bunch scallions

  white parts smashed with flat side of a large knife and green parts chopped
  1 unit
• garlic cloves

  smashed
  3 unit
• fresh cilantro stems plus ½ cup loosely packed fresh cilantro sprigs
  10 unit
• (2-inch-long) pieces Asian dried tangerine peel
  2 unit
• star anise
  4 whole
• dried hot red pepper flakes
  ¼ teaspoon
• meaty beef short ribs
  2½ lb
• reduced-sodium chicken broth (14 oz)
  1¾ cups
• dried Chinese wheat noodles or linguine
  10 oz
• fresh mung bean sprouts
  1 cup
• Chinese pickled mustard greens
  4 tablespoons
• (4-inch-long) fresh red chile (optional)

  thinly sliced
  1 unit