1 tablespoon apricot kernels (北杏) and/or south almonds (南杏仁)
2 Chinese honey dates (蜜棗)
1 clove garlic (optional)
1 beef shank (about ½ pound or 250 grams)
2½ quarts (2.5 liters) water
Instructions
Wash the watercress and pinch off the leaves and leaf tips, keeping the stems and leaves separate. (If you plan to eat the stems, cut them into segments of about 3 to 4 inches or 8 to 10 cm.) In a 4-quart (4 liter) pot, bring the water to a boil. Add the watercress stems, apricot kernels, honey dates, garlic, and beef shank. Simmer for 1½ hours.
Using a slotted spoon, remove all the solids from the broth. Discard the stems and the garlic. Clean the shank by discarding all the fat and bone. Break up the lean meat and return it to the broth. Pick out the apricot kernels and return them to the broth. Add the watercress leaves, and simmer for 15 minutes.