A Delicious Braised Dish (edits)
August 24th 2009 02:28
As I prepared this dish, the five-spice powder and star anise triggered my senses and reminded me how delightfully delicious this dish is. The slow braising method of this dish will emit an aroma that will envelop your kitchen for hours till the dish is finally done. You’ll wish that it was ready sooner than the *prescribed* cooking time...
This dish is often found in Chinese restaurants and when made well, the meat is tender and flavourful. I found this recipe by renown chef Ken Hom easy to follow and authentic.
(As far as I know) The cookbook which this recipe is from is no longer in print, as such my decision to share/quote the recipe in full. As you probably know by now, I love experimenting (and creating) recipes – my adaption of this recipe is below, after Ken's. Enjoy!
Chinese Beef Stew by Ken Hom
6 servings
3 lb Brisket of beef or stew beef
4 tb Peanut oil
SAUCE:
2 ml Fermented red bean cake *
3 tb Hoisin sauce
4 tb Shaoxing wine or dry sherry
4 tb Thin soy sauce
1 tb Minced garlic
1 Whole star anise
1 ts Roasted and crushed Szechwan peppercorns
1 ts Five spice powder
2 ts Sugar
6 c Water
1 lg (about 1 1/2 to 2 lbs) Chinese (icicle) radish - roll cut.
Tough beef is most flavorful, but you must simmer it gently for several hours to soften the sinewy muscle. Slow braising also encourages an exchange of flavors between the meat and the tangy sauce, enhancing both. Chinese radish adds just the right bite, much as turnips would in a Western stew. In effect, this is Chinese beef stew.
Game meats or goat meat may be substituted for the beef for a delicious and unusual variation. Oxtails can also be braised in this manner, or even veal shanks. Almost any cut of meat or organ that requires extensive cooking does well if braised. The strong sauce keeps the meat flavorful throughout.
Turnips or carrots may be substituted for the Chinese radish, and chestnuts have a strong, sweet taste that holds up well to braising. Make a diagonal slice, roll daikon 1/4 turn and slice again. Continue rolling and cutting until done. S.C.
* This is nice if you have some laying around, but don't worry if you don't. The taste can be somewhat bizarre for a Westerner, but it won't overwhelm the dish S.C.
1. The preferred cut is brisket of beef, a boneless piece of tough meat from the underside of the steer, because of its rich, gelatinous texture when cooked. It is sold in Chinese meat markets as Chinese stew beef. Any tough beef cut can be used, such as boneless chuck and bottom round.
2. Trim away the outer layers of fat.
3. Cut the meat into 1 1/2 inch strips.
4. Cut the strips into cubes.
5. Brown the meat on all sides in a wok over a high flame in 3 tablespoons of the oil. Set it aside.
6. In the remaining 1 tablespoon of oil, over a high flame, break up the red bean curd with a spatula.
7. Add the remaining sauce ingredients. Bring them to a boil.
8. Add the beef to the sauce, reduce the heat to a simmer, cover the wok, and braise the beef for 2 hours. After 1 1/2 hours, add the roll-cut radish. Cook for 30 minutes more, until both the beef and radish are tender.
9. Serve the stew immediately.
6 servings
3 lb Brisket of beef or stew beef
4 tb Peanut oil
SAUCE:
2 ml Fermented red bean cake *
3 tb Hoisin sauce
4 tb Shaoxing wine or dry sherry
4 tb Thin soy sauce
1 tb Minced garlic
1 Whole star anise
1 ts Roasted and crushed Szechwan peppercorns
1 ts Five spice powder
2 ts Sugar
6 c Water
1 lg (about 1 1/2 to 2 lbs) Chinese (icicle) radish - roll cut.
Tough beef is most flavorful, but you must simmer it gently for several hours to soften the sinewy muscle. Slow braising also encourages an exchange of flavors between the meat and the tangy sauce, enhancing both. Chinese radish adds just the right bite, much as turnips would in a Western stew. In effect, this is Chinese beef stew.
Game meats or goat meat may be substituted for the beef for a delicious and unusual variation. Oxtails can also be braised in this manner, or even veal shanks. Almost any cut of meat or organ that requires extensive cooking does well if braised. The strong sauce keeps the meat flavorful throughout.
Turnips or carrots may be substituted for the Chinese radish, and chestnuts have a strong, sweet taste that holds up well to braising. Make a diagonal slice, roll daikon 1/4 turn and slice again. Continue rolling and cutting until done. S.C.
* This is nice if you have some laying around, but don't worry if you don't. The taste can be somewhat bizarre for a Westerner, but it won't overwhelm the dish S.C.
1. The preferred cut is brisket of beef, a boneless piece of tough meat from the underside of the steer, because of its rich, gelatinous texture when cooked. It is sold in Chinese meat markets as Chinese stew beef. Any tough beef cut can be used, such as boneless chuck and bottom round.
2. Trim away the outer layers of fat.
3. Cut the meat into 1 1/2 inch strips.
4. Cut the strips into cubes.
5. Brown the meat on all sides in a wok over a high flame in 3 tablespoons of the oil. Set it aside.
6. In the remaining 1 tablespoon of oil, over a high flame, break up the red bean curd with a spatula.
7. Add the remaining sauce ingredients. Bring them to a boil.
8. Add the beef to the sauce, reduce the heat to a simmer, cover the wok, and braise the beef for 2 hours. After 1 1/2 hours, add the roll-cut radish. Cook for 30 minutes more, until both the beef and radish are tender.
9. Serve the stew immediately.
~~~
The following is how I adapted this recipe.Ingredients:
> Instead of beef brisket, I used beef flank.
> I don’t like the taste of Chinese radish, so I used 3 carrots instead. I also added 5 potatoes – I love spuds!
> Ingredients I left out – fermented red bean paste and sugar.
> I only used 2 tablespoons (instead of 4) of light soya sauce as I added 2 teaspoons of Szechuan salt & pepper to the recipe – I love the taste and aroma of it, and it’s a wonderful complement to this dish. Adjust salt/light soya sauce levels according to your diet and tastebuds.
The cooking process:
> I followed steps 1-5. Then, placed the meat into my trusty slow-cooker – meat in the middle with the carrots (on the side of the pot) surrounding it.
> Cook on ‘high’ for 2 hours then reduce to ‘low.’
> After 4 hours, add the potatoes. Cook for another 30-45 minutes on ‘low,’ until (both meat and) potatoes are tender.
> I didn’t serve immediately but left it on ‘warm’ for another 30 minutes – just to further infuse the flavours into the meat and vegetables. Mmmm….scrumptious!
Delicious served with plain steam rice and a side of greens
Source: “Chinese Technique” by Ken Hom with Harvey Steiman. Simon and Schuster, New York. 1981.
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Comment by Helen Randell
Rough Cooking
Comment by Lara M
Love Speaks
Food Slate
I found using the slow-cooker much more convenient than watching it over the stove. Enjoy!