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Chinese Spiced Braised Beef

Name: Chinese Spiced Braised Beef
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 1 min
Total time: 6 min
Yield: 2 servings
Cuisine: Chinese
Ingredients: 4 Beef shank; to taste Sichuan peppercorns and dried chili peppers; 200–300 Braising spice mix; to taste Chili oil; 1 Ginger; 3–4 Bay leaves; 1 Cinnamon stick; 2 Star anise; 1 Black cardamom; 2–3 Angelica root (bai zhi); to taste Rock sugar; 3 each Cilantro and scallions; to taste Dark soy sauce; to taste Cooking wine; a pinch Salt

Other★★ Intermediate6min

Prep 5m ·
Cook 1m ·
2 Servings

IngredientsWhat you'll need for Chinese Spiced Braised Beef

	Ingredient	Amount	Notes
	Beef shank	4
	Sichuan peppercorns and dried chili peppers	to taste
	Braising spice mix	200–300
	Chili oil	to taste
	Ginger	1
	Bay leaves	3–4
	Cinnamon stick	1
	Star anise	2
	Black cardamom	1
	Angelica root (bai zhi)	2–3
	Rock sugar	to taste
	Cilantro and scallions	3 each
	Dark soy sauce	to taste
	Cooking wine	to taste
	Salt	a pinch

A delicious Chinese Spiced Braised Beef recipe.

Cooking StepsHow to cook Chinese Spiced Braised Beef step by step

Step 1 Detail

The braising spice pack contains three components: chili oil, braising liquid, and a dried chili & Sichuan peppercorn packet. For every 4 jin of beef shank (plus 8 small chicken drumsticks if you like — I add them because I’m lazy and the pot is big enough to braise everything together), use 300 g braising liquid + 200 g chili oil (adjust to taste; this is moderately spicy) + dried chilies and Sichuan peppercorns to taste.
Step 2 Detail

Soak the dried chilies and Sichuan peppercorns in hot water for 10 minutes beforehand.
Step 3 Detail

Prepare the remaining aromatics: sliced ginger, bay leaves, cinnamon stick, star anise, black cardamom, and angelica root.
Step 4 Detail

Prepare 4 jin of beef shank.
Step 5 Detail

Optionally add 8 small chicken drumsticks to the pot.
Step 6 Detail

Place the meat in a pot and bring to a simmer over medium-low heat to draw out the blood. Skim off the foam thoroughly. Do not boil for too long.
Step 7 Detail

Add all the prepared ingredients to the pot: the soaked chilies and Sichuan peppercorn water, braising liquid, chili oil, dark soy sauce, and salt.
Step 8 Detail

Place everything into the pressure cooker.
Step 9 Detail

Add enough water to reach about two-thirds of the way up the ingredients (no need to fully submerge when using a pressure cooker).
Step 10 Detail

Select the beef/lamb program. For a fall-apart tender texture, cook about 50 minutes. For a firmer bite, choose the standard setting for about 40 minutes.
Step 11 Detail

After cooking, let the meat soak in the braising liquid for 30 minutes for deeper flavor. The leftover braising liquid can be reused for another round. Once cooled, the beef can be refrigerated and used later in stir-fries.
Step 12 Detail

If not using a pressure cooker, follow the stovetop timing shown in the reference chart.