Chinese Braised Beef
Ingredients
- 250 beef tenderloin (or beef shank)
- appropriate amount scallions (for blanching)
- 2 ginger slices (for blanching)
- 10 baijiu (Chinese white liquor)
- 5 dried chili peppers
- 1 star anise
- 4 bay leaves
- 2 cinnamon bark
- 1 black cardamom (seeds removed)
- 15 Sichuan peppercorns
- 10 onion (julienned)
- 3 ginger slices (for spice pouch)
- 30 Donggu yellow bean paste (or similar sweet bean paste)
- 30-40 Wei Ji Xian soy sauce
- 10 fermented bean curd liquid (furu zhi)
- about 500 boiling water (to cover beef)
Instructions
- This braised beef is incredibly delicious served cold on noodles.
- Place the beef in a pot with scallions, 2 ginger slices, baijiu, and plenty of cold water. Bring to a boil over medium heat and continue cooking for 3 minutes after the water boils. Remove the beef from the boiling water and rinse clean with hot water.
- Prepare the dry spice mix: 5 dried chili peppers, 1 star anise, 4 bay leaves, 2g cinnamon bark, 1 black cardamom (seeds removed), 15 Sichuan peppercorns, 10g julienned onion, and 3 ginger slices.
- Prepare the sauce mixture: 30g Donggu yellow bean paste (this one is slightly sweet, similar to sweet bean paste but milder — do not substitute), 30-40g Wei Ji Xian soy sauce, and 10g fermented bean curd liquid. Stir until well combined.
- Toss the beef in the sauce mixture and marinate for 30 minutes.
- Add enough boiling water to cover the beef (about 500g). Pressure cook for 40 minutes, then manually release the pressure.
- Remove the beef immediately after cooking. Wrap tightly in plastic wrap and freeze for 1 hour before slicing. (Alternatively, freeze the beef first, then once the braising liquid has cooled, return the frozen beef to the liquid and soak overnight — slice the next day for even more flavor.) The result is absolutely delicious and incredibly aromatic.
