Red Braise Beef 红烧牛肉 (Sichuan style)

Name: Red Braise Beef 红烧牛肉 (Sichuan style)
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 2 h
Total time: 2 h 15 min
Yield: 4
Ingredients: 1 kg Beef chuck; 2 tbsp Light soy sauce; ½ tbsp Dark soy sauce; 1 tsp Sugar; 1 ½ tbsp Chinese cooking wine; ½ tsp White pepper powder; ½ tsp Chicken Bouillon powder; Salt to taste; 750 ml Water; 3 tbsp Oil; 1 tsp Whole dried Sichuan peppercorns; 1 stick Cassia bark OR Cinnamon bark; 4 Slices of ginger; 2 Bay leaves; ½ cup Chopped onion; 2 Whole dried chillies; 1 ½ tbsp Fermented broad bean chilli paste; 3 Star anise; 1 Chinese black cardamom pod; 3 Cloves; 2 Green onion stems

AuthorYun Zhang JohnCategoryMeatDifficultyBeginnerRating

Yields4 Servings

Prep Time15 minsCook Time2 hrsTotal Time2 hrs 15 mins

Red Braise Beef 红烧牛肉 (Sichuan style)

Even if you think that you’ve never tasted red braised beef or 红烧牛肉, you’ve probably have. This stew/soup/meat dish has got some familiar classic Chinese flavours.

There’s soy sauce, star anise, cloves, bay leaves, cassia bark, Chinese black cardamon, ginger, etc… But the things that makes this a Sichuan style red braised beef are the inclusion of Sichuan peppercorns and Pixian Doubanjiang or fermented broad bean chilli paste.

And if you think that all these spices, peppercorns and chilli paste will be over powering, then you would be mistaken. The combination of these aromatics creates a well-rounded, complex and deeply savoury stew. The natural beef flavours are somehow more distinct and enhanced.

It’s also a very easy dish to master at home. The hardest part of the whole process is gathering up all the spices. Really! Having this simmering on the stove will really heat up your house and your taste buds in the winter months ahead.

Cook’s notes:

- Cutting the beef against the grain ( ie. across the meat fibres) will yield a more tender bite.
- Blanching the beef in water and rinsing it thoroughly will remove excess blood and ensure a cleaner beef flavour in the broth.
- Taste for seasoning at the end, different brands of soy sauce have differing saltiness, taste and then add salt or Chicken bouillon powder.

You Will Need

1 kg Beef chuck or Brisket

2 tbsp Light soy sauce

½ tbsp Dark soy sauce

1 tsp Sugar

1 ½ tbsp Chinese cooking wine

½ tsp White pepper powder

½ tsp Chicken Bouillon powder*optional

Salt to taste*may not need any additional salt

750 ml Water*just enough water to submerge the meat pieces

3 tbsp Oil

Spices and Aromatics

1 tsp Whole dried Sichuan peppercorns*+/- according to taste

1 stick Cassia bark OR Cinnamon bark桂皮

4 Slices of ginger

2 Bay leaves

½ cup Chopped onion

2 Whole dried chillies

1 ½ tbsp Fermented broad bean chilli pastePixian doubanjiang 郫县豆瓣酱

3 Star anise八角

1 Chinese black cardamom pod草果

3 Cloves丁香

2 Green onion stems*the white part of the green onion

Instructions

Cut beef across the grain (ie opposite of the meat fibres) into large pieces.

Put cut beef into cold water and bring it to a boil uncovered. Once it comes to a rolling boil, turn off heat and remove the beef.

Rinse meat in warm water and thoroughly clean off all the impurities.

In a heavy pot or pressure cooker, heat 2-3 tbsp oil over medium high heat. Add in the fermented broad bean chilli paste and stir fry for 1 min.

Put all the spices and aromatics (except the green onion stems) into the pot and stir fry for 1min to toast.

Add in the beef and toss to coat. Then add in the Chinese cooking wine, toss to coat.

Put in water, light and dark soy sauce, vinegar, sugar, white pepper and then the green onion stems.

If using a pressure cooker, close the lid and bring the mixture to a boil. You can tell when it's boiling because the valve on the pressure cooker will start to let out steam. Once that happens, turn the heat to medium low and cook for 45min.

If cooking in a regular pot, turn down heat to medium low after it's come to a boil and cook covered for 1 1/2 hours.

Once the beef is fork tender, adjust for seasoning and add salt and chicken bouillon powder (optional) to taste.

Ingredients