Description
A rich and flavorful Chinese braised beef dish featuring tender chunks of beef shin slow-cooked with aromatic ginger, garlic, star anise, and Chinese five-spice, simmered in a savory soy and tomato-based sauce, finished with crispy fried ginger and served over jasmine rice.
Ingredients
Scale
Main Ingredients
- 2 – 3 tbsp vegetable or sunflower oil
- 1¼ kg beef shin or brisket, cut into very large chunks
- 2 onions
- 50g ginger
- 3 garlic cloves
- small bunch coriander (stalks only)
- 2 tsp Chinese five-spice powder
- 6 whole star anise
- 1 tsp black peppercorn
- 100g dark brown muscovado sugar
- 50ml light soy sauce
- 50ml dark soy sauce
- 2 tbsp tomato purée
- Beef stock (enough to just cover the beef)
- Thumb-sized chunk ginger, shredded into matchsticks
- 1 tbsp vegetable or sunflower oil (for frying ginger)
- Cooked jasmine rice, to serve
Instructions
- Brown the beef: Heat 2-3 tablespoons of vegetable or sunflower oil in a large flameproof dish over medium-high heat. Add the beef chunks in batches to avoid overcrowding and fry until well browned on all sides. Transfer the browned beef to a separate dish and set aside.
- Prepare the aromatic paste: Roughly chop the onions, 50g ginger, garlic cloves, and coriander stalks. Place them into a food processor and blend to form a coarse paste.
- Cook the paste: Wipe out any remaining oil from the cooking dish. Add the prepared paste along with a good splash of water to the dish and gently fry over medium heat, stirring frequently and scraping up any browned bits from the beef, until the paste is fragrant and softened. Add more water as needed if the paste sticks to the pan.
- Add spices and sauces: Stir in the Chinese five-spice powder, star anise, and black peppercorns and cook for 1 minute to release their aromas. Then add the dark brown muscovado sugar, light soy sauce, dark soy sauce, and tomato purée, mixing well to combine.
- Braise the beef: Return the beef and any accumulated juices to the dish. Pour in enough beef stock to just cover the beef chunks. Bring the mixture to a gentle simmer on the stovetop.
- Oven cook: Preheat the oven to 160°C (140°C fan)/Gas mark 3. Cover the dish with a lid or foil and transfer it to the oven. Cook for approximately 2½ hours, or until the beef is very tender and easily pulls apart.
- Reduce the sauce: Remove the beef from the sauce and place it on a warm dish to keep warm. Place the cooking dish back on the stovetop and boil the sauce until it has reduced by about half and thickened slightly.
- Fry the ginger: Heat 1 tablespoon of vegetable or sunflower oil in a small pan over medium heat. Fry the shredded ginger matchsticks until golden and crispy, then drain on paper towels.
- Combine and serve: Return the tender beef to the thickened sauce and stir to coat. Serve the braised beef spooned over cooked jasmine rice and garnish with the crispy fried ginger for a fragrant, textured finish.
Notes
- Use a heavy flameproof or ovenproof dish to withstand initial frying and oven cooking.
- Beef shin or brisket are ideal because they become tender after slow cooking.
- If you don’t have a food processor, finely chop the ginger, garlic, onions, and coriander stalks by hand.
- The sauce can be made ahead and thickened just before serving to enhance flavor.
- Adjust the amount of stock to ensure the beef is just covered during braising to avoid dryness or excessive liquid.
- Serving with jasmine rice helps soak up the flavorful sauce.
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 2 hours 45 minutes
- Category: Main Course
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: Chinese
Keywords: Chinese braised beef, ginger beef, slow cooked beef, beef shin recipe, five-spice beef, star anise beef, soy sauce beef, comfort food
