Spiced braised beef

Name: Spiced braised beef
Yield: 8
Ingredients: 2000 g Beef shank; 1 leaf Bay leaf; 3 slices Ginger; 0.5 stalk Scallion; 15 ml Dark soy sauce; 1 piece Cassia bark; 7 pieces Rock sugar; 15 pcs Sichuan peppercorns; 30 ml Cooking wine; 15 ml Light soy sauce; 8 g Salt; 4 pcs Star anise; 15 ml Soybean paste; As needed Water for soaking, blanching and braising

Refrigerator-marinate beef shank, braise it in stages, then promptly chill in small portions before slicing.

~12 hrestimated time8servings7clear steps

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Follow the food, not just the clock.

01
Soak under refrigeration
Cover beef with cold water in a clean container and refrigerate, starting a 1 hr reminder. Drain and discard soaking water afterward; do not leave raw meat soaking at room temperature.
Look for
Beef is soaked under refrigeration and the water discarded.
Preparation ↗
02
Marinate in the refrigerator
Mix beef with wine, peppercorns and ginger, cover and refrigerate with a 4 hr first reminder. The source permits a longer marinade, always refrigerated; there is no need to pierce raw meat.
Look for
Beef marinates covered in the refrigerator.
Marinating ↗
03
Cut and blanch
Cut beef into roughly 8 cm pieces, no more than 10 cm, and place with marinade in a pot covered by cold water. Boil, skim and start a 3 min check, then lift out. Discard blanching liquid and used marinade; the beef still needs braising.
Look for
Foam is removed; beef still requires further cooking.
Blanching ↗
04
First braising stage
Transfer beef to a braising pot, cover with fresh water and add remaining unused seasonings except salt. Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer and start a 1 hr 30 min check. Inspect water about every 30 minutes and carefully top up with hot water before meat is exposed.
Look for
A gentle simmer continues with enough liquid around the beef.
Simmering ↗
05
Add salt and continue
Add salt and continue simmering with a 1 hr 30 min check, inspecting liquid regularly. Beef should be easily pierced; verify at least 63°C in its center. Continue cooking if not tender.
Look for
Beef is tender but intact and its center reaches at least 63°C.
Simmering ↗
06
Rest then chill promptly
Remove temperature-verified beef from the heat and start a 3 min rest timer. After it finishes, divide with clean utensils into small portions in shallow containers and refrigerate promptly. Do not tightly wrap large hot pieces or leave them at room temperature. Keep the refrigerator at 4°C or below and seal once chilled through.
Look for
Beef is promptly chilled in small shallow portions until cold through.
Preparation ↗
07
Finish and serve
Once chilled through, slice across the grain with a clean knife, serve only what is needed and keep the rest refrigerated.
Look for
Chilled beef shank sliced across the grain into intact firm slices with a brown braised exterior.
Preparation ↗

Recipe sources & image information

Adapted from HowToCook / 酱牛肉 · HowToCook contributors / Anduin2017/HowToCook · Unlicense

Bilingual editorial adaptation. Independently content-reviewed; not kitchen-tested. Project-generated images illustrate this recipe and its steps, rather than a user’s cooking result. Timing is an estimate; check actual ingredients, labels and doneness.