Chinese Braised Beef Shank & Master Stock (酱牛肉)
A detailed recipe on making braised beef shank the Chinese way. The meat makes a delicious appetiser & the broth becomes a reusable master stock.
- Prep time
- 10 min
- Cook time
- 1 hr 30 min
- Yield
- 4 servings
- Difficulty
- HARD
Ingredients
- 1500 g boneless beef shank (beef shin) (53oz)
- 4 tbsp soybean paste (see note 1 for substitutes)
- 1 big piece fermented bean curd (Fu Ru/腐乳) (or 4 small pieces, see note 2)
- 4 tbsp light soy sauce
- 1 tbsp dark soy sauce
- 2 tbsp Shaoxing rice wine
- 5 slice ginger
- 2 stalk scallions, cut in sections
- 12 g rock sugar (or 1 tbsp regular sugar)
- 4 star anise
- 1 pc cassia cinnamon
- 4 bay leaves
- 1 tsp fennel seeds
- 1 tbsp Sichuan pepper
- 1 tbsp whole white pepper (or black pepper)
- 8 clove 8 cloves
- 1 Tsao-ko (Chinese black cardamon, 草果) (optional)
- 2 pc dried sand ginger (沙姜) (optional)
- 4 dried chillies
- Salt, to taste
- Chinese chilli oil
- Scallions, finely chopped
Instructions
- 1
Wash beef shank then cut each piece lenghthways once.
- 2
Put into a large bowl. Pour in water (enough to cover the meat completely). Leave to soak for 1 hour then drain (this is to extract excess blood).
- 3
Add soybean paste, fermented bean curd, light soy sauce & dark soy sauce to a bowl. Mash the bean curd with a spoon and mix well.
- 4
Pour the marinade onto the drained beef. Rub to coat evenly. Leave to rest for at least 4 hours or overnight.
- 5
Put the beef, along with the marinade sauce, into a pot. Top with about 750 ml/3 cups of water (It should be enough to cover the meat completely. Please feel free to adjust).
- 6
Add Shaoxing rice wine, scallions, ginger, sugar and all the spices.
- 7
Bring it to a full boil then turn the heat to the lowest. Cover with a lid and leave to simmer for about 1½ hours (see note 3).
- 8
Halfway through, taste the stock to check the saltiness. If it’s on the salty side, the beef should be just right. Otherwise, add a little salt.
- 9
To check the doneness, poke the centre of the biggest piece of the beef with a chopstick. You should be able to insert it through with a little resistant.
- 10
Let the beef cool down in the stock naturally. Then transfer the beef to a container. Refrigerate until completely firm.
- 11
Use a sieve to drain the stock (discard the spices) and keep in the fridge for later use.
- 12
Cut the beef into thin slices then lay on a plate. Heat up a little stock in a saucepan. Pour it over the beef. Add chilli oil and scallions. If you wish to serve it warm, steam the sliced beef for about 3 mins or so.
- 13
This recipe makes about 4 platefuls. Store the rest of the beef chunks in the fridge for up to 4 days or in the freezer for 3 months. Defrost in the fridge before using.
- 14
The beef stock can be reused as a master stock for braising meat, boiled eggs, tofu, kelp, etc. Add more water, seasonings & spices if necessary.
- 15
After each use, drain the stock very well and remove all the solid pieces left in the liquid. Store in the fridge or freezer for up to 4 days or in the freezer for 3 months. Defrost in the fridge before using.