Chinese Beef Stew

(Optional) If you're using tendon, it's essential to pressure cook it first for 40-45 minutes. This will guarantee that it becomes tender. After pressure cooking, trim off any excess fat.

Slice 2 slices ginger and set it aside. Peel and slice 1 onion and set them aside for later.

Peel ½ bulb garlic (approx. 5 cloves), then use the side of the knife to smash it. Keep whole (don't worry, they will melt into the sauce when we braise it).

Finely mince 2 stalks green onion and set them aside for the end.

In a small bowl, mash 1 cube red fermented bean curd to break it up into small pieces. (sometimes they don't fully melt into the stew unless you break it up manually).

Then mix in 4 tablespoons hoisin sauce, 2 tablespoons oyster sauce, 2 tablespoons soy sauce, 2 tablespoons Shaoxing wine, and 1 teaspoon dark soy sauce (or reg. soy sauce).

Once the sauce is mixed, mix in 2½ cups water to it.

Peel 1 small daikon radish. To reduce the bitterness of daikon radishes, I peel them a few times until I reach the beige part. The outer layers of the daikon usually contain a more bitter flavor, so we don't want that to transfer to the stew.

Cut off the tip with the leaves, and discard it. Then cut the daikon into 1½ inch pieces.

Cut 2 lbs beef chuck into 1 to 1½-inch cubes.

To create a nice browning, pat the beef dry, and sprinkle a bit of salt on it. This will help with the Maillard reaction, which is the browning process, to give the beef stew more flavor.

Set the stove to Medium-High heat. Once the pan is hot, add oil to it (don't be shy with the oil, it will help with the browning and help the beef not stick to the pan). Add the beef in a single layer and brown for about 30 seconds per side. Don't flip it too soon, because it will rip the beef. You want a crust to form before you flip it. To remove it from the pan, I gently push the beef from the bottom of the pan to loosen it. You may need to do this in batches, if you're using a lot of beef.

Remove the beef from the pot and set it aside for later.

Add the sliced ginger, sliced onions, 2 bay leaves, and 3 star anise and brown for 2-3 minutes. Do not add the garlic. It's important that we do not brown the garlic, as it will create a hard shell that will prevent it from fully melting into the stew.

Change stove to Medium-Low heat.

Add half of the braising sauce to the pot, and use a wooden spoon to scrape the brown bits on the bottom of the pot. These burnt bits are full of flavor, and are called 'Fond'. Once you have scraped most of the brown bits, add the rest of the braising sauce to the pot.

Add the browned beef, and the smashed garlic cloves to the pot and mix everything together.

Put the lid on, and braise everything for 60 minutes. At 30 minutes, check the water levels to make sure there is still enough liquid in the pot to braise the beef. If the water levels are too low, add about 1/2 cup of water. (The beef should be halfway submerged in liquid.)

Add the daikon (and pressure cooked tendon if you are using) and cook for 30 minutes.

After 30 minutes, poke a daikon with a skewer or knife. It should be soft, and the knife should easily go through it. If it is still hard, add a few more minutes of braising.

Add the green onions in, and stir the stew and let the residual heat wilt it. Do a taste test, if it needs more salt, add it in now.

Your Chinese beef stew is now ready! Serve it with rice or noodles and enjoy the rich, flavorful sauce and tender chunks of beef.