Fu Qi Fei Pian (Sichuan Sliced Beef in Chili Sauce, 夫妻肺片)
Tender beef slices are served in a rich, spicy hot sauce and topped with peanut flakes and cilantro. To make a gluten-free dish, replace the soy sauce with tamari, replace the Chinkiang vinegar with rice vinegar, and use dry sherry instead of Shaoxing wine. Note, the nutrition below is an estimation based on the calculation of beef brisket.
- Prep time
- 20 min
- Cook time
- 45 min
- Yield
- 6 servings
- Difficulty
- HARD
Ingredients
- 3 to 3.5 lbs (1.3 to 1.5 kg) beef brisket (, chuck, tongue, and/or tripe (I used a mixture of brisket and tongue) (*Footnote 1))
- 1/4 cup light soy sauce ((or soy sauce))
- 1/4 cup Shaoxing wine ((or dry sherry))
- 1 tbsp sugar
- 4 dried chili peppers
- 3 green onions (, halved lengthwise)
- 2 large slices ginger
- 1/2 cinnamon stick
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 tsp Sichuan peppercorns
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp nutmeg powder
- 4 tbsp homemade chili oil ( with 2 tablespoons chili flake residue (or to taste))
- 3 tbsp braising liquid ((*Footnote 2))
- 2 tbsp homemade flavored sweet soy sauce ((*Footnote 3))
- 2 tsp Chinkiang vinegar
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp ground toasted Sichuan peppercorns ((or to taste))
- 3 clove garlic (, grated)
- 2 green onions (, chopped)
- 1 tsp ginger (, grated)
- Chopped cilantro (, toasted sesame seeds, and/or chopped toasted peanuts for garnish)
Instructions
- 1
(Option 1 - stovetop) Place the beef in a big pot and add water to cover by 1 inch. Cook over medium-high heat until boiling. Turn to medium heat and boil for 10 minutes. Skim the surface using a fine mesh strainer and discard the foam until the broth turns clear. Add all the braising ingredients. Turn to medium-low heat. Simmer, covered, until the beef turns tender but not tender enough to fall apart, 2 hours or so.
- 2
(Option 2) Place the beef in a pressure cooker or Instant Pot. Add all the braising ingredients and 1 cup water. Close and seal the lid. If using a pressure cooker, cook over medium heat until the pressure is achieved, then turn to medium-low heat. Cook at high pressure for 35 minutes. Use natural release once done.
- 3
Once the beef is done, transfer to a plate to cool enough to handle. Slice the beef against the grain into 1/8-inch (4-cm) pieces. (*Footnote 4) Now you can serve the beef or store it in an airtight container in the fridge for 3 to 4 days before serving.
- 4
Mix all the sauce ingredients in a bowl. For an even better result, mix the sauce in advance and let sit for a couple hours before serving.
- 5
Cut the beef into thin slices. Transfer to a deep plate. Drizzle with plenty of sauce, top with cilantro, sesame seeds, and peanuts.
- 6
Serve at room temperature as an appetizer or a main dish. (*Footnote 5)