Hong Shao Niu Rou — Red-Braised Beef

Beef shin slow-braised with star anise, soy and rock sugar until meltingly tender, with mooli.

TIME BREAKDOWN
Prep: 20 min
Cook: 2h 30m
Total: 2 hours 50 minutes
Vegetarian
❌
Nuts
❌
Serves
4 people
Difficulty
Easy

Ingredients

  • 1kg beef shin, cut into 4cm pieces
  • 2 tbsp vegetable oil
  • 40g rock sugar (or caster sugar)
  • 3 tbsp Shaoxing rice wine
  • 3 tbsp light soy sauce
  • 1 tbsp dark soy sauce
  • 6 slices fresh ginger
  • 4 spring onions, cut into 5cm lengths
  • 3 cloves garlic, lightly crushed
  • 2 star anise
  • 1 cinnamon stick or piece of cassia bark
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 800ml hot water
  • 400g mooli (daikon), peeled and cut into 3cm chunks
  • To garnish: 2 spring onions, finely sliced

Method

  1. Put the beef in a pan of cold water, bring to the boil and simmer for 5 minutes. Drain, rinse under cold water and pat dry.

  2. Heat the oil in a heavy-based casserole over a low heat. Add the rock sugar and cook, stirring, for 3 to 4 minutes until melted and deep amber. Watch closely as it burns quickly.

  3. Add the beef and stir to coat in the caramel. Add the Shaoxing wine, both soy sauces, ginger, spring onions, garlic, star anise, cinnamon and bay leaves and stir for 1 minute.

  4. Pour in the hot water, bring to a simmer, cover and cook very gently for 1 hour 45 minutes, stirring now and then, until the beef is almost tender.

  5. Add the mooli, cover and simmer for 30 minutes more until the mooli is soft and the beef falls apart at a touch of a spoon.

  6. Remove the lid, increase the heat and cook for 5 to 10 minutes until the sauce is thick and glossy. Remove the spices if you wish.

  7. Scatter with spring onion and serve with steamed rice and stir-fried greens.