Chinese-Style Braised Beef Shank

Name: Chinese-Style Braised Beef Shank
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: about 3 1/3 lbs beef shank (beef shank is best because it doesn't dry out); 8 1/2 cups water; 1 black cardamom pod; 2-3 star anise; 2 small cinnamon sticks; 1/2 tablespoon Sichuan peppercorns; 2-3 bay leaves; peel of 1/2 an orange, or about 1 teaspoon dried tangerine peel (optional); 4-6 cloves; 1 teaspoon whole peppercorns; 1 nutmeg, available at Asian or herbal stores; 1/2 teaspoon fennel seeds (optional); 3 licorice root sticks (optional); 3 slices ginger; 3-4 cloves garlic (optional); 3-4 green onions, cut diagonally into 1 1/2-2 inch pieces; 15-20 grams rock sugar (can substitute with white sugar); 1-1 1/2 teaspoons salt; 1/4 cup Shaoxing rice wine, or substitute with Vietnamese rice wine, though it's less aromatic; 1/4 cup light soy sauce, such as Lee Kum Kee or Korean/Japanese soy sauce

My Kitchies @mykitchies

Germany

Writing introductions has always been a challenge for me because I'm not very good at literary expression. I only scored 4 out of 10 in literature during my university entrance exams, but I still got into college. Now, let's get to the main point, which is the topic of food and its impact on human survival. In Vietnam, we have pickled beef shank, beef shank in fish sauce with garlic, beef shank braised with molasses (a specialty from Nghe An), and Southern-style braised beef shank, among others. In this article, I want to talk about Chinese-style braised beef shank, which, as the name suggests, originates from China. I'm not sure whether to call it braised beef or stewed beef. This dish is often served as an appetizer, with rice, or alongside Chinese noodles or vermicelli. There's a small Chinese noodle shop at the end of my street that makes delicious braised meat, so I tried to recreate it at home to satisfy my cravings and add to my cooking repertoire.

To make this dish, you'll need quite a few dried spices. If you have them all, that's great; if not, you can skip a few as long as you don't miss too many. The broth from cooking the meat can be reused to braise other dishes like chicken, ribs, beef, or vegetables, giving them a similar flavor, which is very tasty. I've tried using this broth to braise chicken and ribs, and it's fantastic with noodles. The meat becomes tender and melts in your mouth with the fragrant aroma of soy sauce.

Additionally, the broth can be used to make noodle soup or served with noodles. I'll explain more below.

My Kitchies @mykitchies

Germany

Additionally, the broth can be used to make noodle soup or served with noodles. I'll explain more below.

Saved

Ingredients

about 3 1/3 lbs beef shank (beef shank is best because it doesn't dry out)
8 1/2 cupswater
1black cardamom pod
2-3star anise
2small cinnamon sticks
1/2 tablespoonSichuan peppercorns
2-3bay leaves
peel of 1/2 an orange, or about 1 teaspoon dried tangerine peel (optional)
4-6cloves
1 teaspoonwhole peppercorns
1nutmeg, available at Asian or herbal stores
1/2 teaspoonfennel seeds (optional)
3licorice root sticks (optional)
3 slicesginger
3-4 clovesgarlic (optional)
3-4green onions, cut diagonally into 1 1/2-2 inch pieces
15-20 gramsrock sugar (can substitute with white sugar)
1-1 1/2 teaspoonssalt
1/4 cupShaoxing rice wine, or substitute with Vietnamese rice wine, though it's less aromatic
1/4 cuplight soy sauce, such as Lee Kum Kee or Korean/Japanese soy sauce

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Steps

1

Cut the beef into large chunks about 1.5 times the size of your fist. Rinse well. Boil briefly in water once to remove impurities. Discard the water, and rinse the pot and meat.
2

Place the meat in a pot, add 8 1/2 cups of water or enough to cover the meat. Add all the ingredients listed above to the pot. You can use a spice bag if you have one (I didn't, so I just added everything directly).
3

Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer for about 60-90 minutes, until the meat is tender. Turn off the heat.
4

Let the meat cool, then store it in the refrigerator. Slice off pieces as needed. Reheat the pot every 3 days.
5

Notes:
When the meat is tender, turn off the heat; don't overcook, or it will become too soft.
Only slice the meat when it's completely cool or cold, as it will firm up and absorb more flavor.
6

Using the broth to make noodle soup:
Soak the noodles or vermicelli in warm water for 2-3 hours to soften.
Boil a pot of water for one serving, add about 5-7 tablespoons of the meat broth, or season until the broth is flavorful. Bring to a boil, then add the noodles, sprinkle with chili powder, and season with soy sauce (note: do not use fish sauce). Blanch some bok choy and add to the bowl. Top with sliced braised beef shank and a sprinkle of chopped green onions for a simple beef noodle soup.