Print Story Chinese Braised Beef
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By Gedvondur (Tue Mar 14, 2017 at 05:22:11 PM EST) food, recipes (all tags)
Braised beef recipe that you SHOULD EAT.  Well, provided you eat meat.

Actually, on that front, I think the sauce would be good on saitan or firm tofu too.


 Chinese Braised Beef

https://www.americastestkitchen.com/recipes/7863-chinese-braised-beef?incode=MASAD00L0&ref=new_search_experience_1

ATK Notes: With its generous amount of soy sauce, this dish is meant to taste salty, which is why we pair it with plain white rice (see related content). A simple steamed vegetable like bok choy or broccoli completes the meal. Boneless beef short ribs require little trimming, but you can also use a 4-pound chuck roast. Trim the roast of large pieces of fat and sinew, cut it across the grain into 1-inch-thick slabs, and cut the slabs into 4 by 2-inch pieces.

Ingredients

1 ½ tablespoons unflavored gelatin
2 ½ cups plus 1 tablespoon water
½ cup dry sherry
⅓ cup soy sauce
2 tablespoons hoisin sauce
2 tablespoons molasses
3 scallions, white and green parts separated, green parts sliced thin on bias
1 (2-inch) piece ginger, peeled, halved lengthwise, and crushed
4 garlic cloves, peeled and smashed
1 ½ teaspoons five-spice powder
1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
3 pounds boneless beef short ribs, trimmed and cut into 4-inch lengths
1 teaspoon cornstarch

Directions

Sprinkle gelatin over 2 1/2 cups water in Dutch oven and let sit until gelatin softens, about 5 minutes. Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 300 degrees.
Heat softened gelatin over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, until melted, 2 to 3 minutes. Stir in sherry, soy sauce, hoisin, molasses, scallion whites, ginger, garlic, five-spice powder, and pepper flakes. Stir in beef and bring to simmer. Remove pot from heat. Cover tightly with sheet of heavy-duty aluminum foil, then lid. Transfer to oven and cook until beef is tender, 2 to 2 1/2 hours, stirring halfway through cooking.
Using slotted spoon, transfer beef to cutting board. Strain sauce through fine-mesh strainer into fat separator. Wipe out pot with paper towels. Let liquid settle for 5 minutes, then return defatted liquid to now-empty pot. Cook liquid over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, until thickened and reduced to 1 cup, 20 to 25 minutes.
While sauce reduces, using 2 forks, break beef into 1 1/2-inch pieces. Whisk cornstarch and remaining 1 tablespoon water together in small bowl.
Reduce heat to medium-low, whisk cornstarch mixture into reduced sauce, and cook until sauce is slightly thickened, about 1 minute. Return beef to sauce and stir to coat. Cover and cook, stirring occasionally, until beef is heated through, about 5 minutes. Sprinkle scallion greens over top. Serve.

Notes

March 10, 2017. We’ve made this twice. Excellent, excellent recipe. We don’t add the green onions because green onions were made by Satan to distract from the given goodness of garlic. This last time we added a pound of sliced baby portabella mushrooms. It was nice, but a LOT more liquid to strain out of the mix. We also made the meat smaller, so that it would be more tender. Instead of shredding it like the recipe specifies, I cut the meat into smaller pieces across the grain, to add tenderness. We made it with Carolina Gold (type, not brand) rice and it was excellent. That rice is fucking expensive, but it’s damn good.

Another note is that I’ve been using a brand of molasses called “Slo-As” that has fantastic taste and minerality. I also think this could be made with a cut-up roast instead of the short ribs, which are getting expensive. Haven’t tried that yet.
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Chinese Braised Beef | 6 comments (6 topical, 0 hidden)
can't go wrong with the ATK by clover kicker (2.00 / 0) #1 Tue Mar 14, 2017 at 09:05:40 PM EST
How do you like the new episodes without Chris Kimball?

>  I also think this could be made with a cut-up roast instead of the short ribs, which are getting expensive.

Beef ribs are crazy expensive in Canucksistan, I  only buy them when they have the "50% off eat tonight" sticker.

I like it better by lm (4.00 / 2) #2 Tue Mar 14, 2017 at 10:00:14 PM EST
My local PBS station is running the first season of America's Test Kitchen without CK at the same time that they're running the last season of Cook's Country with CK.

It's pretty funny to see how much he detracts from the talent of the rest of the cast and crew.


Kindness is an act of rebellion.
[ Parent ]
Better so far by Gedvondur (2.00 / 0) #5 Wed Mar 15, 2017 at 09:05:00 AM EST
Chris Kimball is an *ass*.  Not super impressed with his Milk Street magazine either.

The beef short ribs are getting more expensive here too.  I think a cut up chuck roast might be in order for this next time.


[ Parent ]
Mushrooms by wiredog (4.00 / 1) #3 Wed Mar 15, 2017 at 05:15:50 AM EST
I hope you cooked down the liquid they released instead of dumping it, because it adds another layer of meaty flavor.

Earth First!
(We can strip mine the rest later.)

I did! by Gedvondur (4.00 / 1) #4 Wed Mar 15, 2017 at 09:03:51 AM EST
I did cook the resulting liquid down, just took longer because there is so much more than what normally results from this recipe.  That there mushroom water is GOLD, I tell you, GOLD!


[ Parent ]
Good question! by Gedvondur (4.00 / 0) #7 Thu Mar 16, 2017 at 08:57:31 AM EST
I shall endeavor to find out!


Chinese Braised Beef | 6 comments (6 topical, 0 hidden)