Chinese🥩 Meat

Perfect Winter Recipe - Melt in Your Mouth Tender Braised Beef with Potatoes

Name: Perfect Winter Recipe - Melt in Your Mouth Tender Braised Beef with Potatoes
Total time: 3 h
Cuisine: Chinese
Ingredients: 680 g (1.5 lb) Beef stew meat (chuck, brisket, shank, or sirloin tip); 6 cloves (18 g) Garlic cloves; 6 slices (18 g) Ginger slices; 4 stalks (60 g) Scallions, cut into stalks; 20 g (1.5 tbsp) Cooking oil; 25 g (1.5 tbsp) Soy sauce; 18 g (1 tbsp) Oyster sauce; 18 g (1 tbsp) Zhuhou paste; 8.3 g (1.5 tsp) Dark soy sauce; 25 g (1.5 tbsp) Tomato paste; 20 g (2 pieces) Red fermented bean curd; 25 g (2 tbsp) Sugar; 960 ml (4 cups) Water; 400-600 Potatoes; 120 Red bell pepper, cut into small triangles

⏱ 180 min

A perfect recipe for beginners where you simply combine all ingredients and let time do the work. This yields melt-in-your-mouth tender beef with a luscious, flavorful sauce. The flavor profile is gentle yet rich with subtle sweetness, and fermented bean curd adds a distinctive fermented aftertaste that elevates the dish to a different level.

Adapted from a video by Souped Up Recipes

Watch on YouTube

Ingredients

Beef stew meat (chuck, brisket, shank, or sirloin tip)680 g (1.5 lb)
Garlic cloves6 cloves (18 g)
Ginger slices6 slices (18 g)
Scallions, cut into stalks4 stalks (60 g)
Cooking oil20 g (1.5 tbsp)
Soy sauce25 g (1.5 tbsp)
Oyster sauce18 g (1 tbsp)
Zhuhou paste18 g (1 tbsp)
Dark soy sauce8.3 g (1.5 tsp)

Steps

▶ Tap a timecode to jump to roughly that moment in the video.

1
Cut the beef into 1-inch cubes. You can use beef chuck or other tough cuts such as brisket, shank, or sirloin tip.
2
Place the beef in a stockpot and add water to cover. Bring to a boil over high heat with a partial lid to prevent overflow.
3
Drain the parboiled beef and discard the water. Optionally, strain the blanching water through a fine cheesecloth to remove impurities and reserve it for later use in the braise.
4
In a bowl, combine all seasonings: soy sauce, dark soy sauce, oyster sauce, Zhuhou paste, tomato paste, red fermented bean curd, and sugar. Mix until well combined.
5
Heat a clay pot or Dutch oven until hot. Add cooking oil, then add the blanched beef along with garlic cloves, ginger slices, and scallion stalks. Stir until fragrant.
6
Pour in the combined seasonings and stir for a minute or two to activate all the flavors.
7
Pour in the reserved blanching water or fresh water (4 cups). Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce to low. Cover and simmer for 2 hours, checking and adding hot water as needed to maintain liquid level.
8
About 40 minutes before the beef finishes cooking, prepare the potatoes: peel and cut into chunks. You can also substitute with carrots or daikon radish.
9
After the beef has simmered for 1.5 hours, remove the softened ginger slices and scallion pieces. Add the potato chunks and stir to submerge them in the liquid. Continue simmering for another 30 minutes.
10
Test the potato tenderness with a fork—it should be easily pierced. Taste the broth and adjust seasoning as needed. If the sauce is too thin, increase heat to reduce it; if too thick, add a little water to dilute.
11
Finally, add the red bell pepper cut into small triangles for a pop of color.
12
Serve the braised beef and potatoes in bowls, generously ladle the savory sauce over rice, and enjoy.

Perfect Winter Recipe - Melt in Your Mouth Tender Braised Beef with Potatoes

Ingredients

Steps

More like this