Tender chunks of beef braised for hours in a rich, mahogany-colored sauce of soy sauce, rock sugar, Shaoxing wine, star anise, and cinnamon until the meat is meltingly tender and the sauce has reduced to a glossy, complex glaze.
Ingredients
1 kg beef chuck, cut into large chunks
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
50g rock sugar
4 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons dark soy sauce
3 tablespoons Shaoxing wine
4 star anise
1 cinnamon stick
3 slices fresh ginger
4 green onions, tied in knots
2 dried bay leaves
500ml hot water
Instructions
1Blanch beef chunks in boiling water for three minutes to remove impurities and blood, then drain and rinse under cold water.
2Heat oil in a Dutch oven or heavy pot, add rock sugar and cook over medium heat, stirring constantly until the sugar melts and turns a deep amber caramel.
3Add blanched beef to the caramelized sugar and toss quickly to coat each piece in the dark caramel, then fry for two minutes until the exterior is sealed.
4Add soy sauce, dark soy sauce, Shaoxing wine, star anise, cinnamon stick, ginger slices, green onion knots, and bay leaves, stirring to combine with the beef.
5Pour in hot water to just cover the beef, bring to a boil, then reduce to the lowest possible simmer, cover, and braise for two hours until the beef is tender enough to break apart with chopsticks.
6Remove the lid during the last fifteen minutes and increase heat to reduce the sauce to a thick, glossy glaze that clings to each piece of beef.
Did You Know?
Red braising, or hong shao, is considered one of the fundamental cooking techniques of Chinese cuisine. The name refers to the deep reddish-brown color achieved through the caramelization of sugar and soy sauce, not from any red ingredient.