Silky-tender beef shank braised for hours in a fragrant master stock of soy sauce, star anise, cinnamon, and rock sugar, sliced thin to reveal its beautiful marbled cross-section.
Ingredients
1 kg beef shank (2 pieces)
800ml water
200ml soy sauce
100ml rice wine
3 tbsp rock sugar
4 star anise
2 cinnamon sticks
3 slices dried licorice root
5 cloves garlic, smashed
40g ginger, sliced
2 dried red chilies
2 scallions, knotted
1 tbsp Sichuan peppercorns
Instructions
1Blanch beef shanks in boiling water for 5 minutes. Drain and rinse to remove impurities.
2In a large pot, combine water, soy sauce, rice wine, rock sugar, and all spices. Bring to a boil and simmer 5 minutes to bloom aromatics.
3Add blanched beef shanks. The liquid should just cover the meat; add water if needed.
4Bring back to a boil, then reduce to the lowest simmer. Cover and braise for 2.5 hours, turning the shanks every 30 minutes.
5Remove pot from heat and let the beef cool in the braising liquid for at least 1 hour (overnight in the fridge is best).
6Slice the cold beef shank thinly against the grain. Arrange on a plate and drizzle with a spoonful of the braising liquid. Serve at room temperature.
Did You Know?
Taiwanese families keep a "master stock" (lǔ shuǐ) that is topped up and reused for years — the oldest known braising liquids have been passed down for decades, deepening in flavor with every use.