Red Braised Beef

Hong Shao Niu Rou (红烧牛肉)

Delicious tender chunks of beef are braised in a red aromatic sauce rich with Chinese five spice flavor, making it the perfect addition to noodles and rice.

Slow and steady wins the race - or at least creates the tenderest morsels of beef. Red Braised Beef is slow cooked, stewing in an aromatic gravy-like sauce, disintegrating tough connective tissue, and infusing every delectable bite with incredible flavor.

The best cuts of beef for Red Braised Beef are definitely from the rib meat such as short rib, rib-eye steak (boneless), rib steak, rib-eye roast, and rib roast. Ideally, the rib meat should have good marbling and not be too fatty or have too much dense muscle fiber. The cooking process will help break down quite a bit of this chewiness; nevertheless, starting with quality meat guarantees a quality final dish.

The core flavor of Red Braised Beef comes from the classic seasonings of Chinese Five Spice. However, instead of adding some weak powdered version, the best way is to use actual spices: Star Anise, Cassia Bark, Cloves, Fennel Seeds, and Sichuan Peppercorns. These five ingredients are the core flavors – but it doesn’t stop there. Other spices can be added to enhance these flavors – Sand Ginger for a bit of earthiness, Dried Red Chilies for a bit of heat, and even Tangerine Peel for a touch of citrus.

Red Braised Beef is not a spicy dish, so the Dried Red Chilies are quite optional in the following recipe. The red color in this dish comes not from the Chilies but from a simple Red Colored Syrup (糖色)used as a natural red dye. Also, don't worry if the Beef isn't super red when finished. This is normal. Red Braised Beef will usually have a slight reddish hue and not be bright red like Red Braised Pork Belly (红烧肉).

As already mentioned, Red Braised Beef is great with Noodles and Rice. However, the seasoning process changes slightly when preparing this for Rice as opposed to Noodles. The Beef for Noodle Dishes will often be combined with ultra-flavorful ingredients like Sichuan Chili Bean Paste or Hotpot Soup Base, so it won’t need any extra seasonings. If making the Beef simply to serve on Rice, some additional seasonings go a long way. Therefore, when making Red Braised Beef for rice, add the Seasonings to Flavor Sauce listed below, but when making it for noodles DO NOT add these Seasonings.

Red Braised Beef is famously used for Red Braised Beef Noodles (红烧牛肉面) and Sizzling Spicy Beef Noodles (麻辣牛肉面). Also, enjoy this popular variation with knife-cut noodles: Knife-Cut Noodles with Red Braised Beef (红烧牛肉刀削面). The following recipe will make enough Red Braised Beef for roughly four bowls of noodles.

Prep Time: 1 hour

Cook Time: 1 hour

Total Time: 2 hours

Serving: 4 people

Ingredients

1 kg. of boneless Beef Rib (牛腩;)

Aromatics
2 8-inch-long white Large Scallion Stalks (大葱)
2 Garlic Cloves
1 4-inch block of Ginger

Spices
6 dried Red Chilies (Optional)
3 whole Cloves
2 whole Star Anise
1 2-inch stick of Cassia Bark
1 1-inch cube of Sand Ginger
2 Tbsp. Fennel Seeds
1 tsp. Green Sichuan Peppercorns

Boiling Ingredients
1/2 cup Shaoxing Rice Wine
3 green stalks of Scallion (香葱; Tied in a Knot)
1 2-inch block of Ginger (Sliced)

Frying and Braising Ingredients
1/2 cup Peanut Oil
2 - 4 Tbsp. Red Colored Syrup (糖色)
1 - 2 Tbsp. Shaoxing Rice Wine
2 tsp. Sesame Paste

Seasonings to Flavor Sauce (For Rice ONLY; DO NOT ADD If Making Beef for Noodles)
1 Tbsp. White or Brown Sugar
1 - 2 tsp. Salt
1 tsp. Light Soy Sauce
1/4 tsp. Dark Soy Sauce

Directions

1.) Wash off the Beef, place it in a large bowl, fill the bowl with water completely covering the Beef by at least 1-inch, and allow it to soak for 1 hour while preparing the other ingredients.

2.) Prepare a bowl of Aromatics:

• Cut the Scallion into 4-inch-long pieces and place them in the bowl.
• Peel the Garlic, cut them in half, and place them in the bowl.
• Cut the Ginger into slices and place them in the bowl.

3.) Prepare a separate bowl for the Spices by placing all of them (Dried Red Chilies, Cloves, Star Anise, Cassia Bark, Sand Ginger, Fennel Seeds, and Sichuan Peppercorns) into the same bowl.

4.) After an hour-long soak, place the Beef in a wok, cover it with water, and add the Boiling Ingredients (Rice Wine, Green Scallion, and Ginger). Bring the water to a boil and as the water heats, skim off any scum that rises to the surface.

5.) Boil the Beef for 10 minutes, then remove it, and wash off the meat. Allow the Beef to cool slightly before slicing the meat about 1 1/2-inches thick. Cut these slices in half lengthwise into strips about 1 1/2-inch thick. Finally, cut the strips into chunks about 1-inch thick.

(The final dimensions should be about 1.5-inch x 1.5-inch x 1-inch, but can be slightly larger than this depending on one's preference. However, they shouldn't be smaller than this, because the meat will shrink when cooking and pieces that are too small may become a bit tough.)

6.) Add about 1/2 cup of Peanut Oil to a seasoned wok and heat on high. Once hot, remove the wok from heat and add the bowl of Aromatics followed immediately by the bowl of Spices. Stir-fry everything for about 20 seconds until fragrant.

7.) Add the chunks of Beef, return the wok to heat, and stir-fry everything for about 3 to 5 minutes until most of the water has evaporated from the surface of the meat and the Beef has a nice color.

8.) Add the Red Colored Syrup and stir-fry it with the Beef just until all the pieces are fully coated. Then, add the Shaoxing Rice Wine, splashing it around sides of the wok before mixing it into the Beef. Finally, add the Sesame Paste directly to the Beef and toss everything together quickly.

9.) Add about 4 cups of water to the wok, bring the liquid to a low boil, reduce the heat to low, and then simmer everything on low heat for 10 minutes.

10.) After 10 minutes, remove the large pieces of Ginger, Garlic, Dried Red Chilies, and Scallion Continue to simmer the Beef for at least another 30 minutes.

(Thirty minutes is the minimum. Red Braised Beef can be slow-cooked for hours to create ultra-tender pieces. Noodle restaurants will often have a large pot of Red Braised Beef simmering nearly all day. Pay attention to the amount sauce and add water as necessary. Red Braised Beef should have plenty of soupy sauce that will add delicious flavor to anything it touches. If making the Beef as for Rice, add the Seasonings to Flavor Sauce after removing the large pieces of Aromatics. DO NOT add these Seasonings if preparing the Beef for Noodles).

11.) After 30 minutes, the Red Braised Beef will be finished and can be poured into a serving dish to be added atop Rice or set aside to be used with Noodles.

 

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