Beef and Mooli Stew
2 min readLuo Bo Po Niu Nan
1kg beef brisket(with some fat and tendon), cut into 4 cm(1V2 inch) cubes
2 tablespoons groundnut oil
2 tablespoons peeled and finely chopped fresh root ginger
4 spring onions, cut into 5 cm(2inch) pieces
4garlic cloves, whole but lightly crushed
500g mooli, peeled and cut into 5 cm(2 inch) pieces salt
chopped spring onions, to garnish
BRAISING SAUCE
3 tablespoons shaoxing rice wine
2tablespoons dark soy sauce
1tablespoon light soy sauce
3 tablespoons hoisin sauce
2 tablespoons ground yellow bean sauce
2tablespoons chilli bean sauce
2tablespoons granulated sugar
3 whole star anise
2teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1.2litres(2 pints) chicken stock
Inexpensive brisket is perfect here for the long cooking time, during which spices infuse the meat with complex flavours. Mooli(Chinese white radish) is often paired with beef. If you can’t find mooli you can use turnips or carrots instead.
1. Bring a large saucepan of salted water to the boil. Add the meat and blanch for 10 minutes. Skim the surface constantly to remove all the scum and impurities. Drain the meat and discard the water.
2. Heat a wok until it is hot, then add the oil. When the oil is hot and slightly smoking, add the ginger, spring onions and garlic and stir-fry for 1 minute. Then add the beef and continue to stir-fry for 10 minutes or until the meat is brown. Drain off any excess fat or oil.
3. Transfer the meat to a large flameproof casserole or saucepan. Add all the braising sauce ingredients and bring to the boil. Reduce the heat, cover and simmer for 1 1V2 hours or until the meat is tender. Add the mooli and continue to cook for another 30 minutes. Skim off any surface fat, garnish with chopped spring onions and serve immediately or cool and reheat to serve later. Plain rice is the perfect accompaniment.
