Pork, beef & lamb· DF

Chinese Red-Braised Beef

Name: Chinese Red-Braised Beef
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 2 h 45 min
Total time: 3 h
Cuisine: Chinese
Ingredients: 700g beef joint (topside, silverside or brisket); 250g pak choi, sliced; 200g carrots, sliced; 1 (150g) onion, sliced; 30g fresh ginger, sliced; 4 cloves (20g) garlic; 60ml light and dark soy sauce; 30ml Shaoxing wine or dry sherry; 20g light brown sugar; 2 star anise; 1 stick cinnamon; pinch five-spice; 10g cornflour; 4 (60g) spring onions, sliced; 10ml rapeseed oil; 500ml water

Beef slow-braised in soy, star anise, ginger and a little sugar until dark and glossy, with carrot and pak choi.

makes 17 blocks, about 66p each

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BatchJoy

batchjoy.com/recipes/chinese-red-braised-beef/

Illustration of a bowl of Chinese Red-Braised Beef

Time: 3 hr15 min prep · 2 hr 45 min cook
Makes: 17 blocks
Cost per blockPer block: 66p
Calories per blockCalories: 92 kcal
Spice: 1 of 5

You’ll need

Batch size

blocks

700gbeef joint (topside, silverside or brisket)
250gpak choi, sliced
200gcarrots, sliced
1 (150g)onion, sliced
30gfresh ginger, sliced
4 cloves (20g)garlic
60mllight and dark soy sauce
30mlShaoxing wine or dry sherry
20glight brown sugar
2star anise
1 stickcinnamon
pinchfive-spice
10gcornflour
4 (60g)spring onions, sliced
10mlrapeseed oil
500mlwater

Allergens: Gluten, Soya, Sulphites. Check the labels on stock cubes, sauces and pastes, as brands vary.

Serve it

Jasmine rice · Noodles in a little extra broth · Steamed greens

Method

Step 1: Cut the beef into 4 pieces and brown in the oil. Lift out. (10 min)
Step 2: Fry the onion, ginger and garlic for 3 minutes, then add the sugar and let it caramelise for 1 minute.
Step 3: Add the soy, Shaoxing, water and spices. Return the beef, cover and simmer gently until it shreds. (2 hr 30)
Step 4: Shred the beef, remove the whole spices and add the carrots for 8 minutes.
Step 5: Stir in the pak choi and the cornflour mixed with 2 tbsp cold water; simmer 3 minutes. Add the spring onions, cool and freeze.

Hotter: add 2 dried red chillies to the braise, or chilli oil at the table.

Nutrition (estimated)
	kcal	protein	carbs	fat	fibre	salt
Per block	92	9.6g	5.2g	3.5g	0.8g	0.59g
Per 3 blocks	276	28.8g	15.6g	10.5g	2.4g	1.77g

Cook’s notes

No chilli here; add chilli oil at the table if you like heat.
Dark soy gives the deep red-brown colour; light soy alone works but looks paler.
Slow cooker: 8 hours on Low.

Serve it

Jasmine rice · Noodles in a little extra broth · Steamed greens.

Freeze, reheat and serve

Freeze: Cool it within two hours, portion it into 70g blocks in a silicone tray, then bag and label them. It keeps for 3 months.
Reheat: Microwave 3 blocks, covered, for 1 minute, stir, then heat for another 1 to 2 minutes until piping hot all the way through. Or warm them in a pan with a splash of water. Never refreeze thawed blocks.
A portion: 3 blocks (210g) make a dinner for one adult: about 276 kcal and 28.8g protein before rice, bread or potatoes.

Chinese Red-Braised Beef questions

Can I use braising steak or shin?

Diced braising steak or beef shin both work, and shin turns especially tender over the long simmer. Brown it in batches so it colours rather than steams.

Why caramelise the sugar?

Letting the sugar melt and colour in the pan gives the braise its glossy, red-brown finish and a gentle bittersweet depth. Watch it closely, as it can burn in seconds.

Can I make it with pork?

Pork shoulder or belly works well and is closer to classic red-braised pork. Start checking it after about 1 hour 30, as it may become tender sooner than beef.