Slow cooking beef in Asian aromatic spices gives a melt-in-the-mouth main course. Perfect served with steamed rice and crisp stir-fried vegetables.
Serves: 4-6
Preparation time: 20 minutes
Cooking time: 2-3 hours
You’ll need:
- 4 tbsp of rapeseed oil
- 1 large onion, peeled and diced
- 3 cloves garlic, peeled and sliced
- 5cm of ginger, peeled and grated
- 300g Chantenay carrots
- 1 red chilli, deseeded and finely sliced
- 1kg braising beef
- 50g plain flour
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 1tsp of Chinese 5 spice powder
- 1 sprig thyme
- 3 star anise, slightly crushed
- 1 orange
- 1 tbsp light muscovado sugar
- 3 tbsp Chinese cooking wine or dry sherry
- 3 tbsp Dark soy sauce
- 600ml good beef stock
- 1tbp parsley
What to do:
Preheat oven to 160C.
Heat half of the oil in a large heavy based casserole. Fry onion, garlic, ginger, carrots and chilli for 2-3 minutes until the vegetables and spices are slightly soft. Remove from the pan onto a plate.
Season the flour with salt and pepper and toss the beef in the seasoned flour. Add the remaining oil to the pan and fry the meat in batches until it is browned on all sides.
Add the browned beef and the cooked vegetables to the pan. Then add the 5 spice powder, thyme, star anise, zest and juice of the orange and sugar and mix to combine. Add the soy and stock, stirring well and bring to the boil. Cover and cook in the oven for 2-3 hours until the beef is tender and soft.
Remove from the oven, season to taste and add the parsley. Serve with basmati rice and stir fried greens.
Tip: You could use brisket or shin of beef to use a cheaper cut of meat. You will have to cook them for longer though.