Beef Brisket in Clear Broth 清湯牛腩

Ingredients

• 450 g Beef brisket (and/or skirt steak (untrimmed))
• 450 g Beef finger meat ((deboned short rib))
• 450 g Beef bones ((optional))
• 1.5 kg White radish
• 1 bulb Garlic
• 6 slices Ginger
• 1 Shallot
• 2 stalks Green onions
• 200 g Chinese celery
• 20 g Rock sugar
• 1 Star anise
• 3 Bay leaves
• 3 Licorice root slices
• 1 tbsp White peppercorns
• 1 Cao guo (aka black cardamom)
• 1 Small cinnamon stick
• 2 tbsp Fish sauce
• 2 tbsp Shaoxing wine
• 1 tsp Salt (for parboiling white radish)
• 1.5 L Water ((enough to cover all the ingredients))

Steps

1. 1

   Prepare 6 slices of ginger and 2 stalks of green onions by tying each into a knot My knot came apart

2. 2

   In a large pot, add all your uncut meats including bones (if any), 2 slices of ginger, 1 stalk of green onion and 2 tbsp Shaoxing wine. Cover with water and use high heat to bring it to a boil

3. 3

   Remove the contents from the pot, rinse with water and discard the water in the pot

4. 4

   Prepare 1 bulb of garlic. Cut off the end of the garlic bulb to expose the cloves of garlic. Set aside

5. 5

   Prepare 1 whole shallot and 200g of Chinese celery Chinese celery is more pungent than its wester counterpart and will give the soup a very distinctive flavour that is a signature in the traditional making of this dish

6. 6

   Soak 1 star anise, 3 bay leaves, 3 licorice root slices, 1 tbsp white peppercorns, 1 cao guo and 1 small cinnamon stick. Put into a spice bag

7. 7

   In a large pot put the bones, the beef, Chinese celery, 4 slices of ginger, 1 stalk green onions, 1 bulb garlic, 1 shallot, spice pack and 20 g rock sugar. Add water until everything is covered and bring to a boil

8. 8

   Once the liquid starts to boil, turn the heat down to low and let it simmer for 1 hour

9. 9

   Peel white radish. Peel off 2 layers as the outer layer generally is fibrous and will result in an unpleasant texture

10. 10

    Cut white radish into your desired size and set aside I typically do roll cuts on my white radish and I cut them into approx. 1” pieces

11. 11

    Optional step: in a separate pot, add white radish, 1 tsp of salt and enough water to cover the white radish. Bring it to a boil and remove the white radish. Allow the white radish to drain in colander this step will help minimize the bitterness of the white radish

12. 12

    Check on the beef after 30 minutes. Give it a stir and taste the soup. If the soup has the right amount of spice flavour for you, then discard the spice bag. If you like more spice aroma, then keep it in the pot. Repeat this process after every 30 minutes

13. 13

    After 1 hour, add the white radish into the pot with 2 tbsp fish sauce

14. 14

    Braising should be done after 1 more hour (so 2 hours in total). However, different cuts of meats may need longer, especially if your meat contains tendons or tougher membranes. You may have to braise for another 30-60 minutes if the meat was not tender after 2 hours

15. 15

    Once the meat is tender, Taste the soup. Add fish sauce, salt or water to make adjustments if necessary. Remove all the contents from the soup

16. 16

    Use a skimmer to remove any impurities from the soup

17. 17

    Let the beef cool

18. 18

    Slice the beef to your desired size

19. 19

    Rearrange into serving bowl

20. 20

    Serve with noodles or rice