China · Cantonese
Cantonese Beef Brisket with Radish
Beef brisket braised with fermented red bean curd and chu hou paste until it gives way, with daikon added late so it keeps its shape.
Radish with beef brisket is a Cantonese answer to winter, and the pairing is deliberate: brisket is rich, and daikon is blunt enough to cut it. The radish goes in only once the meat has begun to soften, or it will collapse to nothing. Fermented red bean curd and chu hou paste do the colouring and the flavouring, so no heavy spice is needed.
Ingredients
- beef brisket500 g
- daikon radish1 pieces
- ginger slices8 pieces
- garlic cloves5 pieces
- star anise2 pieces
- dried chili2 pieces
- bay leaf2 pieces
- fermented red bean curd1 pieces
- chu hou paste30 g
- oyster sauce15 g
- soy sauce15 g
- rock sugar10 g
- salt5 g
- dark soy sauce15 g
Directions
- 1
Roll-cut the radish into chunks and set aside.
- 2
Blanch the whole piece of brisket with two slices of ginger and a knot of scallion, and once the water boils, cook for five to ten minutes, then lift out and cut into pieces.
- 3
Cut the brisket into pieces the size you like; once blanched it will not shrink much during the braise, so larger pieces just take longer.
- 4
Prepare the braising sauce, combining the fermented red bean curd, chu hou paste, soy sauce, oyster sauce, sugar and salt in the quantities given.
- 5
Heat the wok with oil, fry the ginger and garlic until fragrant, add the brisket and fry until the surface is dry, then add the mixed sauce and fry until fragrant. Add a little dark soy sauce if you want a deeper color.
- 6
Once the seasonings are fully combined, pour in hot water.
- 7
Transfer the brisket to a stewing pot, add the cassia bark, star anise, bay leaf and dried chili, and simmer for about two hours.
- 8
When the brisket is half tender, add the daikon and continue for another thirty minutes.
- 9
Once the radish has softened it is done, and the pot of fragrant radish and brisket is ready.
Source: HowToCook · WorldBite adaptation · Unlicense source text; bilingual recipe adapted by WorldBite.