Unusual Braised Beef and Potatoes - A Beef Marvel Created with a Bottle of Beer
Alright, I'll stop rambling and get to the point. You all were clamoring for a New Year's Eve dish, so I went out and got all the ingredients to make this beef dish I'm championing. It's unbelievably delicious and can definitely be served as the main course for the New Year's Eve feast. Don't be fooled by the simple name; the flavor is a total game-changer. Even for a guy like me who isn't a fan of beef in soups, I devoured nearly two pounds of it myself. The potatoes, carrots, and even the onions were all gone. My appetite was a bit scary. I highly, highly recommend it. The flavor is absolutely divine.
Ingredients:
1.5 lbs brisket, 1 potato, 1 carrot, 1/2 onion, 3 sections of green onion, 4 slices of ginger, 1 spoonful of Pixian Doubanjiang (broad bean chili paste), 2 spoonfuls of tomato paste, 1 bottle of beer, 1 small spoonful of Sichuan peppercorns, 1 small spoonful of dried chili peppers, 5-6 rock sugar pieces, salt, 3-4 dried hawthorn slices, cilantro.
Instructions:
1. Rinse the brisket, cut it into chunks, and soak it in cold water for 2-3 hours to draw out the blood.
2. Cut the carrot and potato into bite-sized pieces. Heat oil in a pan and briefly pan-fry them, then set aside.
3. Cut the onion into crescent shapes and set aside.
4. Bring a pot of water to a boil. Add the brisket and cook for 10 minutes. Skim off the foam, then remove the brisket and drain the water.
5. In the same pan used for the potatoes, add a spoonful of Pixian Doubanjiang and stir-fry over low heat until the red oil appears. Add the green onions and ginger, then add the brisket and stir-fry. Pour in a whole bottle of beer, add 2 large spoonfuls of tomato paste, 1 small spoonful of Sichuan peppercorns, 1 small spoonful of dried chili peppers, 5-6 pieces of rock sugar, and 3-4 dried hawthorn slices. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for 1.5 hours. Add the pre-fried potatoes and carrots. After 20 minutes, when the potatoes are soft, add salt to taste. Garnish with cilantro and serve.
A Few Notes:
1. Brisket tastes better than beef shank after stewing, probably because my family prefers richer, fattier flavors.
2. Tomato paste is not the same as ketchup. Be aware that we need tomato paste, which is the thicker kind, primarily made from tomato puree.
3. If you use more meat, increase the amount of beer. This is a soup dish, and the broth is delicious. Important: Do not add any water, as it will affect the flavor.
4. Notice I didn't use cooking wine. Beer also removes the gamey taste from the meat, and Sichuan peppercorns have the same effect.
5. If you're afraid of spicy food, you can omit the dried chili peppers. I've been coughing these days, so I didn't add any, but if you like spicy food, adding some dried chili peppers is fantastic.
6. The hawthorn should be the dried kind, not the sweet hawthorn snacks that kids eat. It's used to help the meat become tender more quickly.
7. Besides the beef being delicious, I personally think the potatoes, carrots, and even the soft onions are amazing. They go perfectly with rice.
8. If you're short on time or don't want the hassle, you can use a pressure cooker. Stew the meat for 20 minutes. Afterward, transfer it to a regular pot and add the potatoes to stew until they are soft. The pressure cooker method won't lose the broth, and one bottle of beer is enough, just enough to cover the meat and ingredients.
My family loves meat with a good amount of tendon. The texture is much better than lean meat alone.
The broth is also incredibly delicious. The spiciness prevents it from being too rich, and the tomato paste also helps cut the richness.
If you don't finish the meat and broth in one meal, you can have it for breakfast the next day. Cook some noodles, drain them, and top them with the beef, potatoes, and broth. The flavor is fantastic. I personally think it's a bit like Taiwanese braised beef noodles.
I sincerely recommend this dish. It's absolutely delicious. I'm planning the New Year's Eve menu and asked my husband to choose between the pickled ginger brisket and this braised beef and potatoes as one of the main courses. He said he needs to think about it before deciding. I'm thrilled that there's finally a dish that can challenge the pickled ginger brisket.