Chinese-Style Braised Beef One-Pot by Good Food

Ingredients

• 1 ½kg Braising beef, cut into large pieces (such as ox cheek)
• 1 bunch Spring onions, sliced
• 1 Red chilli, deseeded and thinly sliced
• 6 Garlic cloves, thinly sliced
• thumb-size piece Fresh root ginger, peeled and shredded
• 500ml Beef stock
• 3 tbsp Chinese cooking wine or dry sherry
• 3 tbsp Dark soy sauce, plus more to serve
• 3-4 tbsp Olive oil
• 2 tbsp Plain flour, well seasoned
• 1 tsp Chinese five-spice powder
• 2 Star anise (optional)
• 2 tsp Light muscovado sugar
• Steamed bok choi, to serve
• Steamed basmati rice, to serve

Instructions

1. Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a large, shallow casserole pan over medium heat. Add the thinly sliced garlic, shredded ginger, sliced spring onions, and sliced red chilli. Cook for 3 minutes, stirring occasionally, until softened and fragrant, then transfer the mixture to a plate.
2. Toss the large pieces of braising beef in the well-seasoned plain flour until evenly coated. Add 1 tablespoon more olive oil to the casserole, then brown the meat in batches over medium-high heat for about 5 minutes per batch, adding the final tablespoon of oil if needed, until a rich brown crust forms on all sides.
3. Add the five-spice powder and star anise (if using) to the pan with the browned beef. Return the cooked gingery mixture to the pan. Fry for 1 minute, stirring constantly, until the spices become fragrant.
4. Stir in the muscovado sugar. Keeping the heat high, splash in the Chinese cooking wine or dry sherry, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon to deglaze.
5. Pour in the dark soy sauce and beef stock. The liquid will not completely cover the meat. Bring the mixture to a gentle simmer, then cover the casserole tightly with a lid and transfer it to a preheated oven at 150°C (fan 130°C/gas 2). Cook for 4 hours, stirring the meat halfway through, until it is very soft and any sinewy bits have melted away.
6. Alternatively, if using a slow cooker, cook on low for 6 hours until the beef is meltingly tender. Taste the braised beef and season with additional dark soy sauce if desired.
7. Nestle steamed bok choi into the hot braised beef in the pan just before serving. Bring the casserole directly to the table and serve immediately with steamed basmati rice.