“Exquisitely succulent beef brisket, marinated and simmered in a robust sauce, pairs harmoniously with vegetables in this truly delightful dish,” says Kwoklyn Wan. “Enjoy with steamed rice.”
Braised black pepper beef
Serves: 2
Preparation time: 5 minutes, plus 20 minutes marinating | Cooking time: 1 1⁄2-2 hours
Ingredients:
450g-500g beef brisket, cut into 2.5cm cubes
2 tbsp vegetable oil
1 large onion, sliced
3 garlic cloves, crushed
1 green pepper, sliced
1 tbsp cornflour, mixed with 2 tbsp water
For the marinade:
1⁄2 tbsp fish sauce
1⁄2 tbsp ground black pepper, plus extra for dressing the dish
3 tbsp oyster sauce
For the sauce:
350ml beef stock
1 tbsp light soy sauce
1⁄2 tbsp dark soy sauce
2 tbsp Chinese rice wine (Shaoxing wine)
1 tbsp brown sugar
Method:
1. Begin by marinating the beef; add all the marinade ingredients to a bowl and spend one minute massaging them into the beef. This process will help break down some of the muscle fibres, making the beef even more tender. Leave to marinate for 20 minutes.
2. Place a heavy saucepan over a medium-high heat, add the oil and then the marinated beef. Once browned on all sides, remove the beef and set to one side.
3. In the same pan, add the onion and cook until browned, then add the garlic along with the green pepper and cook for a further one minute or until fragrant. Now add the sauce ingredients, deglaze the bottom of the pan and return the browned beef to the pan.
4. Once the sauce begins to come up to the boil, reduce the heat to very low, cover and cook for one and a half hours, or until the beef is super tender. (If your sauce begins to evaporate during this time, add more beef stock.)
5. To finish, give the cornflour mixture a stir and slowly pour it into the sauce, stirring at the same time. Once the sauce thickens, switch off the heat. Serve on top of freshly steamed rice with a final sprinkle of freshly ground black pepper.
Recipe from ‘Chinese Made Easy’ by Kwoklyn Wan (Quadrille, £22).
