Spicy Stewed Beef and White Radish

Luobo Shao Niurou (萝卜烧牛肉)

Marbled chunks of beef, along with white radish, are stewed in a spicy fragrant broth made from beer and Sichuan spices until tender and delicious.

Spicy Stewed Beef and White Radish, also known as Beef Stewed with Daikon, highlights some of the complexities of Sichuan cuisine in that it features multiple stages of cooking. However, each stage is rather simple, even for an amateur, allowing various cuts of Beef to be stewed with delicious results. The cut of Beef can vary. I prefer to make this dish with Chuck or Shoulder and often with boneless Rib meat, creating Spicy Stewed Rib and White Radish (萝卜烧牛腩).

Like many Red Braised and Stewed Meat Dishes, Stewed Beef and White Radish is often served in a heated claypot. The claypot maintains heat longer, further concentrating the flavor. This also allows the Stewed Beef to be served early during a banquet style meal so that more focus can be placed on quick stir-fry dishes. If a claypot is unavailable, the Beef and Radish can be cooked solely in a wok and then transferred to a deep, round casserole dish before garnishing and serving.

Most of the Spices in this recipe are pretty standard for Red Braised and Stewed Meat Dishes. However, there is one rather unique ingredient in this dish: Tangerine Peel. Dried Tangerine Peel adds just a hint of citrus zest among the other Spices. This ingredient is optional but a nice addition. Other optional ingredients would include a small pinch of Cloves or even a crushed Cardamom Pod. The flavor range of these Spices should be within that of Chinese Five-Spice Flavor (五香味). In fact, a spoonful of Chinese Five-Spice Powder or Chinese Thirteen-Spice Powder can even be used to replace these. BUT the flavor of whole Spices is far superior.Chinese Five Spice.

Another seemingly interesting ingredient in this dish is Beer. Sichuan people love to cook with Beer as it works well in spicy saucy dishes. It not only adds its own flavor but also draws flavor from the Spices. Chicken Stock or Advanced Stock can be used along with Shaoxing Rice Wine for this same purpose. However, Beer has its own unique hearty flavor. Popular brands of Beer in China include Tsingtao Beer (pronounced Qingdao), Harbin Beer, and Chongqing Beer – the flavors of these are near indistinguishable.

Prep Time: 45 min

Cook Time: 35 min

Total Time: 1 hr 20 min

Serving: 4 people

Ingredients

500 - 750 grams of Beef

1 Asian White Radish (Daikon)

Spices
3 Bay Leaves
2 Star Anise
2 large pieces of Dried Tangerine Peel
1 2-inch stick of Cassia Bark
1 tsp. Green Sichuan Peppercorns

Aromatics and Chilies
5 – 10 Pickled Red Chilies (or Fresh Red Chilies)
2 - 4 cloves of Garlic
1 2-inch block of Pickled Ginger (OR regular Ginger)

Garnishes
1 small bunch of Cilantro
1 green stalk of Small Scallion (小葱)

1/4 cup Shaoxing Rice Wine

Peanut Oil

2 Tbsp. Sichuan Chili Bean Paste
1 Tbsp. Shaoxing Rice Wine
1/2 Tbsp. Oyster Sauce

1 can (500 ml.) of Beer

Seasonings
1 Tbsp. White Sugar
1 tsp. Salt
1/2 tsp. MSG
1/2 tsp. Ground White Pepper

2 Tbsp. Corn Starch Slurry

Directions

1.) Place the Beef on a cutting board and slice the meat into 1.5-inch-thick strips. Rotate the strips and cut them into large chunks about 2-inches thick. Cut these chunks in half, if necessary, to create 2-inch x 2-inch cubes that are roughly 1.5-inches thick.

(The Beef will shrink when cooking, so it’s best to start with pieces slightly larger than the desired size).

2.) Place the cubes of Beef in large bowl, fill the bowl with water, drain the water, and repeat until the water runs nearly clear. Fill the bowl once more and allow the Beef to soak in plenty of water for about 40 minutes while preparing the other ingredients.

3.) Cut the White Radish in half lengthwise and then cut each in half lengthwise again to quarter the Radish. Rotate the strips and cut across them creating 1.5-inch-thick slices. Set these slices aside in a bowl.

(The White Radish can also be cut into wedges, which is a common quick method used at homes and restaurants. Cut down into the Radish at a 45-degree angle, rotate the Radish, and cut again at a 45-degree angle. This would continue until the Radish is completely cut into wedges).

4.) Prepare all of the Spices (Bay Leaves, Star Anise, Tangerine Peel, Cassia Bark, and Sichuan Peppercorns) by simply placing them together in a small bowl.

5.) Prepare the Chilies and Aromatics, placing them all into the same bowl:

• Cut the Pickled Chilies into 1-inch pieces.
• Peel and slice the Garlic.
• Slice the Pickled Ginger.

6.) Prepare the Garnishes by roughly chopping the Cilantro and by finely slicing the Scallion. Set these together in a bowl.

7.) Fill a wok or large pot with about 3 liters of water and heat on high until boiling. Add the Beef cubes along with the Shaoxing Rice Wine and boil the Beef for a few minutes while constantly skimming scum from the surface of the water. When the water is fairly clear, drain the Beef and dry the wok.

(The long soaking period and size of the cubes will reduce a lot of the blood and impurities in the meat. So, unlike with other Red Braised and Stewed Meat Dishes, you can start the Beef in boiling water instead of cold water. You can also start the Beef cubes in cold water along with traditional Boiling Ingredients – i.e., Shaoxing Rice Wine, Ginger, and Scallion – and then bring the water to a boil. Regardless, the key step is removing scum from the surface of the water).

8.) Heat the wok on medium-high heat and add 1/4 cup of Peanut Oil. When hot, pull the wok away from heat and add the Spices, stir-frying them just a few seconds until fragrant.

9.) Immediately add the Beef cubes, return the wok to heat, and stir-fry the Beef with the Spices for about 3 minutes. Add the Aromatics and Chilies and stir-fry everything for about 1 minute.

10.) Pull the wok away from heat and add the Chili Bean Paste, mixing it for just a few seconds until partially emulsified with the Oil. Return the wok to heat and splash the Shaoxing Rice Wine around the sides of the wok, tossing the Beef into it. Finally, pour in the Oyster Sauce and mix, tossing the everything together until fully combined.

11.) Add the White Radish slices and stir-fry them quickly with the Beef until every piece is coated in red oil. Immediately pour in 1 can of Beer along with 1/4 to 1/2 cup of water and bring everything to a boil.

(As soon as the soupy sauce boils, the Beef and Radish can be poured into a heated claypot and returned to the stovetop before continuing to the next step).

12.) Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer the Beef and Radish for 15 minutes, allowing the sauce to reduce slightly.

(This is usually a rather soupy dish, so do not allow the sauce to reduce too much. More water can be added if necessary and the Beef can also be slow cooked until it reaches one’s desired tenderness).

13.) After 15 minutes remove some of the larger Spices such as the Tangerine Peels and Cassia Bark. Mix in the Seasonings (Sugar, Salt, MSG, and White Pepper) followed by the Corn Starch Slurry. Simmer everything for about 5 to 10 minutes until the sauce has reached the desired consistency.

14.) Add the Garnishes and serve the Spicy Stewed Beef and White Radish along with individual bowls of white rice.

 

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