A Simple But Surprising Potluck Idea: Sliced Beef in Chili Sauce
Have you ever run out of potluck ideas? It has happened to me countless time. Once, I was invited to a friend’s family dinner. Everything was fully prepared, but I just felt like cooking something special for them. I knew they probably eat pasta or salad every day, so any authentic Chinese dish should do the trick. But which one should I make? Many people just knew what is Moo Goo Gai Pan recipe or easy Chinese Egg Fried Rice recipe when talking about Chinese cuisine. So I need to make something different. I am glad that I made this Sliced Beef in Chili Sauce. This authentic Chinese cooking dish recipes is definitely a party pleaser. It is so easy to make. Tastes good and looks good too!
For this particular dish, you should aim for beef shank, because it has a more desired texture than lean beef. Depending on how flexible your schedule is and what kind of equipment you have, the cooking time varies from 15 minutes to 45 minutes. One trick I’ve just learnt myself is to add a teabag to the pot or pressure cooker when cooking the beef shank. It can expedite the whole process and make beef shank softer. So if you don’t have ample time, try using a teabag and cooking beef shank in a pressure cooker.
In the end, it tastes best if you freeze it for 30 minutes after it’s ready. This kind of cold dish is very common in China, especially in Sichuan Province. I’ve always wanted to go there and learn how to make authentic chili oil and spicy hot pot. I hope you like this dish and bring it to your next potluck party:) Now let’s get started!
Serves 2-4 as an appetizer
Preparation time: 40 minutes
Cooking time: 5 minutes
Special instructions:
1. Choose beef shank, not the pure lean beef, if possible.
2. The beef should be cooled first and then sliced.
3. If you have a pressure cooker, feel free to replace the pot in step 2 with pressure cooker. It should takes less time, about 10 minutes.
Ingredients:
beef shank 1 lb
parsley 10g, finely chopped
scallion 2
star anise 5
clove garlic 2, finely chopped
ginger 5g, finely chopped, divided
cooking wine 1 tbsp
chili oil 1/2 tbsp
soy sauce 1/2 tbsp
oyster sauce 1 tsp
vinegar 1/2 tsp
sesame oil 1/2 tsp
salt 1/2 tbsp
sugar 1/2 tsp
white sesame, a dash
teabag 1
Steps:
1. Bring a pot of water to a boil. Cut 1 scallion to 5-inch stripes. Put beef shank to the pot. Add teabag, scallion, half of the ginger, 1 tbsp cooking wine and star anise. Boil over high heat.
2. Remove floating substances on the top. Cover the pot and cook over medium heat for 30-40 minutes. Remove and let it cool. Reserve the beef broth for later use.
3. Add ginger, garlic, chili oil, soy sauce, oyster sauce, vinegar, sesame oil, salt and sugar to a large bowl. Mix well.
4. Cut the beef shank into thin slices. Add parsley and sauce prepared in step 3 in the large bowl. Add a tablespoon of beef broth. Mix well. Adjust the taste according to your preference.
5. Sprinkle a dash of white sesame and chopped scallion on the top.
Ready to serve! Enjoy!
