CHOPSTICK THERAPY

  • Recipes
  • Ingredients
  • About

Clear Water Braised Beef

NON-VEGETARIAN/ DAIRY-FREE / GLUTEN-FREE
February 21, 2021

How to, with minimum effort, turn cheaper beef cuts into melt-in-the-mouth bites with amazing taste? In this post, I will show you the simplest and fail-proof way to cook beef with clear water braising. Once braised, the beef can be used to make various dishes, however and whenever you want it!

Two simple steps are involved in clear water braising.

1. Wash the beef. Perhaps you’ve never heard of the idea of washing beef, but washing before cooking is the key to bring out the finer natural flavors of beef. Wash the beef chunks with cold tap water until the water runs clear.

As a side note, in Chinese cooking, washing before cooking is one of the basic principals of handling red meats, which is similar to how more “gamey” meats are sometimes treated in Western cooking to pull out excessive blood which contributes to the “gamey” taste. Beef is not considered gamey, but washing will improve beef’s taste immensely without the more subtle natural flavors being overpowered by the pungent smell of impurities.

2. Gentle boiling. This is the key to achieve the tender texture of the beef. Start with cold water and large beef pieces and let time do its work. Your kitchen will be filled with a irresistible umami smell in about 30 minutes, and you will finish with very tender pieces in about 60 minutes.

CLEAR WATER BRAISED BEEF

Clear water braised beef

PREPARATION: 5 min BRAISING: 1 to 1.5 hours

Ingredients

  • 1 kg beef (chuck or rump steak or beef brisket), cut into 4 large pieces
  • a few pieces of ginger, 2 spring onions and 2 de-seeded dried chillis (optional)

Method

  1. Wash the beef: In a large bowl, soak the beef in cold tap water for half minute, rub gently with hands to help pull out the blood in the beef. Tip the water, repeat the above step a few times until the water is clear.
  2. Braise the beef: Transfer the beef into a large pot, add the ginger and spring onions, then add cold water until the beef is completely covered. Turn the heat on high and bring the water to boil. Take out the scum floating on top of the boiling water with a strainer until the water is clear (general after about 2 minutes). Turn the heat to medium or low, cover the pot, leave the water bubble gently for 60 to 90 minutes or until the beef is tender.
  3. Use the beef immediately, or leave to cool, then store the beef and the broth separately in the fridge for use later.

Recipe Notes

  • Although the use of ginger and spring onions in braising meat is followed almost religiously in Chinese cooking, if you don’t have both, don’t panic. I’ve braised beef plenty times in just water, especially when I on road trips. It is more important to wash the beef thoroughly and keep the broth clear during cooking.

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Search by Tags

5 minute recipes 10 minute recipes 15 minute recipes Dairy-free Gluten-Free Ingredients Non-vegetarian Vegan Vegetarian

Search by Ingredients

Search by tages

5 minute recipes 10 minute recipes 15 minute recipes Dairy-free Gluten-Free Ingredients Non-vegetarian Vegan Vegetarian

More Recipes

Whole fish with Szechuan bean paste

Braised Whole Fish In Szechuan Broad Bean Sauce

Sweet and Sour Pork

Sweet and Sour Pork Ribs with Pineapple

Marbled tea eggs

Marbled Tea Eggs

Smashed tofu and green bean stir-fry

Smashed Tofu and Green Bean Stir-fry

Cauliflower Stir-fry with Turmeric and garlic

Stir-fried Cauliflower with Turmeric

DIY tuna sandwich filling

Tuna Filling with Red Onion

Soy-glazed pumpkin in a wok

Soy-glazed Pumpkin with Sesame Seeds

sweet potato and millet porridge

Sweet Potato and Millet Porridge

Find me on Instagram and Facebook

Link to Chopsticktherapy Instagram account     Link to Chopsticktherapy Faceook page

Copyright © 2023 · Jin R Zhang · All Right Reserved · Chopstick Therapy www.chopsticktherapy.com