Chinese Muslim Style Spiced Cold Beef Food

CHINESE COLD SPICED BEEF

Steps:

• Heat oil in a wok or large skillet over medium-high heat. Add garlic and ginger and stir-fry about 30 seconds. Add beef shanks and brown briefly; stir-fry about 1 minute.
• Add rice wine, soy sauces, water, cinnamon, star anise, and Sichuan peppercorns. Bring to a boil; reduce heat and simmer, covered, for 2 hours. Check and add liquid if needed.
• Stir in sugar. Simmer an additional 10 minutes or until beef is tender.
• Remove beef from wok. Cool; place in ziplock bag and refrigerate until chilled or freeze along with a little of the cooking liquid.
• To use after chilling: slice beef thinly; arrange attractively on a platter and garnish with cilantro, if desired.
• To use after freezing: thaw beef in refrigerator and drain off liquid. Continue as above.

CHINESE MUSLIM STYLE SPICED COLD BEEF

Steps:

• Heat 1 cup oil in wok to deep-fry temperature, then deep-dry peanuts over medium-low heat until golden brown.
• Remove the peanuts with a slotted spoon or strainer and place on paper towels to drain and cool.
• Put the cooled peanuts in a small plastic bag or between two towels, then roll a rolling pin over them to crush coarsely; set crushed peanuts aside for later use.
• Mix the cayenne, Szechwan peppercorn, sugar, garlic, vinegar, black soy sauce, and sesame oil in a bowl.
• Remove all but two tablespoons of oil from the wok. Heat this oil, and when it is hot, add the ground beef.
• Stir and cook the beef until done.
• Stir in the bean sauce, then the sauce mixture you have just made.
• Mix well, then turn off the heat.
• This meat sauce can be prepared a few hours in advance.
• Fill a big pot with enough water to cover your piece of beef.
• Add the bay leaves to the water and bring to a rapid boil.
• Add meat and cook over medium heat until done to your taste - medium rare should be about 10 minutes.
• Remove meat and pat dry.
• Place the meat on a cutting board and slice into thin pieces, as you would for roast beef.
• Arrange the slices on a serving platter, slightly overlapping each other.
• Garnish with celery, scallions, red pepper, and watercress.
• Pour the meat sauce over evenly, then sprinkle crushed peanuts on top.
• Serve at room temperature, perhaps with noodles.

CHINESE-STYLE BRAISED BEEF ONE-POT

Steps:

• Heat 2 tbsp of the oil in a large, shallow casserole. Fry the garlic, ginger, onions and chilli for 3 mins until soft and fragrant. Tip onto a plate. Toss the beef in the flour, add 1 tbsp more oil to the pan, then brown the meat in batches, adding the final tbsp oil if you need to. It should take about 5 mins to brown each batch properly.
• Add the five-spice and star anise (if using) to the pan, tip in the gingery mix, then fry for 1 min until the spices are fragrant. Add the sugar, then the beef and stir until combined. Keep the heat high, then splash in the wine or sherry, scraping up any meaty bits. Heat oven to 150C/fan 130C/gas 2.
• Pour in the soy and stock (it won't cover the meat completely), bring to a simmer, then tightly cover, transfer to the oven and cook for 1½-2 hrs, stirring the meat halfway through. The meat should be very soft, and any sinewy bits should have melted away. Season with more soy. This can now be chilled and frozen for up to 1 month.
• Nestle the cooked bok choi into the pan, then bring to the table with the basmati rice straight away and tuck in.