There's braised pork rice, so of course there's braised beef rice too. In fact, sometimes you can find braised "beef" rice in Taiwan as a special item. It's not hard to make at all, basically exactly the same way as making braised pork rice. Just the cost for the main beefy ingredient is much higher.
Braised beef rice 滷牛肉燥飯 -
Ingredients (about 3 to 4 portions)?
- 550 grams beef
- 4 garlic cloves
- 2 stalks scallion
- 2 big bulbs shallots
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- Some salt
- Some black pepper
- 1/2 cup soy sauce
- 1 1/2 cups hot water
- 2 bay leaves
- 2 big star anises
- 1 tablespoon crystal sugar
- 3 to 4 servings steamed rice
Pickled cucumber:
- 220 grams/about 3 skinny cucumbers
- Some salt
- 1 big garlic clove
- 1 teaspoon white sesame oil
- 1 teaspoon rice vinegar
- 1 teaspoon granulated sugar
How?
Let's make the pickled cucumbers first. Trim-off both ends for the cucumbers then slice to thin pieces. Use some salt, mine was about 1/2 teaspoon to "massage" into the cucumber slices. Let it sit for 15 minute while the salt helps drawing out some moisture from the cucumber.
Meanwhile peel and grate one garlic clove. And when that quick marinating time is up, rinse the cucumber with drinkable water to wash away the salt. Drain and squeeze really dry. Season with grated garlic, 1 teaspoon of white sesame oil, 1 teaspoon of rice vinegar, and 1 teaspoon of granulated sugar.
Mix till evenly blended. Taste and see if you need any extra seasonings. Some prefer it sweeter and some like it on the sourish side, so adjust according to your preference. Once all checked, store in a container and into the fridge till our braised beef rice is ready.
Now it's time to handle the beef part. By the way, remember to precook the rice to serve alongside the braised meat.
Slice the beef to medium small chunks. I got the part with some tendons, not the ideal cut but since that's what's left in my fridge, I'll just use it. Otherwise beef shank, brisket, or even the pricey sirloin are all great options.
Peel and slice the shallots. Peel and chop 4 garlic cloves. Destem the scallion and just tie the whole stalks to a knot if possible, otherwise cut into longer sections is fine too. It's just easier to pick out the knotted scallion towards the end of braising.
Have a big pot ready, drizzle 2 tablespoons of olive oil and switch to medium heat. Add in shallots and scallion. Sear till aromatic and slightly browned on some sides.
Then add in chopped garlic along with 1/2 teaspoon of salt and 1/2 teaspoon of black pepper. Cook for about a minute.
Transfer beef chunks over and sear a bit, at least till the meat changes color. Pour in 1/2 cup of soy sauce, 1 1/2 cups of hot water, 2 bay leaves, and 2 star anises. Bring to a boil then adjust the heat to keep it at a medium bubbling stage. Continue to braise for 45 to 60 minutes or till the sauce has been reduced. Like a bit condensed juice left but not saucy.
Towards the end, pick out bay leaves, star anises, and scallion. If the scallion has almost melted into the sauce, it's fine to just leave it there. Add 1 tablespoon of crystal sugar, which will help balance out the saltiness and give the sauce a little shine. Cook till all the sugar has been dissolved.
Serve the braised beef with rice and remember to add some of that pickled cucumber stored in the fridge.
You know what? The actual time of braising can be reduced maybe by around 15 minutes if you use more expensive and more tender cut. However, it's totally up to you. Just like braised pork rice, some will use chunkier meat for a fuller bite, but that requires more time and usually cost a bit more to make.
And some will use finer ground meat, which takes less time to cook and will result in a smoother bite instead. As for me, I'll always go with the chunkier route.
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