[Chinese Recipes] Braised Beef with Turnips

This Chinese braised beef with turnips is a traditional dish, where all you need is one pot, a few ingredients, and a bit of time. It’s so easy to make…just get everything in the pot, turn the heat down, and go do some laundry, watch a few episodes of Game of Thrones, or re-grout your bathroom (that’s what WE did).

Chinese turnips are long, white vegetables (see the ingredients glossary for more info) that you can find in any Asian grocery. If you’ve never had it, it’s definitely worth a try.

Here’s what you need:
2 lbs beef brisket, rinsed, pat dry and cut into 1 1/2 inch pieces
1 tablespoon oil
5 slices ginger
1 cup shaoxing wine
2 1/2 tablespoon light soy sauce
3 star anise
6-8 cloves
1 teaspoon sugar
5 cups water
1 large turnip, cut into 1 1/2 inch pieces

Rinse, dry, and cut the beef.

Get your star anise, cloves, and ginger ready.

Heat cooking oil and ginger in a wok or heavy-bottomed pot over high heat.

Add the beef and lightly brown all sides.

Then add your cooking wine, light soy sauce, star anise, cloves, sugar and 3 cups of the water. Using very low heat, let the pot simmer for about 75 – 90 minutes, stirring occasionally to avoid sticking or burning.

By now, the sauce should be almost dry. It’s a good time to skim out any excess fat.

Then add the turnip chunks.

Add the last 2 cups of water to the pot as well, and let it simmer for another 30 – 40 minutes (until the turnip is soft and tender).

Serve hot over rice!

CHINESE BRAISED BEEF WITH TURNIPS

Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 2 hours
Total Time: 2 hours, 10 minutes

Yield: Serves 6

Ingredients

2 lbs beef brisket, washed, pat dry and cut into 1 ½ inch pieces
1 tablespoon oil
5 slices ginger
1 cup shaoxing wine
2 1/2 tablespoons light soy sauce
3 star anise
8 cloves
1 teaspoon of sugar
5 cups of water
1 large turnip, cut into 1 ½ inch pieces

Instruction

Prep your beef. Heat cooking oil and ginger in a wok or Dutch oven over high heat. Add the beef and lightly brown all sides. Then add the shaoxing wine, light soy sauce, anise, cloves, sugar and 3 cups of the water (reserve last 2 cups for later). Simmer over very low heat for about 75 – 90 minutes, stirring occasionally to avoid sticking or burning.

After that, the sauce should be almost dry. This is a good time to skim out any excess fat. Then add the turnips and the last 2 cups of water. Allow the stew to simmer for another 30 – 40 minutes, until the turnip is soft and tender. Serve hot over rice.

This recipe and image sources are referred in website: Thewoksoflife.com. Thanks so much!