Cherry & Dennis Recipes
Braised Beef Brisket with Radish
蘿蔔炆牛腩
Recipe overview
Braised Beef Brisket with Radish is a common Hong Kong home-style braised dish. The beef brisket should become tender while the white radish absorbs the savoury sauce. It is suitable with rice or noodles and helps helpers practise blanching beef, controlling medium-low braising heat, adding radish later, and balancing sauce saltiness.
01
Ingredients
Main Ingredients
- 600g beef brisket
- 1 white radish, about 600g
- 4 slices ginger
- 3 cloves garlic
- 2 stalks spring onion
- 2 shallots
- 1 star anise, optional
- 800ml water
- 1 tablespoon oil
Seasoning
- 1.5 tablespoons chu hou paste
- 1 tablespoon light soy sauce
- 1 teaspoon dark soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon oyster sauce
- small rock sugar or 1/2 teaspoon sugar
- 1 tablespoon Shaoxing wine
- A little salt, only after tasting
- Cornstarch slurry, optional
02
Tools
- Chopping board
- Knife
- Small pot
- Soup pot or heavy-bottomed pot
- Spatula
- Soup ladle
- Slotted spoon
- Bowl
- Measuring spoons
03
Steps
Step 1
Prepare ingredients
Prepare beef brisket, white radish, ginger, garlic, shallots, spring onion, and seasonings.
Step 2
Cut beef brisket
Rinse beef brisket and cut into large 4-5 cm pieces so they do not shrink too small.
Step 3
Blanch beef brisket
Boil water in a small pot, add beef and ginger, and blanch for 5 minutes to remove blood and foam.
Step 4
Rinse blanched beef
Rinse the beef under clean water and drain well to keep the sauce cleaner.
Step 5
Cut radish chunks
Peel white radish and cut into large chunks so it will not fall apart.
Step 6
Fry aromatics
Heat oil in a heavy pot and fry ginger, garlic, shallots, and spring onion whites until fragrant.
Step 7
Brown beef brisket
Add beef and stir-fry until the surface tightens slightly, then add Shaoxing wine.
Step 8
Add braising sauce
Add chu hou paste, soy sauces, oyster sauce, and sugar. Stir until the beef is coated.
Step 9
Add water and braise
Add water and star anise. Bring to a boil, cover, and braise over medium-low heat for 30 minutes.
Step 10
Add radish
Add radish chunks and braise for another 20-25 minutes until beef and radish are tender.
Step 11
Reduce sauce and taste
Taste before adding salt. Reduce sauce slightly or add a little slurry if needed.
Step 12
Add scallion and serve
Add spring onion sections for 30 seconds and serve. Beef should be tender and sauce glossy.
Common mistakes
- Not blanching beef makes the sauce cloudy and meaty.
- Cutting beef too small makes it fall apart.
- Adding radish too early makes it mushy.
- High heat makes beef tough and dries the sauce.
- Too much chu hou paste or dark soy makes the dish too salty and dark.
- Adding salt before tasting can make it too salty.
Tips
Blanch beef first and add radish later. Braise over medium-low heat, not a hard boil. Keep seasoning mild the first time and ask Ma'am or Sir to taste. For elderly family members, braise the beef softer.
