Chinese Beef Stew – Fork Tender Beef
For Day 2 of cooking Soups and Stews for 7 days, we are making my favorite Chinese Beef Stew. The beef is cooked till fork tender and is coated with the most perfect spicy savory sauce. Melt-in-your-mouth potato and carrots soaking in all the sauces and beef fat goes so well with a bowl of hot steaming rice.
Essential Condiments For Chinese Beef Stew
Chinese Beef Stew is something I grew up eating for dinner often. Every Taiwanese household has its variation on how to make this dish. This is my version of Chinese Beef Stew, and I highly recommend giving it a try. It has a the warm, herbal flavors of cinnamon and five spice, making it extra appetizing in the cold winters.
One of the essential condiments for my Chinese Beef Stew is Spicy Douban Sauce. My go-to brand is always Sichuan Pixian Bean Paste; it has an outstanding balance of all the spices and completes the dish.
What Beef To Use For Chinese Beef Stew
Boneless Beef Short Ribs is the perfect cut of beef! It has lots of meaty goodness and has a perfect balance of fat, tendon, and meat. After simmering it for 2 hours, the beef becomes fork-tender, with all the collagen melting into the sauce. The meat has absorbed in all the flavor, and falls right apart.
If you cannot find boneless beef short ribs, you can also substitute with beef shank, brisket, flank, or any chuck cut.
- 1.5 lb of Boneless Beef Short Ribs, cut into 2-inch cubes
- 8 cloves of Garlic (peeled)
- 1 whole Onion sliced
- 1 whole Carrot cut into chunks
- 4 Potato cut into chunks
- 1.5 tbsp of Sichuan Doubanjiang
- 1.5 tbsp of Soy Sauce
- 1 tbsp of Dark Soy Sauce
- 1 cup of Chinese Cooking Wine
- 2 cups of Water
- 1 tbsp of Sugar
- 1.5 tsp of Five Spice Powder
- 1 Bay Leaf
- 1 small Cinnamon Stick
- 4 whole Chili
- Drizzle in oil and pan-fry the beef on medium-high heat for 1-2 minutes on each side in a pot. Remove the meat once every side of the meat has been browned.
- Add in sliced Onion and Garlic and saute for 2-3 minutes or until onion is translucent.
- Add back in the beef and saute together for 1-2 minutes.
- Add in Sichuan Dobanjiang, soy sauce, dark soy sauce, sugar, and five-spice powder. Saute together for 2-3 minutes
- Add in Chinese cooking wine, water, bay leaf, cinnamon stick, and whole chili. Make sure that every piece of meat is coated in the sauce. Once it starts simmering, put the lid on, turn the heat to medium-low, and cook for 1 hour.
- After 1 hour, add in potato and carrots, stir to make sure that everything is soaked in the sauce, and cover and cook for another 45 minutes – 1 hour.
- After 45 minutes, the beef should be tender and easily break apart with a fork, and the veggies should be soft. Serve with a bowl of rice and ENJOY!
Chinese Beef Stew – Fork Tender Beef
By Tiffy Cooks
Ingredients
- 1.5 lb Boneless Beef Short Ribs cut into 2-inch cubes
- 8 cloves Garlic peeled
- 1 whole Onion sliced
- 1 whole Carrot cut into chunks
- 4 Potato cut into chunks
- 1.5 tbsp La Doubanjiang
- 1.5 tbsp Soy Sauce
- 1 tbsp dark soy sauce
- 1 cup Chinese Cooking Wine
- 2 cups Water
- 1 tbsp Sugar
- 1.5 tsp Five Spice
- 1 Bay Leaf
- 1 Cinnamon Stick
- 4 whole Chili
Instructions
- Drizzle in oil and pan-fry the beef on medium-high heat for 1-2 minutes on each side in a pot. Remove the meat once every side of the meat has been browned.
- Add in sliced Onion and Garlic and saute for 2-3 minutes or until onion is translucent.
- Add back in the beef and saute together for 1-2 minutes.
- Add in Sichuan Dobanjiang, soy sauce, dark soy sauce, sugar, and five-spice powder. Saute together for 2-3 minutes
- Add in Chinese cooking wine, water, bay leaf, cinnamon stick, and whole chili. Make sure that every piece of meat is coated in the sauce. Once it starts simmering, put the lid on, turn the heat to medium-low, and cook for 1 hour.
- After 1 hour, add in potato and carrots, stir to make sure that everything is soaked in the sauce, and cover and cook for another 45 minutes – 1 hour.
- After 45 minutes, the beef should be tender and easily break apart with a fork, and the veggies should be soft. Serve with a bowl of rice and ENJOY!
