I brought home 2 huge packets of rather good quality tangerine peel (陈皮) from Guangzhou some time back and it had just been sitting in my air tight container. I decided to cook something with it tonight.

I tasted this dish when I was in Hong Kong and Guangzhou. I am going to try to replicate this today.

The beef was really flavourful and aromatic. The sauce and aromatics were absorbed right into the beef and daikon.

As with all stews, the flavours will intensify overnight. Keep the leftovers! You can serve this over steamed rice or egg noodles. It goes very well with both options.

Ingredients:

1 kg beef brisket, cut into 1”x2” pieces
400g -500g daikon radish (optional)
4 clove garlic, sliced
4 slices ginger, 1 inch long each
1.5tbsp chu hou sauce
1tbsp oyster sauce
1tbsp hoisin sauce
1tbsp rock sugar
2tbsp cooking wine
1tbsp soy sauce to taste
1/2tbsp dark soy sauce
2 star anise
1 dried tangerine peel (陈皮), broken into pieces
1 bay leaf
2 stalk scallions for garnishing
Cilantro for garnishing

Directions:

1. Blanch beef brisket in a large pot of boiling water. Take the beef out and rinse under cold water. Drain the excess water and set aside

2. Heat up the cooking oil in a wok or a cooking pot that could fit all the beef. Add the sliced garlic and ginger on low heat until aromatic. About 30 seconds

3. Add chu hou sauce, oyster sauce, hoisin sauce and stir fry on low heat for 1 minute

4. Add in the blanched beef, star anise, tangerine peel, bay leaf and cooking wine

5. Cook under medium heat until the beef is slightly brown. About 3 minutes

6. Add 2 cups of water and bring to boil. Add the rock sugar. Don’t worry if it is not dissolved. It will dissolve later on while we simmer the whole pot.

7. Turn the heat to low and simmer with lid on for 2.5 hours until tender. Please check occasionally to ensure the sauce does not dry up. I actually check every hour. Turn the beef with a spatula every now and then. Add soy sauce to taste

8. Add daikon slices and mix with the beef. Bring the stew to boil and simmer with lid on until the radish is soft. About 30 minutes.

9. Sprinkle some scallions and cilantro and serve with white rice

The Lee Kum Kee Hoisin sauce and Chu Hou Paste that I used for this recipe. Easily found at local supermarkets or Asian grocery stores.