Cantonese Braised Beef

I was going to make a hearty Goulash when I ordered in my beef, but suddenly I felt like having a hearty Chinese dish instead. Here it is my Braised Beef Cantonese style.

Ingredients:

500g diced lean Beef

1 red Onion, sliced

5 cloves of Garlic, minced

1 inch of Ginger, sliced

1 stalk of Lemongrass

1 Cinnamon Stick

2 Cloves

2 Bayleafes

1 Black Cardamon

2 Green Cardamon

2 Star Anise

500 ml Chicken Stock

2 tbs Soy Sauce

2 tbs Shao Shing Rice Wine

1 tbs Oyster Sauce

A sprinkling of White Pepper

In a dry pan toast the dry aromatics (Cinnamon stick, Cardamon, Cloves, Star Anise) lightly. Add a tiny bit of Vegetable oil and toss in the sliced Onion. Cook gently until softened and turning slightly brown. Next add the Garlic and Ginger and stir until they are fragrant also.
This dish is a lot about smell. Let the aromas guide you to when the next stage is.

The Beef goes in next and is stirred just until it gets a little colour.

Finally all the other ingredients go in, bring everything to a simmer, cover and cook low and slow until the beef is tender, about 2-3 hours.

If you have a slow cooker this would be a great dish to use it for.

 

Serve over Rice or Noodles with some green Veg on the side. I actually waited until the next day to eat my dish as the flavours intensify and deepen overnight.

Wat Dan Hor - Fried Noodles with Seafood in Gravy

When I go to a Chinese Restaurant on my own, I almost always have this dish. It is comforting and delicious with many different interesting ingredients, yet made so simply, without any fancy spices or herbs. It doesn't need anything like that.

Today I have recreated this dish at home for the first time. I was worried that it may not come out the same, but I surprised myself. The flavors and textures were exactly right.

Ingredients:

(serves 3)

250g Raw Prawns, shelled, deveined and cut in half lengthways

(I used only Prawns, but use any seafood that you fancy)

1 inch piece if Ginger, finely chopped

2-3 Garlic Cloves, chopped
A selection of Vegetables and exotic Mushrooms (Mange Tout, Chinese Cabbages, Shitake and other exotic Mushrooms, Spring Onion, Green Pepper, Carrot), all cut or sliced thinly so they cook evenly

300g Wok ready Rice Noodles, thick ones are better

1tsp Soy Sauce

200ml good Chicken Broth

1 heaped tsp Cornflour mixed with Water

2 tsp Vegetable Oil

Heat 1 tsp of the Oil in a Wok and stir fry the prawns (and seafood) until just cooked. (this will only take a couple of minutes) Set aside.

Add another tsp of the Oil and fry the noodles in the same Wok, giving them just a little bit of color on the edges, for that authentic Chinese Restaurant taste. Add a splash of Soy sauce, set aside and keep warm..

Now toss all the Vegetables in the Wok and stir fry for a few minutes. Then the Chicken broth goes in and the Cornflour sloshy. Stir until thickened. Return the Prawns (and Seafood), stir once more and it's ready to serve.

Pour the Gravy with all it's lovely Vegetables and Seafood over the Noodles and eat with Chopsticks.