Braised Beef Brisket Noodles (红烧牛腩面)

Method17 steps · about 4 hr

1. 1

   Step 1: Blanch the brisket and tendon in boiling water for 15 minutes. Lift out, rinse off the loosened scum and cut into chunks. Discard the blanching and rinse waters. Continue straight through the preparation and braising steps in the same cooking session.

   Blanch brisket and tendon · 15 minUses 1 kg beef brisket · 300 g beef tendon · Water, enough to blanch the meat · Water, as needed to rinse the blanched meat

2. 2

   Step 2: Wash and peel the radish (250 g), then cut it into chunks. Wash the chye sim (380 g) thoroughly, trim as needed and drain. Keep the radish and greens separately for their later cooking stages.

   Uses 250 g radish · 380 g chye sim (choy sum) · Water, as needed to wash radish and greens

3. 3

   Step 3: Peel the thumbnail-size ginger piece and slice it thinly.

   Uses One thumbnail-size piece of ginger

4. 4

   Step 4: Smash the two skin-on garlic cloves with the flat of a knife.

   Uses 2 garlic cloves, skin on

5. 5

   Step 5: Soak the dried orange peel (1 piece) in water until soft, then drain it well and discard the soaking water.

   Uses 1 piece dried orange peel · Water, enough to soak the orange peel

6. 6

   Step 6: Heat 3 tbsp oil in a wok over medium heat. Fry the smashed garlic and sliced ginger until aromatic.

   Uses 3 tbsp braise-aromatic oil · All the sliced ginger from step 3 · Both garlic cloves from step 4

7. 7

   Step 7: Add the star anise (2), drained orange peel, cinnamon stick (1) and bay leaves. Fry for about 30 seconds until fragrant.

   Fry the whole spices · 1 minUses All the aromatics and oil from step 6 · 2 star anise · The orange peel drained in step 5 · 1 cinnamon stick · 2–3 dried bay leaves

8. 8

   Step 8: Add the blanched brisket and tendon chunks and fry over medium heat until lightly browned.

   Uses All the aromatics and spices from step 7 · All the meat chunks drained and rinsed in step 1

9. 9

   Step 9: Stir in the chu hou sauce (3 tbsp), oyster sauce (2 tbsp), dark soy sauce (2–3 tsp), rock sugar (10 g), sesame oil (1 tsp) and Shaoxing wine (3 tbsp). Add 1.5–2 litres boiling water and bring the whole mixture to a boil.

   Uses All the meat and aromatics from step 8 · 3 tbsp chu hou sauce · 2 tbsp oyster sauce · 2–3 tsp dark soy sauce · 10 g rock sugar · 1 tsp sesame oil · 3 tbsp Shaoxing wine · 1.5–2 litres boiling braise water

10. 10

    Step 10: Transfer to a pot and cover. Reduce the heat to maintain a steady gentle braise for about 2½–3 hours, checking from 2½ hours. Check tenderness and the gravy level; add a little extra water only if it is drying out. If the brisket becomes tender before the tendon, lift the brisket to a clean covered dish and keep it hot while you continue braising the tendon until gelatinous.

    Check the brisket and tendon · 150 minUses All the boiling mixture from step 9 · Extra water, only if needed to keep enough gravy

11. 11

    Step 11: Add the radish chunks and braise covered for about another 30 minutes, until the radish is soft and the meat is tender. Keep enough gravy to dress the noodles. Return any separately held brisket to the hot pot before finishing.

    Check the braised radish · 30 minUses The tendon, gravy and any held brisket from step 10 · All the radish chunks prepared in step 2, with the greens kept aside · Extra water, only if needed for the gravy

12. 12

    Step 12: If the gravy needs thickening, mix 1 tsp cornstarch with the separate 2 tbsp water until smooth. Stir the slurry into the pot and simmer for about 1 minute until the gravy thickens. Skip the slurry if the tendon has already made the gravy sticky enough. Taste and add a little salt (to taste) only if needed.

    Cook the optional slurry · 1 minUses All the braise from step 11 · Optional 1 tsp cornstarch for thickening · Optional 2 tbsp slurry water · Optional salt, to taste

13. 13

    Step 13: Bring the noodle-cooking water to a boil in a wok. Add 1 tsp oil and blanch the prepared chye sim for about 1–2 minutes, checking from 1 minute, until just tender. Lift the greens out and set aside; keep the water boiling for the noodles.

    Check the blanched greens · 1 minUses All the greens prepared in step 2, with the radish already used · Water, enough for greens and noodle boiling · 1 tsp noodle oil for the greens boiling water

14. 14

    Step 14: Loosen the fresh noodles and add them to the boiling water. Boil for about 2–3 minutes, checking from 2 minutes, and spread them apart with chopsticks until cooked to a springy texture.

    Check the fresh noodles · 2 minUses 1½ packets fresh Hong Kong/wonton noodles · The boiling water retained in step 13, with the cooked greens kept aside

15. 15

    Step 15: Lift the noodles into a bowl of clean tap water and loosen them to rinse away excess starch. Drain, then dip them back into the boiling water for a few seconds to reheat. Drain again.

    Uses All the noodles lifted from step 14 · The boiling water kept after step 14 · Clean tap water, enough to rinse the noodles

16. 16

    Step 16: For each of the seven serving plates, add 1 tsp oil and 2 tsp light soy sauce. Divide the hot drained noodles between the plates and toss each portion quickly until evenly coated.

    Uses All the drained noodles from step 15 · 1 tsp noodle oil per serving plate · 2 tsp light soy sauce per serving plate

17. 17

    Step 17: Top the dressed noodles with the hot brisket, tendon, radish and gravy, and add the blanched chye sim. Drizzle with ready garlic oil and scatter on ready crispy garlic as desired. Serve hot. If preparing the braise ahead, cool it promptly in shallow containers and refrigerate; bring it back to a full boil and reheat to 74°C/165°F before serving with freshly cooked noodles.

    Uses All seven dressed noodle portions from step 16 · The hot brisket, tendon, radish and gravy from step 12 · The cooked greens lifted out in step 13 · Ready crispy garlic, as desired · Ready garlic oil, as desired