Chinese-Style Braised Beef Tendon and Shank Stew

Name: Chinese-Style Braised Beef Tendon and Shank Stew
Yield: 8 to 10 servings
Ingredients: Approximately 1 pound beef leg tendon; 3 star anise, separated; 2 inch piece of fresh ginger (not peeled), separated; 1/2 teaspoon whole black peppercorns; 3 pounds beef shank; 2 daikon radish (about 3 pounds); 4 large carrots; 1 medium sized onion; 2 heaping Tablespoons of Black Bean Garlic Sauce; 1 cup Chinese Cooking Wine (shaoxing wine); 2 heaping Tablespoons Oyster Sauce; 2 Tablespoons Sweet Soy Sauce; 1 teaspoon (or more) of Chili Garlic Sauce or crushed red pepper. (Optional); Noodles or rice for serving (Optional); 2 Tablespoons Chu Hou Paste (if you can get it. If not, don’t worry. You can omit it)

Chris Gan @ChrissyAlpha

My Chinese Mother-in-Law graciously taught me how to make this hearty and delicious stew. Beef shank and tendon are quite tough and fibrous, but a slow braise transforms them into a tender, succulent dish. The tendon becomes the consistency of a thick chewy noodle. If you don’t have beef shank, other tough cuts of meat like oxtail could also be used.

#ComfortFood #Traditional #Asian #Winter #Autumn

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Ingredients

4 to 4.5 hr

8 to 10 servings

Approximately 1 pound beef leg tendon
3 star anise, separated
2 inch piece of fresh ginger (not peeled), separated
1/2 teaspoon whole black peppercorns
3 pounds beef shank
2 daikon radish (about 3 pounds)
4 large carrots
1 medium sized onion
2 heaping Tablespoons of Black Bean Garlic Sauce
1 cup Chinese Cooking Wine (shaoxing wine)
2 heaping Tablespoons Oyster Sauce
2 Tablespoons Sweet Soy Sauce
1 teaspoon (or more) of Chili Garlic Sauce or crushed red pepper. (Optional)
Noodles or rice for serving (Optional)
2 Tablespoons Chu Hou Paste (if you can get it. If not, don’t worry. You can omit it)

Cooking Instructions

1

Place beef tendon in a large pot, and cover it with water. Add the following:
👉🏻 1 star anise.
👉🏻 A 1 inch piece of ginger cut into 4 chunks
👉🏻 1/2 teaspoon whole black peppercorns.

Bring to a boil, then reduce heat, cover, and let simmer for 1 hour.

Note: I placed the black peppercorns into a tea strainer before putting them in the pot, so that I could retrieve them later. If you prefer, you can also put the ginger and star anise into the strainer as well.
2

While the tendon cooks, trim the fat from the ends of the beef shank, then cut into large chunks (about 1.5 inches wide).
3

Peel the daikon radish, then slice it into large chunks on the diagonal. Rotate the daikon about 90 degrees, and cut again. Watch the video below.
4

Peel the carrots and cut them into chunks in the same way you cut the daikon.
5

Remove the tendon from the simmering water, rinse it well, and allow it to cool to the touch. Slice it into large chunks just as you did for the beef shank.
Discard the water and the ginger/peppercorns/star anise.
6

Chop one onion into large chunks. Transfer the beef shank, beef tendon, and onion to a large pot.
7

Add the following to the pot:
👉🏻 2 star anise
👉🏻 4 small bay leaves
👉🏻 1 cup of Chinese cooking wine
👉🏻 2 T oyster sauce
👉🏻 2 T black bean garlic sauce
👉🏻 2 T sweet soy sauce
👉🏻 1 one inch piece of ginger

Below is a picture of all the sauces.

IF you can get Chu Hou Paste, add 2 Tablespoons as well.
8

Add enough water to the pot to just cover the ingredients and stir.
Bring to a boil, then reduce heat, cover, and simmer for approximately 2 hours.
9

Test the doneness of the tendon. You should be able to insert a fork fully into the tendon.
Add the carrot and daikon radish. Push them down into the stew as best you can. Do not add extra fluid at this time. Cover, bring to a boil again, then reduce heat to a simmer. Cook for another 45 minutes, or until the vegetables are done.
10

If the beef still seems a little tough to you, you can continue simmering it for another 30 minutes over low heat.
You can add a teaspoon or two of chili garlic sauce to spice it up!
11

Serve over rice or noodles. This pairs well with Chinese vegetables like gai lan!