Au Larm - Spicy Braised Beef - China
Why I Love This Recipe
In honor of the Chinese New Year I thought I would share a Chinese recipe. Au Larm comes the central-western part of China. This recipe you can find in the "Asia the Beautiful Cookbook."
Ingredients You'll Need
2 pounds flank or shank beef
2 medium onions
12 slices fresh ginger
10 cloves garlic
2-3 pieces tangerine peel or the peel of 1 mandarine
3 whole star anise
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 teaspoons Szechuan peppercorns*
2 teaspoons cracked black peppercorns
1/4 cup rice wine,* sake or dry sherry
3/4 cup dark soy sauce
3 tablespoons hoisin or sweet bean paste*
Directions
Cut the meat into 2 inch cubes and place in a deep saucepan. Add water to cover. Peel and quarter the onions and add to the pot with the ginger slices, 3-4 cloves of peeled garlic, the tangerine peel and star anise. Cover and bring to the boil. Skim the surface, then reduce heat and simmer for 21/2 hours.
Peel and chop the remaining garlic. In a wok or skillet fry the garlic in the oil with with the Szechuan and cracked pepper for 1 minute over medium heat. Add the remaining ingredients over medium heat and cook together, stirring, for about 2 minutes, then pour into the pot and return to the boil. Skim the surface again, cover and simmer for 45 minutes or until the meat is tender enough to break up with a fork. Remove the star anise and peel before serving with rice.
