Red-cooked beef Recipe
- 1 tbsp vegetable oil
- 6 spring onions, sliced
- 4 garlic cloves, sliced
- thumb-sized piece fresh ginger, cut into matchsticks
- 1 tsp roasted Sichuan peppercorns
- 6 star anise
- 6 cloves
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 200ml/7fl oz beef stock
- 75ml/2½fl oz brandy
- 50ml/2fl oz dark soy sauce
- 2 tsp sugar
- pinch salt
- 500g/1lb 1½oz piece topside beef
- 1 red pepper, sliced
- 1 yellow pepper, sliced
- 1 packet ready-made egg noodles, cooked according to packet instructions
- fresh beansprouts
- sesame oil, to drizzle
- handful peanuts, toasted
- Heat the oil in a large, deep frying pan over a medium heat. Add the spring onions, garlic, ginger, Sichuan peppercorns, star anise, cloves and cinnamon stick and fry for 2-3 minutes, until the spring onions have softened.
- Add the stock, brandy, soy sauce, sugar and salt. Bring to the boil, then turn down the heat and simmer for five minutes.
- Reduce the heat, so the mixture is barely simmering, then place the beef into the sauce. Poach the beef, turning occasionally, for 45 minutes to one hour, or until completely cooked through.
- Add the red and yellow peppers one minute before the end of cooking and allow to soften for a minute. Remove the beef from the pan and allow to rest for 4-5 minutes, then carve into thin slices.
- To serve, place the egg noodles, bean sprouts, sesame oil and peanuts into a large bowl and mix together well. Divide the noodle mixture and place onto four plates. Place a few slices of beef onto each pile of noodles and drizzle over the sauce.
