Chinese Braised Beef Shank is a great make ahead Chinese food that can be eaten hot, cold, or even room temperature. Just make sure there is enough for everyone because it will go quick.
This is an excellent option to make in conjunction with Very Easy 6-Ingredient Shanghai Chicken because they both use the exact same cooking liquid.
It’s so easy
Braising beef in a pot with soy sauce tinged with spices not very difficult at all.
The hard part is 1) waiting for it to cook and 2) finding the beef.
Beef Banana Shanks
This cut of beef comes from the upper half of the cow leg. As such, it is tough, sinewy, and needs a long cooking time to soften up those hardworking muscles.
This is not a common cut of meat in Western cuisine but is used heavily in Chinese cuisine for beef noodle soups and braises.
It is possible to find the banana shank at Asian markets, and some grassfed beef purveyors will also sell this cut.
How to Make Chinese Braised Beef Shank
Step 1: Make the Master Stock
Hopefully, you would already have this stock ready to go from cooking Shanghai chicken.
If not, simply add the beef to the pot with water, soy sauce, rice wine, sugar, cinnamon, and star anise.
If you would like to use the stock as a soup base after cooking, the beef should be boiled first in plain water to remove impurities. It’s not absolutely necessary, but some purists do this.
Step 2: Cook beef
This takes the longest time, about 1.5 – 2 hours, or 2 episodes of Game of Thrones. The meat will be well done and need to be sliced with a knife.
I had considered using the slow cooker, but the slow cooker tends to overcook meat, IMHO.
This meat is not meant to be fork tender (as many Chinese meats are not). It should still have some chew.
Step 3: Cool and slice
You can eat this hot from the pot, using the knife to cut it into chunks. However, the preferred method is to let it cool (to room temperature even) and slice thin.
It is easier to slice cold from the refrigerator the next day too for a low carb snack.
Some of the leftover stock can be drizzled over the top if desired for sheen and moisture.
Tips from a Professional Chef
- Make this the day before and serve cold or at room temperature.
- Cook chicken in the same stock first to get 2 meals out of 1 pot
- Do not overcook to fork tender. It should still hold together if you try to pick it up with a fork.
More Make Ahead Chinese Food
Sometimes you need a dish that you can make ahead of time. With a lot of Asian food, you can eat it cold or at room temperature such as:
Make Ahead Chilled Chinese Broccoli.
Smashed Cucumbers – Angry & Vegan
Make Ahead Chinese Braised Beef Shank
Ingredients
- 1.5 lb beef banana shank grassfed
- 1 1/2 c soy sauce
- 1/2 c Chinese rice wine or dry sherry
- 3 Tb cane sugar
- 3 c water
- 1 ea cinnamon sticks
- 3 ea star anise
Instructions
- Put all items into a pot. Bring to a simmer and cook at a very lazy bubble for 1.5-2 hours. The meat will be thoroughly cooked and tender but not falling apart when you pick it up.
- Remove from liquid, slice, and serve. Alternately, it can be cooled completely, sliced and eaten cold or at room temperature.
- The cooking liquid can be cooled, refrigerated, and used again if desired.
Notes
- Make this the day before and serve cold or at room temperature.
- Cook chicken in the same stock first to get 2 meals out of 1 pot
- Do not overcook to fork tender. It should still hold together if you try to pick it up with a fork.
Do you love grassfed beef? Please spread the Asian ♥ and share!
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