Chinese Beef Braised in Soy Sauce
Ingredients:
8-inch segment large Oriental white radish*
2 pounds of stewing beef
1/2 cup (4 fluid ounces) of dark soy sauce
2 teaspoons of granulated sugar
1-inch piece of fresh ginger root
3 whole green (spring) onions
2 tablespoons of pale dry sherry
2 cups of water
Mixture
2 teaspoons of cornstarch (cornflour)
1 tablespoon of water
1 teaspoon of Chinese All-Purpose Sauce or hoisin sauce
Directions:
Prepare the meat and vegetables: The beef should be trimmed of fat and cut into 1-inch cubes. For the vegetables: peel the radish and cut into 1-inch pieces. Peel the ginger, and cut into quarters.
Fill a large saucepan with water and bring to boil on high heat.
Use a strainer (also known as a sieve) to immerse the radish in the boiling water for 5 minutes. Remove the strainer from the saucepan and place the radish on a plate. Do not rinse the saucepan.
Separate the cubes of beef into three sections. Blanch one of the sections, plunging the meat into the boiling water until it changes color, and any excess fat rises to the surface. Drain the meat and set on a plate. Repeat for the other two sections, empty the saucepan and rinse.
Using either a stewing pan or a wok, boil the soy sauce, sugar, ginger, sherry, and beef, adding the ingredients in that order, bringing to a boil on medium heat and stirring to ensure the beef is mixed with the other ingredients.
Add 2 cups of water, cover and bring to a boil. Adjust the heat to maintain a steady simmer and cook for 1 hour.
Strain the stock in the saucepan, discarding green onions. Add 2/3 cup to the beef stew. Add the cornstarch/water/All Purpose Sauce mixture, stirring. Add the cooked Oriental radish and adjust the heat to medium. Stir until the ingredients are heated through and the sauce has thickened. Serve with rice.