Five-Spice Beef Recipe

Five-Spice Beef Recipe

2 liters cold water

1.8 kg shin of beef

200 g sugarcane sugar or dark brown sugar

½ cup Chinese cooking wine or dry sherry

4 garlic cloves, peeled

Two ½-inch-thick slices fresh ginger

Three 3-inch-long cinnamon sticks

4 pieces eight-star anise

½ teaspoon Sichuan peppercorns

1 teaspoon salt

1 cup double dark soy sauce, regular dark soy sauce, or mushroom soy sauce

Method:

Place the water in a large pot.  Add all the other ingredients except the soy sauce and stir.  Cover the pot and bring to a boil over high heat.  Add the soy sauce and return to a boil.  Lower the heat and simmer the beef for 4 hours.  Remove the pot cover to check, and if the liquid appears to be evaporating quickly, partially cover the pot, leaving space for the steam to escape.  Test the beef with a chopstick.  If it goes into the beef easily, it is done.  About 2½ cups of cooking liquid should be left in the pot.  Turn off the heat, cover the pot, and allow the beef to come to room temperature in the liquid.  Transfer the beef to a shallow dish.  Reserve the cooking liquid for storing the meat.  Cover the meat with plastic wrap and refrigerate.  When it is cooled, slice thinly and serve or refrigerate for up to 7 days or freeze for up to 6 weeks, stored in a container with 1½ cups of cooking liquid.  Defrost before slicing.