CHINESE FEAST - Chinese Braised Beef, Chilli Bok Choi and Marinaded Beansprouts

Chinese food is so disgustingly tasty that I want to put my head in a whole bowl of noodles and smother myself in soy. Im in love with this dish as it provides all the soft elegant fragrances of Chinese food but there is enough sticky juices to satisfy your craving for naughty 'takeaway' food. This dish is a perfect saturday night dinner party favourite.

Chinese Braised Beef

• 3-4 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tbsp Honey
• 6 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
• good thumb-size piece fresh root ginger, peeled and shredded
• 1 bunch spring onions, sliced
• 1 red chilli, deseeded and thinly sliced
• 1½ kg braising beef
• 2 tbsp plain flour, well seasoned
• 1 tsp Chinese five-spice powder
• 2 star anise 
• 2 tsp light muscovado sugar (or use whatever you've got)
• 3 tbsp Chinese cooking wine
• 3 tbsp dark soy sauce, plus more to serve
• 500ml Beef Stock
• steamed bok choi 
• Heat 2 tbsp of the oil in a large, shallow casserole. Fry the garlic, ginger, onions and chilli for 3 mins until soft and fragrant. Tip onto a plate. Toss the beef in the flour, add 1 tbsp more oil to the pan, then brown the meat in batches, adding the final tbsp oil if you need to. Add the five-spice and star anise (if using) to the pan, tip in the gingery mix, then fry for 1 min until the spices are fragrant. Add the sugar, then the beef and stir until combined. Keep the heat high, then splash in the wine scraping up any meaty bits. Heat oven to 150C/fan 130C/gas 2. Pour in the soy and stock (it won’t cover the meat completely), bring to a simmer, then tightly cover, transfer to the oven and cook for 1½-2 hrs, stirring the meat halfway through. The meat should be very soft, and any sinewy bits should have melted away. Season with more soy. Nestle the cooked bok choi into the pan, then bring to the table.

Chilli Bok Choi

• 2 tbsp vegetable oil
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 6 heads bok choi, split in half lengthways
• 3 tbsp oyster sauce
• 1 tbsp light soy sauce
• 1 long red chilli, deseeded and finely sliced
• Heat the oil in a wok, add the garlic and fry for 2 mins. Tip in the bok choi and stir well over the heat for 4 mins until it wilts. Pour in the oyster sauce, soy and 50ml water. Simmer for a further 3 mins, then scatter over the chilli to serve.

Marinaded Beansprouts

  Bag of Beansprouts

  

  Oyster Sauce

  Honey

  Soy

  Really simply heat the honey, soy and oyster sauce in a pan for 3 minutes then add the beansprouts and cover with the sauce and then cook for a further 3 minutes. Serve. 

Serve all these dishes with rice and noodles and wear stretchy pants. De-li-cious.

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