Beef in Five Spice Sauce
6 servings
120 minutes
Beef in 'Five Spices' sauce is an exquisite dish of Chinese cuisine where traditional aromas blend with the rich texture of meat. Historically, 'Five Spices' sauce is used in Chinese gastronomy to add depth of flavor and refined spiciness to dishes. It includes star anise, clove, cinnamon, Sichuan pepper, and fennel, creating a balance of sweet, spicy, and tangy. Beef cheeks are slowly braised in a fragrant broth with ginger, garlic, and sherry to achieve tenderness that literally melts in the mouth. The dish is served with blanched bok choy or fluffy rice that highlights the richness of flavors. This beef is a true gastronomic masterpiece that warms the soul and delights the taste buds with its complex yet harmonious blend of aromas.
1
Fry chopped garlic, onion, chili, and grated ginger in two tablespoons of oil in a pot, remove, and add the peeled and floured cheeks to the pot and fry them as well.
- Garlic: 6 cloves
- Spring onion: 50 g
- Chili pepper: 10 g
- Fresh ginger: 20 g
- Olive oil: 65 ml
- Beef cheeks: 1.5 kg
- Wheat flour: 2 tablespoons
2
Add 'Five Spices' and sugar, then add the anise and ginger-garlic mixture. Pour in the wine and evaporate.
- Chinese five-spice powder: 1 teaspoon
- Muscovado sugar: 2 teaspoons
- Star anise: 2 pieces
- Dry sherry (fino): 3 tablespoons
3
Pour in the broth, add soy sauce. Cook for 1.5–2 hours at a gentle simmer, stirring, until the meat is tender.
- Beef stock: 500 ml
- Soy sauce: 3 tablespoons
4
Blanch the pak choi. Arrange the beef on plates and serve with pak choi (or steamed rice).
- Pak choi (bok choy): 5 bunch