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Preparation
20 minutes
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Cooking
40 minutes
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Difficulty
Easy
Among the beef cuts, the shank is often the most delicious because it is firm and has a crunchy texture due to the beef tendons. Today, let’s cook a simple and nutritious coconut braised shank with tips from the special page Into the Kitchen!
Ingredients for Coconut Braised Shank For 4 people
Shank 350 gr Fish sauce 2 teaspoons White wine 2 teaspoons Onion 1 bulb Pineapple 1/4 fruit (aromatic/ pineapple) Coconut water 800 ml Green mango 1 fruit Cucumber 1 fruit Lemongrass 4 stalks Minced garlic 1/2 tablespoon Fresh herbs 100 gr (lettuce/ aromatic herbs/ fish mint/ sprouts) Fish sauce 3 tablespoons Lime juice 2 tablespoons Chopped chili 1 teaspoon Common spices a little (sugar/ salt/ seasoning powder)
How to choose delicious ingredients
How to choose good beef brisket
- Select pieces of meat that are soft, small, and not too smooth.
- Press your hand on the meat; if it is elastic, does not stick to your hand, and has no bad smell, then it is fresh meat.
- Female beef is usually tastier than male beef; if you can buy young beef, even better.
- Avoid buying beef that has a pale green color, white round spots between the muscle fibers, and a bad smell. Additionally, pieces of meat that are dark red, have dark yellow fat, yellow bones, mushy texture, and feel sticky to touch should also be avoided…
How to choose good pineapples
- Color: Choose fruits that are bright yellow from the stem to the tail. There might be a few green eyes, but if the pineapple is uniformly yellow, the sweetness will be higher. Avoid selecting unevenly colored fruits with dark brown spots or yellowish-red as they are overripe. Do not choose pineapples that are still green, as they will take a long time to ripen.
- Shape: A round and short pineapple will have more flesh than a long, cylindrical one.
- Skin layer: The skin of an overripe pineapple will be wrinkled. Fresh and good pineapples will not be too hard or too soft; pressing your finger into it should not leave a dent.
- Pineapple eyes: The larger and sparser the eyes, the better.
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Fragrance: Smell the stem; if it has a fragrant smell, it should be selected. Avoid choosing those with little or no smell, as they are not ripe. Also, do not choose fruits that have a slightly sour smell, as this indicates they are overripe.
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Pineapple crown: The fresher the green color, the fresher the pineapple. If the crown of the pineapple is too dry or has turned brown, then the fruit is overripe.
How to cook Coconut Braised Beef Brisket
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Prepare the beef brisket
First, you need to wash the beef brisket thoroughly and soak it in diluted salt water for about 5 minutes, then rinse again with cold water until clean.
Tip:
- For beef brisket, to avoid losing nutrients in the meat, you should only wash and prepare it with diluted salt water and not blanch it in boiling water like other types of meat.
- To make the beef tender and flavorful more quickly, marinate the beef with 2 teaspoons of fish sauce and 2 teaspoons of white wine for about 20 – 25 minutes.
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Prepare other ingredients
Peel the onion, wash it clean, and cut it in half.
Wash 1/4 of a pineapple to remove dirt and cut it into small pieces.
Wash 4 stalks of lemongrass, remove the outer layers and any wilted or dry leaves, cut into segments, and crush them.
Wash the mango, peel it, wash it again for cleanliness, remove the pit, and slice it thinly.
Wash the cucumber, cut off both ends, halve it, and slice it diagonally for easy eating.
Pick the herbs, discarding any wilted leaves, remove stems, soak in diluted salt water, and rinse thoroughly.
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Stew the beef brisket
Add 800ml of coconut water into the pot, then add the cleaned beef brisket.
Add onion, lemongrass, pineapple along with 1 teaspoon of seasoning, 1 teaspoon of salt, and use chopsticks to gently stir so that the seasoning dissolves in the coconut water.
Cover the pot and stew on medium heat for 40 minutes. During the boiling process, if you see foam rising, remove it immediately, as this will make the boiled meat more fragrant.
Stick a chopstick in to check if the beef brisket is tender, then turn off the heat, take the beef brisket out onto a plate, cover tightly, and wait for it to cool.
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Make the dipping sauce
In a bowl, add 3 tablespoons of fish sauce, 2 tablespoons of sugar, 2 tablespoons of lemon juice, 3 tablespoons of water, 1/2 tablespoon of minced garlic, and 1 teaspoon of minced chili.
Stir well until the sugar is completely dissolved.
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Completion
Insert a skewer; if the beef shank is soft and no pink or red color appears, it means the meat is cooked. Turn off the heat, remove the beef shank to a plate, cover tightly, and wait for it to cool.
Use a sharp knife to slice the beef shank thinly, arrange on a plate, with fresh vegetables, mango, and cucumber.
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Final Product
Thus, with just a few simple steps, any of us can complete the delicious braised beef shank in coconut water, served with fresh green vegetables and a rich dipping sauce.
The boiled beef is cooked to tenderness and moist, with the characteristic sweetness of beef, and the tendons of the beef shank are crispy. Good boiled meat should have a fragrant smell and not be darkened, displaying beautiful colors that offer both aesthetic appeal and rich flavors. The dipping sauce for the beef is fragrant and thick with garlic and chili.
Boiled beef can be served with fresh vegetables like lettuce, mint, cucumber, tomato, and some fresh noodles with rice paper. Serving this way makes the dish delicious without being overwhelming and is good for health, making it a suitable dish for family gatherings on weekends.
How to store braised beef with coconut water
- Store in the refrigerator’s cool compartment, when using, you can take it out to reheat, cut as you eat.
- If stored in the refrigerator, you should only keep it for a maximum of 2 – 3 days, do not keep it longer as the dish will spoil and produce many toxins that are not good for health.
See more
The above is a guide to making the dish braised beef with coconut water delicious, rich, extremely simple and easy to make that anyone can do. Wish you success with this braised beef with coconut water recipe!
*Images and recipes referenced from the YouTube channel TasteShare.
