Preparation
30 minutes
Cooking
1 hour
Difficulty
Easy
Ingredients for Braised Beef Brisket with Five Fruits For 4 people
Beef brisket 1 kg Potatoes 300 gr White radish 300 gr Red radish 300 gr Lotus root 300 gr Lotus seeds 200 gr Red apple 10 gr Chinese yam 5 gr Rehmannia 5 gr Codonopsis pilosula 5 gr Eucommia 5 gr Goji berries 10 gr Horned chili 2 pieces Lemongrass 3 stalks Minced shallots 3 tablespoons Ginger 1/2 piece Minced garlic 3 tablespoons White wine 1 tablespoon Ginger wine 1 tablespoon Rock sugar 10 gr Soy sauce 2 tablespoons Sesame oil 1 tablespoon Cooking oil 4 tablespoons Salt/ MSG A little
How to choose fresh ingredients
How to choose fresh beef brisket
- Choose pieces of meat that are tender, small, and not too smooth.
- Press your hand into the meat; if it is elastic, does not stick to your hand, and has no unpleasant odor, then it is fresh meat.
- Female beef is usually tastier than male beef; if you can get veal, that’s even better.
- Avoid buying beef that has a pale green color, shows round white spots between the meat fibers, or has a bad smell. Additionally, parts of meat that are dark red, have dark yellow fat, yellow bones, mushy texture, or feel sticky to the touch should not be purchased.
See details: How to choose fresh and quality beef
How to choose fresh carrots
- Fresh carrots should be of moderate size, with a straight and elongated shape towards the tail, smooth skin, firm to the touch, and slightly hard.
- Choose carrots that are bright, deep orange in color, with the green leaves still fresh and tightly attached to the root.
- Do not choose carrots with damaged, wilted tops, bruised bodies, slimy parts, or visible dark spots, and if pressed, feel soft.
- Avoid overly large carrots with thick tops and shoulders, as these are older carrots that will have more fibrous texture and less nutritional value.
See details: How to choose fresh carrots
How to choose delicious fresh lotus root
- Choose lotus roots that have large nodes and long spaces between them, with a smooth, shiny, and plump surface.
- When shopping at the market, you should choose lotus roots that still have some mud on them. These are the fresh, new lotus roots. Naturally ripe lotus roots usually have a yellow color and no strange smell.
- Absolutely avoid choosing lotus roots with a white skin as these are roots that have been soaked in chemicals and should not be purchased.
- Do not select lotus roots with uneven bumps on the surface as they will often be tough.
Note: Traditional Chinese medicine includes a full range of ingredients such as jujube, red dates, white angelica, dong quai, job’s tears, goji berries,… which can be purchased at traditional medicine shops or e-commerce sites.
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How to cook Braised Beef Shank with Five Fruits
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Prepare vegetables
Peel the potatoes, wash them clean, and cut into quarters. Remove the roots from the white and red radishes, peel, wash clean, and drain. Then cut into bite-sized pieces.
For the lotus seeds, remove the green shells and only use the white seeds, then use a toothpick to take out the lotus seed core. Wash the red dates clean and soak in water for 15 minutes.
Cut off the head of the lotus root and peel it. Next, soak it in salt water for 15 minutes to clean off the mud, then slice it into rounds.
Wash the chili peppers clean, drain, and chop finely. Clean and drain the lemongrass, cut into sections, and take 1 stalk to chop finely. Wash the ginger and slice it.
Tip
- To prevent the potatoes and lotus roots from turning black, soak them in clean water immediately after cutting.
- If the lotus root has too much mud, you can use chopsticks to clean it more thoroughly.
- The lotus seeds will be fresher and tastier if you use fresh lotus seeds.
- To avoid burning your hands when handling chili seeds, make sure the chili is dry before removing the seeds or consider wearing gloves while preparing.
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Prepare beef brisket
Wash the beef brisket with saltwater to clean, then drain and cut the brisket in half.
Place a pot on the stove, add 500ml of water with 1 tablespoon of white wine and 1/2 sliced ginger, and simmer over medium heat.
When the water is hot, add the beef brisket and blanch for about 4 – 5 minutes, then remove and let cool before cutting into bite-sized pieces.
Tip
- To ensure the brisket is firm and not overcooked, avoid cutting the meat too small before blanching and cook over medium heat.
- The brisket will be firmer; after blanching, soak it in cold water for 2 – 3 minutes and then remove it.
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Marinate and stir-fry the beef brisket
After cutting the beef brisket, marinate it with 1 tablespoon of ginger wine, 1 tablespoon of sesame oil, 1 tablespoon of minced shallots, 1 tablespoon of minced garlic, and 1 teaspoon of minced chili, mixing well to absorb the spices for 15 minutes.
Next, place a pan on the stove, add 4 tablespoons of cooking oil, and heat it over medium heat.
When the oil is hot, add 2 tablespoons of minced shallots, 2 tablespoons of minced garlic, and all the remaining minced chili and lemongrass to sauté until fragrant.
Finally, add all the beef brisket and stir-fry over high heat for 5 minutes, then turn off the heat.
Tip: To prevent the beef brisket from becoming chewy, do not stir-fry for too long.
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Beef Brisket Stew
Place a pot on the stove with 1.5 liters of water, along with chopped lemongrass and the remaining sliced ginger, and simmer over medium heat.
When the water starts to boil, add the beef brisket that has been stir-fried with Chinese yam, rehmannia root, codonopsis root, eucommia bark, and lotus root to stew for 45 minutes over low heat.
Next, add red dates, goji berries, white radish, carrots, potatoes, and lotus seeds. Season with 10 grams of rock sugar, 2 teaspoons of salt, 1 teaspoon of monosodium glutamate, and 2 tablespoons of soy sauce, then stew for an additional 15 minutes, adjusting the seasoning to taste before turning off the heat.
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Final Product
This beef brisket stew with fruits is truly worth the effort to make. The beef is tender and cooked just right, the broth is flavorful, and the vegetables are refreshing and healthy.
It will be even better if served with fresh rice noodles and dipped in lime pepper salt or a bowl of soy sauce with chili. Enjoy your creation right away!
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Above is a guide on how to cook braised beef with five fruits that is refreshing, nutritious, good for health, flavorful, and extremely simple and easy to make for anyone. Wish you success with this recipe!
*Images and recipe reference from the YouTube channel Ba Tam Mien Tay.
