Clear-Braised Salted Beef (Only Made with Salt and Sichuan Peppercorns)
Since learning this method, it's become a regular in my kitchen—delicious enough to make every few days. For the beef, I prefer tripe toe or five-flower shank; tripe toe is more tender, though money tendon works well too. The seasoning doesn't need to be precise, but err on the side of less rather than more—under-salting can be fixed at the table with a soy sauce dip, but over-salting can't be rescued. You'll get the feel of it after a few attempts. The beef must rest in the refrigerator for two nights—don't skip this step.
Ingredients
Beef shank
2 pieces of Sanhuazhi (Wuhuazhi)
Salt
2 tablespoons of salt per piece of Sanhuazhi, 3 tablespoons per piece of Wuhuazhi, and so on
Sichuan peppercorns
A handful
Instructions
1
Step 1
First, slowly toast the salt and Sichuan peppercorns over low heat until fragrant, and the salt turns slightly yellow.
2
Step 2
Spread the toasted salt and Sichuan peppercorns to cool.
3
Step 3
Wash the beef shank and pat it dry (no need to soak it), then poke holes all over it with a fork.
4
Step 4
Evenly coat the cooled salt and Sichuan peppercorns all over the beef, then gently rub and press (you can adjust the amount of salt and peppercorns at this step if needed).
5
Step 5
Cover with a lid or seal with plastic wrap, then refrigerate for two full nights! Make sure it cures for exactly two nights.
6
Step 6
After two nights, the beef will be fully cured.
7
Step 7
Wash the beef, place it in a pot, and cover it with fresh water (you can add a little extra water, no other ingredients are needed). Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce to low heat. Simmer for 1 hour first, then turn off the heat and let it rest for 30 minutes. Continue simmering for another 30-60 minutes depending on the size of the beef. (Sanhuazhi typically takes about 1.5 hours, for reference.)
8
Step 8
After cooking, poke the beef with chopsticks to check its doneness.
9
Step 9
Once both pieces of beef are cooked, I like to eat one piece while it is hot, and refrigerate the other piece overnight before eating.
10
Step 10
When sliced while hot, the beef slices are slightly thicker but have a softer, more tender texture.
11
Step 11
Wrap the other piece in plastic wrap and refrigerate it. Also refrigerate the strained beef broth, which can be used as the base for beef noodle soup or beef rice noodle soup (taste the saltiness before adding more water when cooking).
12
Step 12
The beef refrigerated overnight is much easier to slice.
