Beef Brisket in Clear Broth (清湯牛腩)

This beef brisket in clear broth dish goes perfectly with vermicelli or egg noodles. Just add a few bunches of Chinese bok choy and cook in the soup. Then you and your family can enjoy a tasty light meal.

I had luck to spot this lean beef brisket from a nearby Asian butcher. Why not got some back home and cooked up for hubby as he’s a big fan of beef brisket?

Every time I cooked beef brisket, I’d make the traditional flavoursome stewed beef brisket in Chu Hou sauce, a fool proofed dish for anyone who wants to try Hong Kong cuisine.

This time I tried another classic beef brisket soup dish that I grew up with and it’s still popular in Hong Kong. The cooking method for both mentioned dishes is similar. As for making this beef brisket soup dish, the key to success is preparing a delicious clear soup base, not a cloudy one.

For convenience, you can get quality store-bought chicken stock. This soup dish goes perfectly with vermicelli or egg noodles. Just add a few bunches of Chinese bok choy and cook in the soup. Then you and your family can enjoy a tasty light meal.

Beef Brisket in Clear Broth Recipe

(Printable recipe)
By Christine’s Recipes
Course: Beef, Stew
Cuisine: Chinese
Prep time: 15 mins
Cook time: 135 mins
Yield: 4 to 6 serves

Ingredients:

• 820 gm beef brisket
• 4 to 5 slices ginger
• 4 to 5 cloves garlic, crushed
• 1 Tbsp white rice wine
• 3 cups salt-reduced chicken stock
• 1 cup water
• 1 star anise
• 3 pieces bay leaves
• 20 white peppercorns
• 10 gm rock sugar, about thumb-sized
• 500 gm radish, peeled and roughly chopped
• salt, to taste

Method:

1. Blanch the beef brisket in boiling water to remove the blood. Drain well. Cut into chunks. Trim away the fat if needed. Set aside.
2. Heat oil in a wok or large pot over high heat. Saute ginger and garlic until aromatic. Add the beef brisket. Sprinkle wine and stir to combine. Pour in stock and water. Add star anise, bay leaves, white peppercorns and rock sugar.
3. Cover and bring it to boil. Cook for about 30 minutes. Turn off the heat. Don’t remove the lid. Let the beef cook with the residue heat inside the pot for about 15 minutes. Repeat this step until the beef starts to turn soft.
4. Use another wok or frying pan. Heat oil and sauté the radish. Transfer and cook with the beef until the radish is softened and beef brisket is tender over medium-low heat. Replenish some boiling water if necessary. Season with salt. Serve hot.

Notes：

• Beef brisket needs longer cooking time. To save energy, I turned off the stove and made use of the residue heat inside the wok/pot to cook the beef. (Remark: I often used this method to make the classic stewed Beef Brisket in Chu Hou sauce.)
• By adding a bit of rock sugar, not only it makes the beef brisket taste pleasant, but also it helps the meat turn soft more quickly.
• Chicken stock works perfectly as a clear soup base. You might use beef stock anyway.