Chinese Beef Stew

INGREDIENTS

• ☐  2 - 2.5 pounds beef finger meat (thin, fatty beef)
• ☐  1 - 1.5 pound large daikon
• ☐  4 sliced ginger, crushed
• ☐  6 garlic cloves, crushed
• ☐  1 shallot, chopped
• ☐  3 stalks green onions, separate white from green part
• ☐  Salt to taste
• ☐  1 cup unsalted chicken stock or water

Chu Hou Sauce

• ☐  3 tablespoons chu hou paste
• ☐  1 tablespoon regular soy sauce
• ☐  1 tablespoon dark soy sauce (for color)
• ☐  1 tablespoon cooking sherry
• ☐  2 teaspoons oyster sauce
• ☐  3 star anise
• ☐  2 teaspoons rock sugar or white sugar

Thickener:

• ☐  3 tablespoons cornstarch
• ☐  4 tablespoons cold water

PREPARATION

1. Heat up Instant Pot using Sauté function. Wait until it says HOT (~8 mins).


2. Pat dry the beef finger meat. Drizzle the inner pot with 1 tbsp peanut oil or olive oil.


3. Brown 2 sides of the beef for 3 minutes per side in Instant Pot (may have to brown in two separate batches). Set aside browned beef.


4. Add crushed garlic cloves, sliced ginger, chopped shallot, and white part of green onions in Instant Pot. Saute until fragrant (~2 mins).


5. While the ginger and garlic are being sauteed, quickly cut the beef into stew-size pieces.


6. Add browned beef pieces (with all the meat juices) in Instant Pot. Give it a few quick mixes.


7. Pour in cooking sherry and completely deglaze the bottom of the pot.


8. Add chu hou paste, regular soy sauce, dark soy sauce, oyster sauce, star anises, sugar, and chenpi in Instant Pot. Give it a quick mix so all the ingredients are infused with the paste.


9. Add in daikon chunks, unsalted chicken stock, and a pinch of salt. Give it another quick mix. Ensure all the beef are partially submerged into the sauce.


10. Pressure Cook at High Pressure for 10 minutes + Quick Release.  Remove and set aside the Daikon.


11. Pressure Cook at High Pressure for 18 minutes (for melt-in-your-mouth beef) + 15 minutes Natural Release.


12. Bring the beef stew sauce to a simmer with the Saute button.


13. In a small mixing bowl, mix cornstarch with water, then mix it in one third at a time until desired thickness.


14. Taste and adjust seasoning by adding more salt.


15. Add beef finger meat and daikon to a serving bowl. Drizzle with the chu hou sauce.