Beef Brisket Soup (清湯牛腩)

Place the star anise (2 piece) and Sichuan peppercorns (1 tsp) into a tea strainer/tea filter. Keeping them in a separate container makes them easier to fish out, so you won’t risk biting into a surprise peppercorn or star anise later.

Soak the dried mandarin peel (0.25 oz) in a bowl of warm water to rehydrate and soften it.

Wash the dried scallops (1 oz) to rinse off any dust and debris.

Cut the ginger (1 oz) into thin slices. We’ll use about a quarter of this amount for parboiling the beef and the rest when cooking the actual broth.

Cut off and keep only the green part of the green onions (3 stalk), then dice into small pieces. We’ll sprinkle these chopped green onions on as garnish at the very end.

Trim off and discard the ends of the radish (20 oz), then peel it.

Cut into medium-large chunks; it’s up to you as far as the shape, but for Cantonese home cooking, we often cut it into angular pieces with an oblique or rolling cut. Otherwise, you can opt for thick slices.

Prepare a wok with cold water, enough to cover the beef.

Add 2-3 slices of ginger, cooking wine (2 tbsp), and the beef (25 oz). These ingredients are key to reducing any gaminess and freezer odor that the beef is carrying. The parboil itself is essential to a clear, beautiful broth.

Bring it to a boil on high heat.

When it comes to a boil, lower the heat to medium-low, and cook for 5 minutes.

Transfer the beef to a large bowl of cold water. Rinse off the scum and foam that the parboiling extracted from the meat.

Pull off and discard the tough membranes attached to the meat. These parts don’t break down easily and can be difficult to chew.

In a clean soup pot, add the rest of the ginger, the rehydrated mandarin peel, the clean dried scallops, and 10 cups of water*.

Add the packet of spices, chicken powder (1 tbsp), salt (1 tsp), and the parboiled beef brisket.

Bring it to a boil over high heat.

Put the lid on but leave it askew so the soup won’t boil over. Cook for 1.5-2 hours on low heat.

*Optionally, you can use chicken broth instead of chicken bouillon powder. Decrease the amount of water by 1 cup for each can of chicken broth you use.

Add radish

Uncover the pot and add the radish to the soup.

Cover the pot fully with lid and bring it to a boil over high heat.

When it’s boiling, decrease the heat to low heat, and let it cook until the radish is tender, or about 20 minutes.

The beef is ready when you can easily pull apart the meat and the radish is ready when you can easily poke through it with a chopstick.

Remove the beef from the broth and set it aside to cool down. In the meantime, transfer the radish to a separate bowl.

Remove the tea strainer and discard the spices inside.

When the beef has cooled down, place it on a cutting board, and slice it into 1-inch thick pieces across the grain.

Portion out the radish and lay the beef nicely over the radish.

Ladle the clear broth over the beef and radish.

Finally, garnish with a sprinkle of your chopped green onions.

Don't forget to finish your sauce; add a bit of your finished broth (1 tbsp) to the chili sauce and soy sauce mix. Serve this sauce alongside the soup so that each person can add the amount they like.