Brine water is a cooking method by using seasoning, soy sauce, herbs and water as a medium to cook and tendering meat. it is a very popular cooking method in Southern China. There are two different types of brine water, dark (add soy sauce) and white (without soy sauce). After cooking the meat, you can bring the brine water to boil again for at least ten minutes. (to kill the bacteria and impurities) After cooling off, you can store the brine water in a container and keep it in freezer for future use. Just add salt, sugar, and herbs (smaller amount) just to make it tasty again when using it next time.
Note:
- use digital beef shank for better result
- Brine water is reusable if you boil it after each use, the taste will get better as it ages
- you can make Taiwanese beef noodle soup by mixing the brine water with chicken stock 1/2 and 1/2
Ingredients:
Beef Digital Shank 2-3 lbs
Brine water:
Orange peel ½ piece
Star Anise 2x
Kaempferia Galangal 2x (Zedoary)
Szechuan dried pepper corn 5x
Garlic 2x
Ginger 2 pieces
Cinnamon ½ pieces
Green onion 1x
Dark soy sauce ½ cup
Rock sugar ½ lb
Salt ¼ cup
Method:
Making the brine water
Heat up two tablespoons of oil in a large pot. Put in ginger, garlic, and green onion and brown the beef shank (all sides). Add three liters of water and bring to boil. Make a bag with a cheese cloth and put the above dry herbs and tie the top. Add soy sauce, rock sugar and salt. Bring the heat down to minimum and let it simmer for half an hour.
Braising the beef shank
Turn heat back to high and bring the brine water to boil again. Put in beef shank and turn heat off. Allow beef to soak in the brine water for an hour and a half. Take the beef shank out and let it cool off. (it is always better to keep it in the fridge over night for easy slicing). Use a sharp knife to slice beef shank to thin slices and pour a few teaspoons of Szechuan sauce on top. Garnish with sesame seed, scallion and cilantro.
Szechuan sauce:
Brine water 3 tablespoons
Oyster sauce ½ teaspoon
Fish sauce ½ teaspoon
White pepper small pinch
Sugar ¼ teaspoon
Sesame oil 2 tablespoons
XO chili sauce or Hot Bean sauce ½ teaspoon
Hot pepper (optional) ½ teaspoons (chopped)
Mix everything together in a small bowl and add some chopped green onion and cilantro. It is now ready to serve.
材料:
金錢腱(細腱) 四件
滷水料:
陳皮 1/2片
八角 2粒
沙薑 2粒
花椒 5粒
蒜頭 2粒
生薑 2大片
玉桂 1/2塊
生葱 1枝
老抽 1/2 杯
冰糖 1/2 磅
鹽 1/4杯
先燒熱鍋, 放入少許生油, 加入生薑, 生葱, 蒜頭爆香, 加入少許紹酒, 放入金錢腱以中火煎香至金黃色, 加入約3公斤清水至沸騰, 把以上滷水料放入滷水袋中, 再放入鍋中, 加入老抽, 冰糖, 鹽, 用文火煲大約一小時半後關閉灶火, 再浸金錢腱一小時以待入味, 等待凍後切件食用, 最好放金錢腱在雪櫃過夜, 以便切片時可切薄片.
川汁做法:
滷水 三湯匙
蚝油 半茶匙
魚露 半茶匙
白胡椒 1/4茶匙
白糖 1/4茶匙
Ｘ○醬, 或(豆板醬) 半茶匙
把以上醬料攪勻, 再慢慢將大約二湯匙麻油攪拌, 加入葱白粒, 芫荽放上已切薄片之牛腱上,再放上少許花生碎便成.