Braised Beef Shank with Five Spice 五香牛腱

Tender beef shank is slow-braised in an aromatic five-spice broth until melt-in-your-mouth soft. This flavorful dish is often served chilled as an appetizer or sliced thinly as a main course, offering rich savory notes and a delightful chew.

Nutrition (per serving)

Ingredients

• 800g beef shank
• 2 litres water
• 100ml light soy sauce
• 50ml dark soy sauce
• 2 tbsp sugar
• 1 tbsp Shaoxing wine
• 1 tbsp five-spice powder
• 2 star anise
• 1 small cinnamon stick
• 4-5 dried shiitake mushrooms (optional)
• 3 slices ginger
• 2 cloves garlic, smashed
• 2 spring onions, roughly chopped

Steps

1. Blanch beef shank in boiling water for 5 minutes. Drain and rinse thoroughly to remove impurities. Cut beef shank into larger chunks if desired.
2. In a large pot, combine water, light soy sauce, dark soy sauce, sugar, Shaoxing wine, five-spice powder, star anise, small cinnamon stick, dried shiitake mushrooms (if using), ginger slices, smashed garlic, and chopped spring onions. Bring to a boil.
3. Add the blanched beef shank to the pot. Once it returns to a boil, reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer for 2-2.5 hours, or until the beef is very tender.
4. Remove beef shank from the braising liquid. Let it cool completely before slicing against the grain. Strain the braising liquid if desired for a cleaner sauce.
5. Serve thinly sliced beef shank with a drizzle of the braising liquid, either warm or chilled.

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