Braised Beef Shank with Zhu Hou Sauce

Ingredients

• A large soup pot, a pressure cooker (optional, but highly recommended!)
• Beef shank (preferably fatty sections, meaty cuts with tendons)
• Zhu Hou Sauce (core sauce), Pixian bean paste, fermented bean curd (NSN), Char Siu Sauce (optional), Oyster sauce, Dark soy sauce, Light soy sauce
• Huadong Wine (Yellow rice wine), Baijiu (white liquor)
• Sichuan peppercorns, star anise, dried red chilies, cloves, licorice (Gan Cao), dried red chilies, bird's eye chilies (optional), ginger, garlic

Steps

1. Prepare the auxiliary ingredients:
2. Bowl 1: Cut the ginger into 1.5cm * 1.5cm pieces, peel half a head of garlic, and cut the bird's eye chilies into 1cm pieces if using them.
3. Bowl 2: Add 2 bay leaves, 0.5g Sichuan peppercorns, 2 star anise, 3 dried red chilies, 3 cloves, and 2 slices of licorice.
4. Bowl 3: Add 2 blocks of fermented bean curd (NSN).
5. Bowl 4: Add 15g of Pixian bean paste.
6. Bowl 5: Add 10g rock sugar.
7. Bowl 6: Pour in 10g Huadong wine and 10g Baijiu.
8. Bowl 7: Add 50g Zhu Hou sauce, 20g oyster sauce, 20g Char Siu sauce, 5g dark soy sauce, and 60g light soy sauce.
9. Do not cut the beef. Put the beef directly into the pot with cold water. Bring to a boil over high heat to blanch, then remove the beef when the water boils.
10. Wash the debris off the surface of the beef, cut into large 4cm * 4cm * 4cm chunks, drain the water well, and put them in a bowl for later use.
11. Turn to high heat, heat the oil in the wok, and pour Bowl 1 (ginger, garlic, bird's eye chilies) into the pot and stir-fry until fragrant.
12. Turn to medium-low heat, pour in Bowl 2 (spices), stir-fry evenly for about 30 seconds.
13. Turn to medium-low heat, put in Bowl 3 (fermented bean curd), and crush the curd with a spatula.
14. Turn to medium-low heat, put in Bowl 4 (bean paste), stir-fry evenly for about 30 seconds.
15. Turn to medium-low heat, put in Bowl 5 (rock sugar), and stir-fry until it melts.
16. Turn to medium-low heat, add the beef shank, and stir-fry until the beef is colored.
17. Turn to high heat, pour Bowl 6 (wine) along the edge of the pot, toss quickly, and stir-fry until the surface of the beef is slightly browned.
18. Pour in Bowl 7 (sauces), toss quickly, keep an eye on the liquid at the bottom, and stir-fry until small bubbles form and the sauce thickens slightly.
19. Transfer all ingredients in the pot to another soup pot or pressure cooker, and add enough water to cover the ingredients.
20. Choose the braising time based on the pot you use:
21. a. Normal soup pot: Simmer over low heat for 3 hours.
22. b. Pressure cooker: Pressurize for 40 minutes.
23. Open the lid to adjust the flavor after the time is up. If it is not salty enough, add salt or light soy sauce (add a small amount, taste constantly until it is just right); if it is not sweet enough, do the same with sugar.
24. After adjusting the seasoning, remove the beef.
25. If you want to eat radish or potatoes, peel and cut them into 2cm thick slices, then put them into the pot and simmer for 10-15 minutes (or until the desired texture is reached). If using a pressure cooker, high-pressure cook for 5 minutes.
26. Remove the radish, potatoes, and beef and put them in a bowl together after cooking.
27. Strain the sauce and pour into a bowl.