This recipe for Asian slow-cooked beef is so easy and works just as well as a Sunday roast as it does with sticky rice and stir fried vegetables. A big piece of beef like this leaves lots of leftovers for trying different dishes. We have cooked it with Shaoxing rice wine, dry sherry and even an elderly half bottle of amontillado (this didn’t need the sugar!)! serves 8-10 (or more, depending on how you’re using it!)
2kg piece of beef for slow-cooking
2 onions, chopped
4 star anise
80-100g ginger, grated
10 cloves garlic
350 ml rice wine or dry sherry
4 tbsp brown sugar (see above)
2 tbsp soy sauce
4 tbsp oyster sauce
3 tbsp oil
Heat the oil in a large pan and brown the beef all over. Place in the slow cooker.
Fry the onion gently until soft, then add to the slow cooker with the wine, ginger, sugar, star anise, garlic cloves, soy and oyster sauces.
Add about 500ml water. The beef will not be covered but during the cooking you can turn it every couple of hours.
Cook for about 8 hours - if you’re having it for lunch, start it off the day before and turn the slow cooker back on when you get up in the morning.
Remove the meat and star anise and blend the liquid. You can thicken it if desired with a tbsp cornflour, then return to the pot with the beef to keep warm until you are ready to serve.
Cut the beef into slices about 5cm/2 inches thick. This way the meat will fall apart but not into long shreds which are difficult to eat! Serve with sauce poured over, with more in a jug.
Cook’s notes
The above recipe is how to cook for a meal with roast potatoes etc! It is just as good served with sticky rice, broccoli and green beans.
For a stir-fry: fry a chopped onion and pepper with garlic and 1 tbsp extra soy and oyster sauce. Add some green vegetables and some of the meat and gravy and heat through, adding water if you want a runny sauce. Serve with sticky rice.
For normal oven-cooking, give it about 3 hours, adding more water if it looks dry.
