Asian-braised beef stew features tender beef slow-cooked with aromatic spices, soy sauce, and ginger. This comforting dish highlights the savory depth and subtle sweetness of Asian flavors, creating a rich and satisfying meal perfect for family dinners or festive gatherings. Enjoy culinary tradition in every hearty bite.
Asian-braised beef stew is a comforting dish that reflects the culinary traditions of East and Southeast Asia, with roots tracing back to Chinese red-cooked beef and similar slow-cooked recipes found across the region.
Its preparation begins with marinating chunks of beef in a blend of soy sauce, ginger, garlic, and spices such as star anise and cinnamon, then slowly braising the meat in a flavorful broth until it becomes tender and infused with aromatic depth. Vegetables like carrots, daikon, and bok choy are often added to enhance both texture and taste.
What makes Asian-braised beef stew especially interesting is its harmonious balance of savory and subtly sweet flavors, achieved through the interplay of soy sauce and gentle spice, and the way slow cooking allows the beef to absorb every nuance. Each bite delivers warmth and richness, making it a popular choice for family gatherings and festive occasions.
This Chinese beef stew recipe from Omnivore’s Cookbook is considered an easy, make-ahead dish that requires little active prep time, especially when made using an Instant Pot. The flavor profile is rich, savory, and full of umami, achieved by braising the beef in a broth featuring warm, fragrant spices like star anise and cinnamon, along with Shaoxing wine and soy sauce. The root vegetables soak up the flavorful beef broth, complementing the melt-in-your-mouth tender beef.
Chinese Beef Stew
Ingredients
- 1 beef chuck roast (2 to 3 lbs / 1 to 1.3 kg), cut into 1.5″ (3 cm) chunks (or brisket, neck bone, shin bone)
- ¼ cup Shaoxing wine
- ¼ cup light soy sauce (or soy sauce)
- 1 tablespoon dark soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- ½ teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 6 dried chili peppers
- 1 thumb ginger, sliced
- 3 green onions, halved crosswise
- 4 bay leaves
- 1 star anise
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 2 medium waxy potatoes, cut into 2″ (5 cm) pieces (or 1 large russet potato)
- 1 large carrot, cut into 2″ (5 cm) pieces
Directions
- Place the beef in a 4-qt dutch oven or large pot. Add 4 cups of cold tap water so the water just covers the beef. Heat over medium-high heat until it reaches a gentle boil. Stir occasionally to prevent sticking. Turn to medium heat. Let it boil gently for 10 to 15 minutes. While boiling, skim the foam from the top of the broth and discard it until the broth is clear.
- Transfer the beef and 1 cup of broth from the beef boiling water to your Instant Pot.
- Add the Shaoxing wine, light soy sauce, dark soy sauce, sugar, black pepper, and salt. Stir a few times to distribute evenly.
- Add the dried chili pepper, ginger, green onions, bay leaves, star anise and cinnamon stick. Make sure most of the dried spices are submerged in the liquid.
- Seal the Instant Pot. Set the pressure to high, and the timer for 40 minutes for chuck roast, 50 minutes for neck and shin bones, and 60 minutes for brisket.
- Once cooked, let release pressure naturally, for at least 20 minutes, before using manual release.
- Remove the green onion, ginger and spices as much as you can and discard them.
- Move the beef pieces to one side of the pot. Add the potato and carrot and submerge them in the broth as much as you can.
- Seal the Instant Pot again. Set the pressure to high and timer for 2 minutes.
- Once cooked, let release pressure naturally, for at least 20 minutes, before using manual release.
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