Instant Pot Chinese Beef Stew

Instant Pot Chinese Beef Stew



 INGREDIENTS

  • 2 - 2.5 pounds (1068g) beef finger meat
  • 1 pound (454g) beef tendons
  • 1 - 1.5 pound (600g) large daikon
  • 4 (20g) sliced ginger , crushed
  • 6 (26g) garlic cloves , crushed
  • 1 (12g) shallot , chopped
  • 3 stalks green onions separate white from green part
  • Salt to taste
  • 1 cup (250ml) unsalted chicken stock or water

CHU HOU SAUCE

  • 3 tablespoons (45ml) chu hou paste
  • 1 tablespoon (15ml) regular soy sauce
  • 1 tablespoon (15ml) dark soy sauce (for color)
  • 1 tablespoon Shaoxing wine
  • 2 teaspoons (12ml) oyster sauce
  • 3 (3g) star anise
  • 2 teaspoons (10g) rock sugar or white sugar
  • 1 (2g) small piece chenpi (dried mandarin peel) , rehydrate for 15 minutes

THICKENER:

  • 3 tablespoons (27g) cornstarch
  • 4 tablespoons (60ml) cold water


INSTRUCTIONS
  1. Prepare Ingredients: Prepare Chenpi: Rehydrate the chenpi by soaking it with cold water for 15 minutes. Use a spoon to scrub off chenpi's white bitter part. Prepare Beef Tendons: For uncooked beef tendons - pressure cook tendons with a cup of cold water in Instant Pot at High Pressure for 1 hour & 15 minutes + Natural Release. Discard the cooking liquid. Rinse the cooked tendons under cold running tap water. Cut tendons into smaller pieces, then remove some of the fat if desired. *Pro Tip: Try to buy pre-cooked beef tendons to simplify the cooking process. Both chenpi or tendons are optional. So omit if you can't find them.
  2. Brown Beef Finger Meat: Heat up Instant Pot using Sauté More function. Wait until it says HOT (~8 mins). Pat dry the beef finger meat. Drizzle the inner pot with 1 tbsp peanut oil or olive oil. Then, brown 2 sides of the beef for 3 minutes per side in Instant Pot (may have to brown in two separate batches). Set aside browned beef.
  3. Saute Ginger & Garlic: Add crushed garlic cloves, sliced ginger, chopped shallot, and white part of green onions in Instant Pot. Saute until fragrant (~2 mins). While the ginger and garlic are being sauteed, quickly cut the beef into stew-size pieces.
  4. Deglaze: Add pre-cooked tendon pieces and browned beef pieces (with all the meat juices) in Instant Pot. Give it a few quick mixes. Pour in 1 tbsp Shaoxing wine (or dry sherry wine/water) and completely deglaze the bottom of the pot.
  5. Make Chu Hou Sauce: Add 3 tbsp (45ml) chu hou paste, 1 tbsp (15ml) regular soy sauce, 1 tbsp (15ml) dark soy sauce, 2 tsp (12ml) oyster sauce, 3 star anises, 2 tsp (10g) rock sugar or white sugar, and a piece of chenpi in Instant Pot. Give it a quick mix so all the ingredients are infused with the paste. Add in daikon chunks, 1 cup (250ml) unsalted chicken stock, and a pinch of salt. Give it another quick mix. Ensure all the beef are partially submerged into the sauce.
  6. Pressure Cook Chinese Beef Stew: Option 1 - Super Soft Daikon: Pressure Cook at High Pressure for 25 minutes (beef with some chew) - 32 minutes (melt-in-your-mouth beef), then 15 minutes Natural Release. Option 2 - Perfectly Cooked Daikon: Pressure Cook at High Pressure for 10 minutes + Quick Release to set aside the Daikon; then Pressure Cook at High Pressure for 12 minutes (beef with some chew) - 18 minutes (melt-in-your-mouth beef) + 15 minutes Natural Release.
  7. Thicken & Season: Bring the beef stew sauce to a simmer with the "Saute" button. In a small mixing bowl, mix cornstarch with water, then mix it in one third at a time until desired thickness. Taste and adjust seasoning by adding more salt. For reference, we added 2 large pinches of salt in the end.
  8. Serve: Add beef finger meat, beef tendons, and daikon to a serving bowl. Drizzle with the yummy flavorsome chu hou sauce. 

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