serves
6
prep
15 minutes
cook
2:25 hours
difficulty
Easy
serves
6
people
preparation
15
minutes
cooking
2:25
hours
difficulty
Easy
level
This is a very lovely recipe to cook – I just adore watching sugar do its caramelising thing in a good, heavy pan; the moment when the sugar turns that warm, honey-caramel colour is magical. The final dish is rather complex: in addition to the myriad flavours of red-braising stock, the tomato salad is fresh, sour, salty and sweet all at once, and the onions are sweet, sticky, aniseed-y, vinegary and simply delectable! Imagine the experience of tasting all this at once. And don’t forget, there will be a little kick of chilli in there, too.
Ingredients
- 1 kg (2 lb) brisket, cut into 5 cm (2 in) thick slices
- 1 quantity
- 2 medium-sized vine-ripened tomatoes
- ½ tsp white sugar
- 1½ tbsp lime juice
- 1 tsp sea salt
- 6 small, perfect iceberg lettuce leaves
- pinch of Sichuan pepper
- 1 large red chilli, finely sliced
Caramelised shallots
- 2½ tbsp peanut oil
- 2 salad onions, trimmed and finely sliced
- 6 cm (2 1/2 in) knob ginger, sliced
- 4 garlic cloves, crushed
- 1 tsp sea salt
- 250 g (8 oz) red shallots, peeled
- ¼ cup shao hsing wine
- 4 tbsp crushed yellow rock sugar
- ⅓ cup
- 2 tbsp mushroom soy sauce
- 3 whole star anise
Serve as part of a banquet for 6
Instructions
- Place brisket in a large pan, cover with cold water and bring to the boil. Simmer for 20 minutes, then drain, discarding the water. Rinse brisket thoroughly under cold water and drain well. (This process rids the meat of any impurities prior to braising.)
- In a large stockpot, bring red-braising stock to the boil. Transfer brisket to simmering stock, ensuring it is fully submerged. Braise very gently for 2 hours, or until brisket is soft and gelatinous, skimming stock regularly with a ladle. Remove pot from stove and set aside.
- Meanwhile, cut tomatoes into wedges and combine in a bowl with sugar, lime juice and salt. Refrigerate for 30 minutes.
- Next, make the caramelised shallots. Heat peanut oil in a heavy-based frying pan and add onions, ginger, garlic and salt. Cook, stirring, for about 2 minutes, or until lightly browned. Add shallots and cook over low heat for a further 5 minutes, stirring constantly. Increase heat, add wine and simmer for 1 minute to deglaze the pan. Add remaining ingredients and simmer gently, uncovered, for about 20 minutes, or until shallots are very tender and caramelised.
- Finally, using tongs, remove brisket from the stock and slice. Arrange lettuce leaves on a large platter and top with brisket. Drizzle with some of the hot stock and sprinkle with Sichuan pepper. Serve with the caramelised shallots, tomato salad and fresh chilli.
premieres on Wednesday 21 November at 8.30pm. The series airs Wednesdays at 8.30pm on SBS Food (Channel 33). After they air, episodes will stream at .
Cook's Notes
Oven temperatures are for conventional; if using fan-forced (convection), reduce the temperature by 20˚C. | We use Australian tablespoons and cups: 1 teaspoon equals 5 ml; 1 tablespoon equals 20 ml; 1 cup equals 250 ml. | All herbs are fresh (unless specified) and cups are lightly packed. | All vegetables are medium size and peeled, unless specified. | All eggs are 55-60 g, unless specified.
This is a very lovely recipe to cook – I just adore watching sugar do its caramelising thing in a good, heavy pan; the moment when the sugar turns that warm, honey-caramel colour is magical. The final dish is rather complex: in addition to the myriad flavours of red-braising stock, the tomato salad is fresh, sour, salty and sweet all at once, and the onions are sweet, sticky, aniseed-y, vinegary and simply delectable! Imagine the experience of tasting all this at once. And don’t forget, there will be a little kick of chilli in there, too.
