Chinese Braised Beef Brisket — Hong Kong Style (清湯腩)

Ingredients

• 1.2 kg beef brisket, ideally a combination of flat brisket (nam nan) and point brisket (hang nam); cut into large pieces
• 600 g daikon radish, peeled, cut into large chunks
• For the broth
• 3 star anise
• 2 dried tangerine peel, pieces, soaked briefly in warm water
• 4 dried shiitake mushrooms, whole
• 40 g fresh ginger, sliced
• 2 tbsp light soy sauce
• 3 tbsp Shaoxing wine
• 1.5 litres water, cold, for braising
• For blanching
• 2 litres water, cold, for the initial blanch

Method

1. 1
   Place the brisket pieces in a large pot and cover with cold water. Bring to a vigorous boil over high heat and blanch for 8–10 minutes. Drain and rinse each piece thoroughly under cold running water, removing all grey foam, coagulated proteins, and surface impurities. The brisket surface should be visibly clean; the water running off each piece should run clear.
2. 2
   Return the cleaned brisket to the pot. Add the cold braising water, star anise, dried tangerine peel, dried shiitake mushrooms, and ginger. Bring to a gentle boil, then add the light soy sauce and Shaoxing wine. Reduce heat immediately to the lowest possible simmer. The surface should show only an occasional, lazy bubble — no rolling boil. This is where the dish lives or dies: a sustained rolling boil will cloud the broth irreversibly and tighten the brisket fibres; a steady, patient low simmer converts the collagen to gelatin and keeps the broth clean and clear. Maintain this simmer for 1 hour 45 minutes to 2 hours.
3. 3
   Add the daikon chunks to the pot. Continue to simmer gently for a further 45 minutes. The daikon is ready when it yields completely to a skewer or chopstick with no resistance at the centre, and has taken on a translucent, ivory appearance — it will have absorbed the brisket broth and coloured slightly.
4. 4
   Remove the brisket pieces and rest briefly. Test doneness by pressing a piece firmly: it should feel yielding and soft, with a slight resistance that confirms it will hold its shape when sliced. It must not feel as though it is beginning to pull apart under light pressure alone. Slice against the grain into pieces of approximately 1.5 cm.
5. 5
   Strain the broth through a fine sieve. Taste and adjust with a small measure of light soy sauce if required. The broth should be clear, a pale amber-gold, with a clean savoury depth and a faint sweetness from the daikon and tangerine peel. Ladle the hot clear broth into a separate bowl. Arrange the sliced brisket and daikon on a serving plate apart from the broth — the broth is served as its own course alongside.