Mapo Roux Braised Beef – Where Sichuan Meets French Cooking Techniques

mapo sauce

🥗Healthier: homemade chili paste

💰Cheaper: sriracha

Homemade chili paste can reduce sodium and sugar levels.

beef

🥗Healthier: chicken

💰Cheaper: pork

Chicken is lower in calories, while pork is often cheaper.

beef broth

🥗Healthier: vegetable broth

💰Cheaper: water with seasoning

Vegetable broth is lower in calories and can be homemade.

Toast Sichuan peppercorns in a pan to release essential oils, then grind them and set aside.

Heat vegetable oil in the same pan until shimmering.

Add beef cheeks in batches, browning on all sides to maximize caramelization, about 5-7 minutes per batch.

Remove beef and skim off excess fat if using a fatty cut.

Lower heat and add grated ginger, sweating it until translucent to concentrate flavor.

Crush garlic and add to the pan, sweating until caramelized and sweet.

Add minced scallions, sweating until translucent, saving the green parts for garnish.

Add fermented bean paste and Chinese fermented black soybeans, cooking to evaporate water content and harshness.

Make chili oil by adding chili powder to the pan, then add any skimmed beef fat and stir to toast the chili powder.

Add all-purpose flour to the chili oil mixture and whisk to coat the flour with fat, cooking out the flour flavor.

Incorporate cold water gradually to prevent clumping, stirring until thickened.

Add soy sauce and Shaoxing wine, adjusting seasoning as needed.

Return the beef to the pot, adding enough water to cover everything.

Braise for about 3 hours until beef is tender, checking for viscosity and adjusting water if necessary.

After 3 hours, remove beef and reduce the sauce to desired consistency, being careful not to break the beef apart.

Add a dash of Chinese black rice vinegar or balsamic vinegar for balance before serving.

Cooking Techniques

Equipment Needed

Spice Level:

Dietary