The beef is braised in a rich, savory broth with potatoes and carrots until super tender and flavorful. An easy make-ahead recipe that requires little prep, it’ll give you delicious dinners for the next couple of days. I include methods for making it in an Instant Pot or on the stovetop, so you can choose whichever works for you. {Gluten-Free Adaptable} Chinese beef stew with potatoes and carrot is a dish I cook on repeat, especially during the colder winter months. The beef is briefly blanched to remove the impurities. It is then simmered with warm spices such as star anise and cinnamon, plus Shaoxing wine and soy sauce to create a dish full of umami. And I love the flavorful root vegetables that are braised in the beef broth, which is sometimes even more appealing to me than the beef itself. The recipe was originally a stovetop recipe. But over the years I’ve found that the Instant Pot method is much easier and hands off. You can set it up and forget about it. And the result is just as wonderful. I’ve included both methods, including with and without an Instant Pot, in my recipe below.
Chinese beef stew ingredients
1. What cut of beef to use
To make the best beef stew, you should use a cut that contains a good amount of fat and collagen. The fat keeps the lean part moist, and the collagen melts into a tender buttery texture once fully cooked. Both combine to create melt-in-your-mouth juicy tender chunks of beef. A well marbled chuck roast or fatty brisket (usually called “second cut” or “deckle”) is the most affordable and convenient cut. On the pricier end, oxtails and short ribs are excellent for beef stew. I did not include these two cuts in my recipe because they are quite expensive these days and I save them for special occasions. Beef neck and shin bones are affordable options as well and produce excellent results. But you will get less meat, since a good third of each piece is bone weight.
Braising ingredients
The base of the braising liquid is made up of light and dark soy sauce and Shaoxing wine. The dark soy sauce is quite important here since it gives the dish its appealing dark brown color, and it adds a hint of caramel flavor. The green onion, ginger, bay leaves, star anise, cinnamon sticks, dried chili pepper, sugar and black pepper work together to create the ultimate umami that is warm and fragrant. I included a mise en place picture below so you can see all the ingredients. But in reality, you do not need to portion out the ingredients into small bowls. Instead, simply add them as you cook the beef stew.
How to make Chinese beef stew
Making Chinese beef stew takes very little active time, especially if you make it in an Instant Pot: The stove top method is pretty much the same. Except that you do not need to transfer the beef once you skim off the impurities. And the braising will take longer.
How to serve beef stew
I have to admit that the Chinese beef stew tastes even better on the second day, when the root vegetables have soaked in the rich beef broth and become super flavorful. That’s why I always make a big batch, to ensure I have enough for leftovers. You can simply serve the beef stew as a main course by itself, or over steamed rice or boiled noodles for a one-bowl meal. I also like to make beef noodle soup by simply combining the beef stew, some water and some boiled noodles together in a bowl. Once you finish the beef and the veggies, if you have extra sauce left, you can save it and add it to your stir fried vegetables. It is like an umami bomb that is no less flavorful than MSG.
More braising recipes for bulk cooking
Instant Pot Curry Beef Stew Chinese Oxtail Soup Chinese Braised Pork Trotters (红烧猪蹄) Coca-Cola Chicken Wings (可乐鸡翅) Korean Instant Pot Short Ribs (Galbi Jjim) Hong Shao Rou (Red Braised Pork, 红烧肉)
