This Beef Brisket is slow-braised for 3 hours until the gravy is thick with collagen, the tendons turn gelatinous and the brisket becomes fall-apart tender!
Blanch the beef brisket and tendon in boiling water for 15 minutes, then rinse and cut into chunks.
Peel the radish and cut into chunks.
Peel the ginger and slice thinly.
Smash the whole cloves of garlic (skin on) with the flat of a chopper.
Soak the dried orange peel until soft, then drain dry.
Cooking Method
Heat 3 TBsp of oil in a wok, then fry the garlic and sliced ginger over medium heat until aromatic.
Then add the rest of the spices and fry for another half a minute or so.
Next, add the brisket and tendon and fry over medium heat until lightly browned.
Add all the condiments to the wok, stirring well. Add 1.5-2 litres of boiling water, and bring to a boil.
Transfer to a pot, then cover and allow to braise for 2.5-3 hours over medium heat.
Then add the radish and braise for another 30 minutes or until the radish turns soft.
If necessary, mix the cornflour and 2 TBsp of water to form a smooth slurry. Then add to the pot, stir in and cook for about 1 minute to thicken the gravy.
Cooking Method for Noodles
Blanch the Chye Sim in a wok for about 1 - 2 minutes with 1 tsp oil added to the water. Remove and set aside.
Loosen the noodles, place it in the wok and boil for 2-3 minutes, using chopsticks to spread out the noodle.
Transfer the noodles into a pot of tap water, spreading it out to remove excess starch. Then plunge it back into the wok to boil for a few more seconds.
Add in 1 tsp of oil and 2 tsp of light soya sauce to individual serving plates. Then dish out the noodle onto the individual plates and toss quickly until noodles are evenly coated with the sauce.
Drizzle some crispy garlic and garlic oil over it and serve with chye sim and beef brisket.
Video
Notes
Fresh Hong Kong noodles (also known as Wanton Noodles) is available from the chilled section at most supermarkets
Ensure that the radish is fresh by looking at the leaves or the stem end - it should be fresh and green, not brownish.
Chu Hou sauce (柱侯酱) is the key ingredient, that gives this dish its distinctive flavour. It is available at most supermarkets and local wet markets.
Use Bentong ginger if possible for a more fragrant and spicier flavour profile
Remove the fats from the brisket and tendon before blanching for a healthier meal.
Add more water if the gravy dries up. There should be enough gravy to drizzle over the noodles.
This dish tastes better overnight! Best to cook this ahead, and reheat by bringing to a boil.
Braise the beef longer if you prefer it softer, and shorter if you prefer it firmer.
Tendons take longer to soften than brisket. Once the beef briskets are soft, remove them from the pot to prevent them from disintegrating. Continue to braise the tendons until jelly like.
Wait to see if you need to add the cornflour slurry. If the gravy is sticky enough due to the collagen from the beef tendons, so you can omit this step.