Boiled Beef Shank
How to boil beef so it doesn't become tough, dry, or have an unpleasant odor. This simple trick is something anyone can use to create a delicious dish for their family.
When boiling beef, you should choose the shank instead of other parts like the tenderloin or brisket. Boiled beef shank retains a high level of sweetness and preserves the natural, slightly gamey flavor of the beef, which can be lost when the beef is stir-fried.
Ingredients
- 500g beef shank
- 2-3 lemongrass stalks
- 1 piece of ginger
- Coarse salt
- Pepper
- White wine
- Seasonings: Fish sauce, MSG, broth powder
- Garlic, lime, chili for the dipping sauce
Instructions
Preparing the Beef
Keep the beef shank whole and rub it with coarse salt, white wine, and crushed ginger to remove its characteristic odor. Rinse thoroughly and pat dry.
Marinate the beef with:
- 2 tablespoons of white wine
- 2 tablespoons of fish sauce
- 1 teaspoon of MSG
- 1/2 teaspoon of broth powder
- 1 teaspoon of ground pepper.
Massage the marinade into the beef and let it absorb the flavors for at least 30-40 minutes.
After marinating, you can tie the beef with string to make slicing easier after boiling. However, the beef will naturally shrink while boiling.
Preparing Other Ingredients
Remove the outer layers of lemongrass, wash, crush, and cut into small pieces.
Boiling the Beef Shank
Place the marinated beef into a pot, add the marinade liquid along with the remaining lemongrass and ginger. Pour in enough water to cover the beef by about 2 fingers' width. The beef will shrink as it cooks, so adding extra water ensures it stays submerged for even cooking.
Start with high heat to bring the water to a quick boil, then lower the heat to maintain a gentle simmer. Cover the pot and let it boil for 17-20 minutes to ensure the beef is cooked but not dry.
To check for doneness, insert a chopstick into the beef. If no pinkish liquid comes out, the beef is fully cooked.
Once done, let the beef sit in the pot for another 10 minutes, uncovered, to release steam.
Next, transfer the beef to a bowl of ice water to cool it down. This step keeps the beef firm and juicy. This is the key to perfectly boiled beef, as shared by Cook Béo.
Once cooled, remove the beef from the ice water, let it dry, and then slice it thinly.
Making the Dipping Sauce
Boiled beef shank pairs best with garlic chili fish sauce.
- 3 tablespoons of fish sauce
- 1 tablespoon of sugar
- 1 tablespoon of lime juice
- 1 teaspoon of minced ginger
- 1/3 teaspoon of ground pepper
Mix well, then add minced garlic and chili to taste.
How to Enjoy
