Instant Pot Chinese Beef Stew
User Reviews
5
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Total Time
1 hr 20 mins
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Servings
4 -6
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Calories
301 kcal
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Course
Main Course, Lunch, Dinner
Instant Pot Chinese Beef Stew
Description
The Instant Pot Chinese Beef Stew features beef finger meat and beef tendon simmered together with daikon radish and aromatics such as ginger, garlic, shallot, and the white parts of green onions. The stew's key flavor component is the Chu Hou sauce, which includes chu hou paste, light and dark soy sauces, oyster sauce, star anise, rock sugar, and chenpi (dried mandarin peel) that have been rehydrated. Cooking in an Instant Pot allows the tough cuts of beef and tendon to become tender within a shorter time frame compared to traditional stewing methods.
The stew boasts a balance of savory and slightly sweet flavors, enriched by the aromatics and spices. The daikon adds a mild sweetness and softens during cooking, complementing the beef’s meaty texture. Finally, a cornstarch slurry is used to thicken the sauce, giving it a smooth, glossy consistency that coats the ingredients well.
This stew serves well as a comforting main dish, ideally paired with steamed rice to absorb the rich sauce. The inclusion of beef tendon adds a gelatinous texture prized in Chinese cuisine and enhances mouthfeel. It is a hearty and satisfying dish that offers complex flavors from the Chu Hou sauce components.
Optional ingredients like chenpi and tendon can be omitted if unavailable, simplifying the recipe. Using pre-cooked beef tendons can reduce cooking time and effort. The recipe includes preparation steps to rehydrate and clean the chenpi to remove bitterness. Browning the beef before pressure cooking enhances the dish’s flavor depth.
Ingredients
- 2 - 2.5 pounds (1068g) beef finger meat Chinese: 牛坑腩
- 1 pound (454g) beef tendon Chinese: 牛筋
- 1 - 1.5 pound (600g) daikon large
- 4 (20g) ginger crushed, sliced
- 6 (26g) garlic crushed, cloves
- 1 (12g) shallot , chopped
- 3 green onion separate white from green part, stalks
- salt to taste
- 1 cup (250ml) chicken stock unsalted, or water
- 1 tablespoon Shaoxing wine
Chu Hou Sauce
- 3 tablespoons (45ml) chu hou paste Chinese: 柱侯醬
- 1 tablespoon (15ml) soy sauce regular
- 1 tablespoon (15ml) dark soy sauce (for color)
- 2 teaspoons (12ml) oyster sauce
- 3 (3g) star anise
- 2 teaspoons (10g) rock sugar or white sugar
- 1 (2g) chenpi rehydrate for 15 minutes, aka dried mandarin peel/Chinese: 陳皮
Thickener:
- 3 tablespoons (27g) cornstarch
- 4 tablespoons (60ml) water cold
Instructions
- Prepare Ingredients:Prepare Chenpi: Rehydrate the chenpi by soaking it with cold water for 15 minutes. Use a spoon to scrub off chenpi's white bitter part.Prepare Beef Tendons: For uncooked beef tendons - pressure cook tendons with a cup of cold water in Instant Pot at High Pressure for 1 hour & 15 minutes + Natural Release. Discard the cooking liquid. Rinse the cooked tendons under cold running tap water. Cut tendons into smaller pieces, then remove some of the fat if desired.*Pro Tip: Try to buy pre-cooked beef tendons to simplify the cooking process. Both chenpi or tendons are optional. So omit if you can't find them.
- Brown Beef Finger Meat: Heat up Instant Pot using Sauté More function. Wait until it says HOT (~8 mins). Pat dry the beef finger meat. Drizzle the inner pot with 1 tbsp peanut oil or olive oil. Then, brown 2 sides of the beef for 3 minutes per side in Instant Pot (may have to brown in two separate batches). Set aside browned beef.
- Saute Ginger & Garlic: Add crushed garlic cloves, sliced ginger, chopped shallot, and white part of green onions in Instant Pot. Saute until fragrant (~2 mins). While the ginger and garlic are being sauteed, quickly cut the beef into stew-size pieces.
- Deglaze: Add pre-cooked tendon pieces and browned beef pieces (with all the meat juices) in Instant Pot. Give it a few quick mixes. Pour in 1 tbsp Shaoxing wine (or dry sherry wine/water) and completely deglaze the bottom of the pot.
- Make Chu Hou Sauce: Add 3 tbsp (45ml) chu hou paste, 1 tbsp (15ml) regular soy sauce, 1 tbsp (15ml) dark soy sauce, 2 tsp (12ml) oyster sauce, 3 star anises, 2 tsp (10g) rock sugar or white sugar, and a piece of chenpi in Instant Pot. Give it a quick mix so all the ingredients are infused with the paste. Add in daikon chunks, 1 cup (250ml) unsalted chicken stock, and a pinch of salt. Give it another quick mix. Ensure all the beef are partially submerged into the sauce.
- Pressure Cook Chinese Beef Stew:Option 1 - Super Soft Daikon: Pressure Cook at High Pressure for 25 minutes (beef with some chew) - 32 minutes (melt-in-your-mouth beef), then 15 minutes Natural Release.Option 2 - Perfectly Cooked Daikon: Pressure Cook at High Pressure for 10 minutes + Quick Release to set aside the Daikon; then Pressure Cook at High Pressure for 12 minutes (beef with some chew) - 18 minutes (melt-in-your-mouth beef) + 15 minutes Natural Release.
- Thicken & Season: Bring the beef stew sauce to a simmer with the "Saute" button. In a small mixing bowl, mix cornstarch with water, then mix it in one third at a time until desired thickness. Taste and adjust seasoning by adding more salt. For reference, we added 2 large pinches of salt in the end.
- Serve: Add beef finger meat, beef tendons, and daikon to a serving bowl. Drizzle with the yummy flavorsome chu hou sauce. Enjoy!~ :)
Notes
- Chenpi should be soaked and scrubbed to remove bitterness before use.
- Beef tendons require long pressure cooking but pre-cooked tendons may be used to simplify preparation.
- Browning the beef before cooking develops better flavor.
- The thickener slurry is added at the end to achieve desired sauce consistency.
Nutrition Information
Show DetailsNutrition Facts
Serving: 4-6
Amount Per Serving
Calories 301 kcal
% Daily Value*
| Calories | 301kcal | 15% |
| Carbohydrates | 15g | 5% |
| Protein | 27g | 54% |
| Fat | 13g | 20% |
| Saturated Fat | 5g | 25% |
| Cholesterol | 76mg | 25% |
| Sodium | 396mg | 17% |
| Potassium | 792mg | 17% |
| Fiber | 2g | 8% |
| Sugar | 6g | 12% |
| Vitamin A | 60IU | 1% |
| Vitamin C | 24.8mg | 28% |
| Calcium | 53mg | 5% |
| Iron | 3.7mg | 21% |
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.
User Reviews
Overall Rating
5
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