Description
An easy Chinese ground beef and potato stew with carrots, five-spice, and star anise in a rich, savory soy braise. Perfect over steamed rice!
Ingredients
Units
Scale
- 1 lb beef (ground beef or 1-inch cubed beef)
- 2 large russet potatoes (peeled and cut into 1-inch chunks)
- 2 large carrots (peeled and cut into 1/2-inch round chunks)
- 1 yellow onion (peel and cut into small chunks)
- 5 cups water
- 2 tablespoons Shaoxing cooking wine
- 1 teaspoon fine ground sea salt
- 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 teaspoon Chinese five-spice powder
- 2 tablespoons dark soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons light soy sauce
- 2 teaspoons granulated sugar
- 3 whole star anise
Instructions
- Brown the beef: Heat a wide skillet (one with a lid) over medium-high heat. Add the ground beef and sear until well-browned, breaking up any clumps into small pieces. Typically, I don’t use any oil with ground beef since it renders its own fat, but feel free to add a splash if you’re using a pan that tends to stick.
- Add seasonings: Pour in the Shaoxing wine to deglaze the pan, scraping up all the savory browned bits from the bottom. Add the salt, pepper, five-spice powder, light soy sauce, dark soy sauce, and sugar, tossing until the beef is evenly coated.
- Add veggies and simmer: Pour in the water, then add the potatoes, carrots, and onions, gently pressing them down so they are mostly submerged. Add whole star anise, bring to a boil, then lower the heat to a gentle simmer. Cover partially and cook for 30 minutes until the vegetables are fork-tender. You should still have plenty of broth left. If too much has evaporated, just stir in a splash of water or beef stock.
- Finish and serve: Remove the lid, discard the star anise, spoon generously over bowls of hot steamed jasmine rice, and enjoy.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Asian, Chinese