Chu hou beef brisket and radish lo mein
Beef brisket braised with chu hou paste and sweet autumn white radish until meltingly tender, then spooned over egg noodles — rich and savoury, with the radish soaking up every drop.
- 2 hr 20 min
- Serves 3
- Braise
- Medium
Why it suits you: A balanced constitution simply needs to eat with the season. Hanlu brings cooler mornings and evenings and noticeably drier air, so meals should moisten while starting to warm the body. White radish is in season, moistening the lungs and aiding digestion; brisket builds qi and blood, and chu hou paste whets the appetite. A warm, filling plate of noodles, with the radish cutting the richness.
Method
Prep 20 min · Cook 120 min- 1Put the whole piece of brisket in a pan of cold water, bring to the boil and blanch for 10 minutes, then rinse and cut into large chunks. Peel the radish and cut into thick pieces.
- 2Heat the oil, fry the ginger, garlic and star anise until fragrant, stir in the chu hou paste, then add the brisket and toss well.
- 3Add the water, soy sauce and sugar, bring to the boil, then cover and braise over a low heat for 1½ hours.
- 4Add the radish and braise for 30 minutes more until translucent and tender, then reduce the sauce over a high heat until thick.
- 5Blanch the noodles and choi sum separately. Drain the noodles onto plates, top with the brisket and radish, pour over the sauce and toss before eating.
Cautions
- Brisket is fatty, so skim the fat from the sauce if you're watching your cholesterol.
Chef's tips
- Blanch the brisket whole and cut it afterwards so it doesn't shrink too much; add the radish late and stop once it turns translucent, or it will fall apart.
The TCM view
White radish is pungent, sweet and cool, entering the lungs and stomach, sending qi downwards, aiding digestion, moistening the lungs and resolving phlegm, and becomes gentler once cooked. Beef is sweet and neutral, strengthening the spleen and stomach and building qi, blood and sinew; ginger and star anise warm the middle and temper the radish's coolness; egg noodles settle the stomach.
