INGREDIENTS
- 2 lbs quartered beef cheek
- 1 roughly chopped onion
- 5 cloves garlic
- 3 inch piece finely chopped ginger
- 1/4 cup soy sauce
- 1/4 cup rice wine vinegar
- 2 tbsp brown sugar
- 2 star anise
- 3 dried red chili
- 3 cups water
- 2 tbsp vegetable oil
- 8 steam buns
- 2 stalks cilantro
METHOD
1) Heat a cast iron or heavy bottomed pan to medium heat. Add vegetable oil to pan and sautee onions for 2-3 minutes until lightly golden brown.
2) Add beef cheeks and sear to golden brown on both sides, approximately 4-3 minutes.
3) Add all remaining dry ingredients and sautee until garlic becomes golden brown. Then deglaze with all liquids.
4) Ensure liquid is covering beef cheeks, if more is required add more to just barely cover meat. Cover and simmer on the stove for 3 hours or until cheeks are fork tender.
5) Remove meat from braise and pull using two forks.
6) Strain liquid and reduce by half by gently boiling for 20-30 min.
7) Incorporate ¼ cup of liquid back into meat to make it moist and store other liquid in fridge and use later for soup or another braise.
8) Steam buns for 3-4 minutes and fill with two tablespoons of braised beef cheek and top with cilantro and any other preferred garnishes.