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Chinese Braised Beef Shank on cutting board
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Chinese Braised Beef Shank
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Home » One Pan

Make Ahead Chinese Braised Beef Shank

Published: Apr 24, 2019 · Updated: Oct 4, 2020 · This post may contain affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases at no extra cost to you.

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Chinese Braised Beef Shank
make ahead braised beef pinterest image
Chinese Braised Beef Shank on cutting board

Chinese Braised Beef Shank is a great make ahead Chinese food that can be eaten hot, cold, or even room temperature.  Just make sure there is enough for everyone because it will go quick.

Chinese Braised Beef Shank on cutting board

This is an excellent option to make in conjunction with Very Easy 6-Ingredient Shanghai Chicken because they both use the exact same cooking liquid.

It's so easy

Braising beef in a pot with soy sauce tinged with spices not very difficult at all.

The hard part is 1) waiting for it to cook and 2) finding the beef.

Beef Banana Shanks

This cut of beef comes from the upper half of the cow leg.  As such, it is tough, sinewy, and needs a long cooking time to soften up those hardworking muscles.

This is not a common cut of meat in Western cuisine but is used heavily in Chinese cuisine for beef noodle soups and braises.

It is possible to find the banana shank at Asian markets, and some grassfed beef purveyors will also sell this cut.

How to Make Chinese Braised Beef Shank

Step 1: Make the Master Stock

Chinese Braised Beef Shank in pot

Hopefully, you would already have this stock ready to go from cooking Shanghai chicken.  

If not, simply add the beef to the pot with water, soy sauce, rice wine, sugar, cinnamon, and star anise.

If you would like to use the stock as a soup base after cooking, the beef should be boiled first in plain water to remove impurities.  It's not absolutely necessary, but some purists do this.

Step 2: Cook beef

Chinese Braised Beef Shank cooking in pot

This takes the longest time, about 1.5 - 2 hours, or 2 episodes of Game of Thrones.  The meat will be well done and need to be sliced with a knife.

I had considered using the slow cooker, but the slow cooker tends to overcook meat, IMHO.

This meat is not meant to be fork tender (as many Chinese meats are not).  It should still have some chew.

Step 3: Cool and slice

Chinese Braised Beef Shank sliced on plate

You can eat this hot from the pot, using the knife to cut it into chunks.  However, the preferred method is to let it cool (to room temperature even) and slice thin.

It is easier to slice cold from the refrigerator the next day too for a low carb snack.

Some of the leftover stock can be drizzled over the top if desired for sheen and moisture.

Tips to make it better @home:

  1. Make this the day before and serve cold or at room temperature.
  2. Cook chicken in the same stock first to get 2 meals out of 1 pot
  3. Do not overcook to fork tender.  It should still hold together if you try to pick it up with a fork.

More Make Ahead Chinese Food

Sometimes you need a dish that you can make ahead of time.  With a lot of Asian food, you can eat it cold or at room temperature such as:

Make Ahead Chilled Chinese Broccoli. 

Smashed Cucumbers - Angry & Vegan

Ants Climb a Tree - Noodles

Recipe

Chinese Braised Beef Shank
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Make Ahead Chinese Braised Beef Shank

This very easy make ahead braised beef shank can be served hot or at room temperature.  You can cook and have it sliced ahead of time ready to much on. 
Course Main Course
Cuisine Chinese
Keyword braised beef shanks, easy beef recipes, make ahead Chinese food
Prep Time 10 minutes minutes
Cook Time 2 hours hours
Servings 4
Calories 331kcal
Author Agile Test Kitchen

Ingredients

  • 1.5 lb beef banana shank grassfed
  • 1 ½ c soy sauce
  • ½ c Chinese rice wine or dry sherry
  • 3 Tb cane sugar
  • 3 c water
  • 1 ea cinnamon sticks
  • 3 ea star anise

Instructions

  • Put all items into a pot. Bring to a simmer and cook at a very lazy bubble for 1.5-2 hours.  The meat will be thoroughly cooked and tender but not falling apart when you pick it up. 
  • Remove from liquid, slice, and serve.  Alternately, it can be cooled completely, sliced and eaten cold or at room temperature. 
  • The cooking liquid can be cooled, refrigerated, and used again if desired. 

Notes

  1. Make this the day before and serve cold or at room temperature. 
  2. Cook chicken in the same stock first to get 2 meals out of 1 pot
  3. Do not overcook to fork tender.  It should still hold together if you try to pick it up with a fork. 

Nutrition

Calories: 331kcal | Carbohydrates: 9g | Protein: 25g | Fat: 20g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Cholesterol: 102mg | Sodium: 104mg | Potassium: 267mg | Sugar: 8g | Vitamin A: 190IU | Vitamin C: 2.1mg | Calcium: 30mg | Iron: 1.5mg
Tried this recipe?Mention @agiletestkitchen or tag #agiletestkitchen!

Do you love grassfed beef?  Please spread the Asian ♥ and share!

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Chinese Braised Beef Shank
make ahead braised beef pinterest image
Chinese Braised Beef Shank on cutting board

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I cooked in professional kitchens for 10 years, but at home I can barely get myself to boil water.

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Chinese Braised Beef Shank
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Chinese Braised Beef Shank on cutting board
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