Serves 3
145 min
Beef Pares
Recipe GLPRf70caa8d1b2858
Beef Pares is a rich, aromatic braised beef dish from Filipino-Chinese cuisine. Tender beef cubes are blanched, then slow-cooked with ginger, garlic, onion, and warm spices—five-spice powder, star anise, bay leaf, and peppercorns—in a savory-sweet sauce made with soy sauce, rice wine, and vinegar. The braising liquid is thickened into a glossy sauce that coats each tender piece of meat. Served over steamed rice and topped with crispy fried onions, toasted garlic chips, and fresh scallions.
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Ingredients
1½ pounds beef (brisket, flank, short ribs, or shank), cut into 2-inch cubes
6 cloves garlic
1 thumb-sized piece fresh ginger, scrubbed (no need to peel)
1 whole onion
1 teaspoon whole black peppercorns
1 star anise
1 bay leaf
1 teaspoon five-spice powder
4 tablespoons soy sauce
4 tablespoons rice wine
1 teaspoon rice wine vinegar
2 tablespoons white sugar
Salt to taste
1 tablespoon tapioca starch or cornstarch
2 tablespoons water (for dissolving starch)
Cooked rice, for serving
Toasted garlic bits, for garnish
Fried onion slices, for garnish
Snipped fresh scallions, for garnish
Directions
Place beef cubes in a large pot and cover with cold water. Bring to a boil over high heat and boil for 5 to 10 minutes until the meat is no longer red. Drain the water and rinse the beef thoroughly under cold running water to remove all scum and impurities.
Rinse out the pot. Return the cleaned beef to the pot and cover with fresh water. Add the garlic cloves, whole onion, ginger piece, black peppercorns, star anise, bay leaf, and five-spice powder. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to maintain a gentle simmer.
Stir in the soy sauce, rice wine, rice wine vinegar, and white sugar. Simmer gently, uncovered, for about 2 hours or until the beef is very tender, stirring occasionally. Halfway through cooking, taste the broth and adjust salt as needed for flavor. Do not add extra soy sauce in place of salt, as this will make the broth too dark.
When the beef is fork-tender, use a slotted spoon to carefully remove the meat and place it in a large bowl. Keep warm. Strain the broth through a fine sieve into the pot, discarding the solids (garlic, onion, ginger, peppercorns, star anise, and bay leaf).
Return the strained broth to the pot and bring to a simmer over medium heat. Dissolve the tapioca or cornstarch in 2 tablespoons of water, stirring until smooth. Slowly pour the slurry into the simmering broth while stirring constantly. Continue cooking and stirring for 2 to 3 minutes until the sauce thickens and becomes clear and glossy.
Return the cooked beef to the pot with the thickened sauce. Simmer together for another 10 minutes, stirring gently to coat the meat evenly with the sauce.
To serve, place a portion of cooked rice into a bowl. Arrange several pieces of beef on top of the rice and drizzle generously with sauce from the pot.
Garnish each bowl with toasted garlic bits, fried onion slices, and snipped fresh scallions. Serve immediately while hot.
