Braised Beef Brisket with Chile and Tamarind Sauce
Ingredients: 1 lb beef brisket Braising stock: 3 Tbsp dark soy sauce 3 Tbsp light soy sauce 8 garlic cloves, peeled and bruised 1 inch knob of fresh ginger, bruised 2 lemongrass stems, bruised 3 Tbsp sugar 4 Kaffir lime leaves, torn 1 tsp white pepper Sauce: 1 bird’s eye chile, finely sliced 4 Tbsp […]
Ingredients:
1 lb beef brisket
Braising stock:
3 Tbsp dark soy sauce
3 Tbsp light soy sauce
8 garlic cloves, peeled and bruised
1 inch knob of fresh ginger, bruised
2 lemongrass stems, bruised
3 Tbsp sugar
4 Kaffir lime leaves, torn
1 tsp white pepper
Sauce:
1 bird’s eye chile, finely sliced
4 Tbsp tamarind water (see note)
1 Tbsp fish sauce
2 Tbsp sugar
To serve:
3 Tbsp fried shallots
2 handfuls of coriander leaves
6 spring onions, julienned
Lime wedges
Instructions:
Put the beef in a saucepan and pour in enough cold water to submerge it. Bring to the boil. Drain, then rinse the beef under cold running water.
Put the beef in a stockpot of large saucepan. Add all the ingredients for the braising stock plus 1.5L water. Bring to the boil, then reduce the heat to a simmer and cook, uncovered, for 2 hours, or until the meat is tender and almost “melting”. Remove the beef from the stock (reserving the braising stock) and leave to rest or 10 minutes. Slice thinly. Strain the braising stock into a bowl – you need (2/3 cup) to use in the sauce.
To make the sauce, combine all the ingredients and the reserved braising stock in a saucepan and bring to the boil. The sauce should taste hot, sour, salty, and a little sweet. Add extra tamarind water, fish sauce or sugar, to taste.
To serve, arrange the beef slices on a plate and pour the sauce over the top. Sprinkle with fried shallots, coriander and spring onions and serve with lime wedges.
Note: Tamarind water: Cover 1/4 cup of seedless tamarind pulp with 1 1/4 cup hot water for 15-20 minutes. Squeeze and work to dissolve it. Strain the liquid through a sieve and discard the fibre. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.