Any soup dumpling fans here? 🙋 Well no, this isn’t a post about the difficult-to-achieve Shanghainese delicacy that I am going to tackle one day. This is a post about a cold side dish/appetizer that is commonly served at Shanghainese restaurants where they sell soup dumplings 😁. I HAVE made THIS dish countless times and I can tell you that I have a fool proof recipe.
What makes this dish so versatile is you can serve them sliced up and chilled, as a cold appetizer. Flavors can be enhanced by topping the beef with crushed red peppers and/or chili oil. You can also serve them hot, in chunks, atop some crispy pan fried noodles. Make sure to drizzle an ample amount of thickened sauce onto the plate of noodles for umami flavors!
If you’ve tried my recipe, please tag me @rackoflam on social media and/or subscribe to my YouTube channel! Enjoy!
Instant Pot Braised Beef Shank (Pressure Cooker) Recipe
Equipment
- Pressure Cooker / Instant Pot
Ingredients
- 2-3 lb beef shank
- 1 tbsp cooking oil
- large thumb ginger
- 4 cloves garlic crushed
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 3 star anise
BRAISING LIQUID
- 4 cups water
- ¼ cup Shao Xing wine
- ¼ cup light soy sauce
- ¼ cup dark soy sauce
- 1 tbsp oyster sauce
- 2 tbsp sugar
- ¼ tsp black pepper
- ½ tsp five spice powder
- 3 bay leaves
OPTIONAL
- Sichuan peppercorns
- Dried chili peppers
- Crushed red pepper
- Chili sauce/oil
Instructions
- Parboil the beef shank by placing it into a pot, filled with enough cool water to cover the beef. Bring the water to a boil over high heat, then discard the water & impurities and rinse the beef shank with cold water. Set the beef aside.
- Press the sauté button on the Instant Pot. When the "hot" indicator turns on, pour the cooking oil into the pot, swirling to coat evenly.
- Place the ginger and garlic into the pot and stir until you can smell their aromas.
- Add 3 star anise and 1 cinnamon stick and stir for several seconds.
- Transfer all the braising liquid ingredients into the pot and mix until well blended.
- Place the beef shank (either as a whole piece or cut into large chunks) into the braising liquid, ensuring that most of the beef is soaking in the liquid. See Note 1.
- Close the lid, cancel the sauté function and pressure cook for 45 minutes. Make sure the steam valve is in sealing position.
- When time is up, do a quick release or allow the pressure to naturally release.
- Enjoy the beef immediately over rice or pan fried noodles or allow them to cool, then refrigerate overnight, to enjoy them chilled and sliced thinly. Top with crushed red pepper and/or chili oil or chili sauce for an extra kick!
Video
Notes
- Beef is more flavorful when most of it is soaking in the braising liquid as it pressure cooks. However, if you plan to eat them chilled and sliced, I would advise not cutting the chunks too small, as they will be difficult to slice.
