BEEF: This recipe is a bit tricky to follow. But it is a standard method in the "lo" 鹵way of cooking. So once you master the technique, you can "lo" any meat, and enjoy the result.

SOYA BEEF SHIN鹵水牛肉:

1 ½ to 2 lb. shin of beef in 1 piece                                                     

1 thick slice ginger, crushed

soaking or “lo” mixture***:

   ½ pkg of “lo” ingredients*** or 2 -3 star anise                                                        

   ¼ tsp. salt                                                     

   1 small piece of dried tangerine peel, soaked & softened                

   3 oz. rock sugar

   ½ cup dark soy sauce                                                          

   ¼ cup light soy sauce

   2 tbsp. Chinese Rose wine***                                             

   4-6 cups water

10 hard boiled egg

sesame seed oil to brush

***”LO” is a traditional way of imparting flavour to a variety of meat, chicken, duck and eggs. The “lo” solution is a standard solution that, once it is made, is carefully stored and used over and over again. As more meat is added into it at each new cooking, the flavour becomes more enhanced. To make a “lo solution” at home, the package of “lo” ingredients gives it all the flavour of the various herbs that’s included in it. But it is equally good if the pre-packaged stuff is not available. Just use star anise as the minimum flavouring agent. The Rose wine is literally a rose-petal-flavoured wine available at the Chinese supermarket***.

Use a double thickness of muslin or cheese cloth to hold half of the package of “lo” mixture and tie with kitchen strings. If available, buy a “fish-bag”--a bag made with fine gauzy fabric--used in containing fish bones. Soak and wash it before use; and it is re-usable after washing.  

Bring rest of soaking mixture to a boil in a wok or a large saucepan over medium heat, stirring to dissolve rock sugar. It is important to taste and adjust seasoning; the purpose is to arrive at a salty yet slightly sweet solution. Add more dark soy sauce for a darker solution, and more light soy if more saltiness is needed. Add more water or a bit more rock sugar if a sweeter or less salty mixture is desired. Drop in the “lo” bag of seasoning. Cover pot and simmer solution for 5 minutes.

Cut the piece of beef into half lengthwise & add, together with the ginger, into soaking mixture. Make use meat is totally submerged in the solution. Cover pan & bring back to a boil. As soon as mixture is boiling, reduce heat to medium low and simmer beef for 1 ½ hours or longer until tender. After ½ hour of cooking, remove “lo” bag and discard. When beef is cooked to desired tenderness, remove from solution and let cool. Add boiled eggs to soaking solution; then turn off heat and let eggs soak for ½ hour. Turn them over to soak the other side and let soak for 30 minutes more.

Use an egg slicer to slice eggs and arrange slices on edge of serving platter. Slice beef, when cool enough to handle, into thin slices, and arrange them in the middle of serving platter. Brush beef slightly with sesame-seed oil to glaze. Add 1-2 tablespoonfuls of soaking sauce on top to serve. Serve at room temperature.

Pour “lo” solution through a fine strainer into a glass container, if necessary, use a funnel. It is important to strain it after each use. Cool completely and freeze it until the next time it is needed. At the next cooking, defrost solution in the fridge, and bring it up to the boil in a saucepan large enough to hold the meat to be cooked. Let it boil for a few minutes before adding meat. After the last cooking, the taste of the “lo” solution would have been diluted, so it is important to add more dark and light soy sauce and sugar and adjust seasoning before using. If necessary, add the other half of the “lo” package of spices for flavour, and repeat cooking process as above.