Name: Beef Bourguignon Chinese Style Recipe
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 1 h
Total time: 1 h 30 min
Yield: 8
Cuisine: Asian Fusion
Ingredients: 2 lb beef, top round or chuck; 1/2 tsp baking soda; 1 tbsp Shaoxing wine; 1 tbsp dark soy sauce; 2 tsp Zhenjiang Vinegarr; 2 tsp cane sugar; 1 tbsp arrowroot flour; 4 tbsp avocado oil; 1 tbsp avocado oil; 1 small piece of ginger, thin sliced; 4 garlic cloves, minced; 1 green onion stalk, chopped; 3 tbsp dark soy sauce; 3 tbsp light soy sauce; 1 tbsp cane sugar, organic unrefined preferred; 1 dried red chili pepper; 2 star anise; 2 bay leaves; Half dried mandarin orange peel, optional; One small piece of cinnamon bark, or 1/4 tsp cinnamon powder; 1/2 tsp red yeast rice powder, freshly ground, optional, see notes; 1-2 cups of water, see notes; Half red onion; 1 lb potatoes, peeled and cut into bite-size chunks; 12 oz carrots, peeled and cut into bite-size chunks; 12 oz green beans, trim both ends off

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Beef Bourguignon Chinese Style features juicy beef braised with red onions, potatoes, carrots, and green beans. It is tasty, versatile, and easy to make at home.

Also known as Boeuf Bourguignon or Beef Burgundy, which I came across while watching the movie “Julie & Julia”. One of the dishes the main character Julie tried in the movie is Julia Child’s Boeuf Bourguignon recipe. Once again, I was amazed by how different cultures ended up producing a similar dish. Nevertheless, they very much feature the local ingredients, taste preferences, and way of cooking.

For instance, instead of braising the beef in red wine, the Chinese style does it in Shaoxing wine and soy sauce. Also, instead of slow cooking in the oven, we simmer the Chinese-style boeuf bourguignon on the stovetop.

Traditional Chinese-style cooking predominantly uses a stovetop. Stir Fry, Saute, Pan Fry, Deep Fry, Braise, Boil, and Steaming can all be accomplished using a stovetop in conjunction with a Wok.

One of the major advantages of simmering the beef stew in a Dutch oven on the stovetop is that it significantly cuts down the cooking time. You can make this delicious Chinese-style Beef Burgundy in about one hour, give or take.

What is the secret of a juicy Beef Bourguignon?

The key is to marinate the beef and sear the beef properly first thing first

Compared to other types of meat such as lamb, pork, or chicken, beef is trickier to cook. Many people struggled to cook tender and tasty beef, me included for a long time. Not any more. With this unique beef marinating and searing technique, you can easily and surely cook yummy juicy beef.

how to prepare and tenderize beef for cooking?

Here are the key takeaways for tender beef:

Cut the beef across the grain in bite-size relatively thin slices
Soak the beef slices in cold water for about 30 minutes
Marinate the beef with a tiny bit of baking soda, along with other ingredients
Wrap the marinated beef with a splash of cooking oil
Sear the marinated beef in a hard-anodized frying pan in small batches

Read here for a detailed step-by-step guide on how to prepare and tenderize the beef for cooking.

How to make Beef Bourguignon Chinese Style?

Tip No.1 is to sear the beef properly first thing first

Prepare and sear the beef separately and set it aside. Add the braising juice and seasoning ingredients to the dutch oven and bring it to a boil. Once it reaches a boil, add the seared beef, turn the heat to simmer, and cook for 15 minutes.

Tip No.2 is to add the prepared vegetables and simmer for 30 minutes

After you have simmered the beef for 15 minutes, add the prepared vegetables, such as red onion, potatoes, carrots, and green beans. Fold the vegetables into the beef and juice and cook for another 30 minutes.

beef and vegetable assortment in the dutch oven

Last but not least is to glaze the dish on medium heat for the last 10 minutes of cooking

For the first 45 minutes, we cook the beef burgundy in a closed dutch oven on simmer heat mode. After that, remove the lid, turn the heat to medium and cook for the last 10 minutes. Use a pair of bamboo spatulas to turn and toss the beef with vegetables from time to time.

This step is important to make sure the whole dish is properly flavored and glazed.

Beef Bourguignon Chinese Style in the Dutch Oven

Beef Bourguignon Chinese Style Recipe

Yield: 8 servings

Prep Time: 30 minutes

Cook Time: 1 hour

Total Time: 1 hour 30 minutes

Beef Bourguignon Chinese Style features juicy beef braised with red onions, potatoes, carrots, and green beans. So tasty, versatile and easy to make at home.

Ingredients

2 lb beef, top round or chuck

For Marinating the Beef:

1/2 tsp baking soda
1 tbsp Shaoxing wine
1 tbsp dark soy sauce
2 tsp Zhenjiang Vinegarr
2 tsp cane sugar
1 tbsp arrowroot flour
4 tbsp avocado oil

For Searing the Beef:

1 tbsp avocado oil
1 small piece of ginger, thin sliced
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 green onion stalk, chopped

For the Braising Juice:

3 tbsp dark soy sauce
3 tbsp light soy sauce
1 tbsp cane sugar, organic unrefined preferred
1 dried red chili pepper
2 star anise
2 bay leaves
Half dried mandarin orange peel, optional
One small piece of cinnamon bark, or 1/4 tsp cinnamon powder
1/2 tsp red yeast rice powder, freshly ground, optional, see notes
1-2 cups of water, see notes

For Vegetable Assortment

Half red onion
1 lb potatoes, peeled and cut into bite-size chunks
12 oz carrots, peeled and cut into bite-size chunks
12 oz green beans, trim both ends off

Instructions

Cut the Beef and Soak in Cold Water:

Gather ingredients for marinating the beef. Cut beef across the grain into bite-size chunks, not overly thick, and soak them in the cold water for about 10 minutes. Change the water and rinse a couple of times.

Marinating the Beef:

Remove the beef from the water, gently squeeze to get rid of the extra water and place them in a mixing bowl.
Add baking soda, toss and mix well using a pair of bamboo spatulas. Then add Shaoxing wine, dark soy sauce, Zhenjiang vinegar, and sugar, too, and mix well again.
Follow that, add arrowroot flour, toss and mix well again before adding avocado oil. Fold the oil into the beef, mix well and set it aside.

Sear the Beef in two batches:

Turn the heat to medium-high and heat to a 12-inch hard anodized frying pan for 1 minute, and then add 1/2 tbsp avocado oil and spread evenly across the pan.
Add half of the minced ginger, garlic, and chopped green onion, along with half of the marinated beef.
Try to lay the beef slices flat with minimal overlapping and cook for 2 minute2.
Frequently turn or flip the beef and cook for another 1 minute or so, or till beef is properly browned.
Remove the beef from the pan and place them on a plate and set it aside.
Turn the heat to medium and repeat the above steps to sear the remaining
Then add the first batch back to the pan and stir for another minute.

Prep the vegetables:

Trim the red onion ends, peel off the outer layer and chop vertically into slices. Wash and peel potatoes and carrots, and cut them into bite-size small chunks. For green beans, wash and trim both ends off.

Braise the Beef with the Vegetables:

Use a dutch oven or cast iron wok to braise the beef with vegetables. Turn the heat to medium-high and add everything under "For Braising Broth" and bring it to a boil.
Turn the heat to simmer, and add the previously seared beef into the dutch oven. Fold the beef into the braising juice, cover the lid and cook for 15 minutes.
Add the prepped vegetables into the pot, sprinkle 1/2 tsp salt, and fold the vegetables into the beef. Cover the lid and cook for 30 minutes.
Remove the lid, turn the heat to medium-high and cook for the final 10 minutes. Frequently turn and toss the beef with vegetables from time to time.
All done! Turn off the heat. Enjoy a super yummy Beef Bourguignon Chinese Style.

Notes

If you prefer lots of juice in the stew, then add 2 cups of water. Otherwise, add 1 cup of water.
In terms of vegetables, for 2 lb of beef, you can use half of the red onion and 2 lb or 2.5 lbs of vegetable assortment. I usually add potatoes, carrots, and green beans. For green beans, make sure you get the tender ones. The not-so-tender ones might require additional cooking beforehand.
Red yeast rice is a traditional & ancient Chinese ingredient. When white rice is fermented in a certain way, they turn into bright red color. I use it to make all-natural red velvet cake too. Add a tiny bit of red yeast powder giving this dish a beautiful red hue.