Name: Fatty Beef with Stringy Mushrooms {Fei Niu Jin Zhen Gu Tang 肥牛金针菇汤} Recipe
Cook time: 15 min
Yield: 4
Ingredients: 1 lb fatty beef slices, also known as shabu shabu beef; 2 bunches of enoki mushrooms or seafood mushrooms, trimmed and separated; 1/2 tsp salt, Himalayan Pink Salt or sea salt; 1/4 tsp white pepper, freshly ground; 1/4 tsp Sichuan chili powder, or to the taste, see notes; 1/2 tbsp naturally aged soy sauce, or dark soy sauce; 1/2 tbsp light soy sauce; 1 green onion stalk, chopped; 1 small piece of ginger, organic preferred, about 4g, thin sliced; 3 garlic cloves, minced; 6 cups of water

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Fei Niu {肥牛} in Chinese, also known as shabu shabu beef in Japanese, is paper-thin fatty beef slices. They are a popular hotpot dish. Fatty Beef Soup with Stringy Mushrooms {Fei Niu Jin Zhen Gu Tang 肥牛金针菇汤} is a naturally yummy soup popular in China. Perfect to pair with freshly steamed rice or buns for a quick, easy and tasty dinner.

Fei Niu {Fatty Beef} Soup with Stringy Mushrooms {Jin Zhen Gu Fei Niu Tang 肥牛金针菇汤} — Fei Niu {Fatty Beef} Soup with Stringy Mushrooms {Fei Niu Jin Zhen Gu Tang 肥牛金针菇汤}

Stringy Mushrooms is a wonderful companion for Fei Niu {Fatty Beef Slices}

When people talk about stringy mushrooms, they usually refer to enoki mushrooms. These mushrooms usually grow in clusters, featuring white slender strings that look like needles with a golden hue. For that reason, they are also commonly known as Jin Zhen Gu {金针菇} in Chinese, literally translates into Golden Needle Mushrooms.

Besides enoki mushrooms, you can also use seafood mushrooms, featured in this recipe. Compared to enoki mushrooms, seafood mushrooms have thicker stems.

Ingredients for Fatty Beef Soup with Stringy Mushrooms

How to make a delicious Fei Niu {Fatty Beef} Soup quick, easy and delicious?

Tip No.1 is to trim and separate the stringy mushrooms as much as you can

Either enoki mushrooms or seafood mushrooms are coming in clusters. Trim the cluster bottom off and then separate the mushrooms as much as you can. Needless to say, it is easier to separate seafood mushrooms than to enoki mushrooms.

Tip No.2 is to use just the right amount of seasoning and condiments

Fatty beef, together with mushrooms, is naturally tasty, and you just want to bring out the inherent yumminess of the meat without overpowering or covering it.

The three primary Chinese cooking herbs, namely green onion, ginger, and garlic work great here. Other than that, you only need a little salt, white pepper, Sichuan chili powder, and soy sauce to complete the flavor and taste.

Last but not least is make sure not to over-cook the fatty beef slices for the soup

Fatty beef is sliced paper-thin and very easy to cook. One of the key reasons why this soup is so quick and easy. Simply add water and all the seasonings into the wok or stockpot, mix well and bring it to a boil.

Once it reaches a boil, add the stringy mushrooms, cover the lid and bring it to a boil and simmer for 3 minutes.

Turn the heat back to medium-high, add fatty beef slices to the soup. Immediately separate the fatty beef slices using a pair of chopsticks or kitchen tongs and fold them into the soup. As soon as the beef changes its color, turn off the heat, garnish with the chopped green onion and serve hot.

Freshly cooked Fei Niu Fatty Beef soup with stringy mushrooms in the wok

Fatty Beef with Stringy Mushrooms {Fei Niu Jin Zhen Gu Tang 肥牛金针菇汤} Recipe

Yield: 4 servings

Cook Time: 15 minutes

Fei Niu {肥牛}, or known as shabu shabu beef in Japanese, is paper-thin fatty beef slices. Fei Niu Soup with Stringy Mushrooms {Fei Niu Jin Zhen Gu Tang 肥牛金针菇汤} is a popular extremely yummy soup for a quick and easy dinner.

Ingredients

1 lb fatty beef slices, also known as shabu shabu beef
2 bunches of enoki mushrooms or seafood mushrooms, trimmed and separated
1/2 tsp salt, Himalayan Pink Salt or sea salt
1/4 tsp white pepper, freshly ground
1/4 tsp Sichuan chili powder, or to the taste, see notes
1/2 tbsp naturally aged soy sauce, or dark soy sauce
1/2 tbsp light soy sauce
1 green onion stalk, chopped
1 small piece of ginger, organic preferred, about 4g, thin sliced
3 garlic cloves, minced
6 cups of water

Instructions

Gather ingredients. Chop green onion, slice the ginger, and mince the garlic.
Add 6 cups of water into the wok, along with everything except for the beef and mushrooms. Save some chopped green onion for garnishing.
Mix everything well using a bamboo spatula. Turn the heat to medium-high, cover the wok with a lid and bring it to a boil.
While waiting, prepare the stringy mushrooms. Trim the bottom of the stringy mushrooms off, rinse and then separate them.
Once the water in the wok reaches a boil, add the stringy mushroom, Fold the mushrooms into the soup, cover the lid and let it reach a boil again.
Once it does, turn the heat to simmer and cook for 3 minutes.
Add the fatty beef slices into the wok, quickly separate them and fold into the soup using a pair of chopsticks or kitchen tongs.
Once the beef changes color, turn off the heat and garnish with the remaining chopped green onion.
All done! Enjoy a naturally yummy fatty beef soup with stringy mushrooms.