Szechuan Red Cooked Spicy Scotch Beef

Szechuan Red Cooked Spicy Scotch Beef

Heavily Adapted from Irene Kuo, The Key to Chinese Cooking

Seasonings	2 T Hot Sesame Oil and 2 T Hot Chili Oil
5 T Dark Soy Sauce	1 tsp Szechuan Peppercorns
3 T Scotch	2 Large Whole Scallions, Cut Into 2 Inch Pieces
1/2 tsp Salt	4 Quarter-sized Slices Ginger
1 T Sugar	2 1/2 lbs Beef Chuck Rib Roast and 1 1/2 lbs Beef Chuck Short Ribs
1 T Szechuan Chili Sauce	6 C Beef Stock and 3 C Water
	2 Whole Star Anise
	1/2 to 1 lb noodles
	2 T Hot Chili Oil (added to pot right before cooking)

Mix the seasonings in a small bowl and set aside.

Loosely cut meat off of short ribs (keep bones) - doesn't have to be a close cut, some meat should remain on the bones. Cut rib roast and short rib meat into approximately 2 inch cubes. 

Combine beef stock and water in large pot and set on back burner to bring to boil. When boiling, add short rib bones. 

Heat a large, heavy saucepan or wok over high heat until hot; add the hot sesame and hot chili oil, swirl, turn heat to medium low. Scatter in the peppercorns and let them brown for about 1 minute, stirring and pressing them into the oil. Scape them out with slotted spoon and discard. 

Turn heat high, add the scallions, ginger, and meat, stir and flip for about 45 seconds until meat is seared on all sides. Add seasonings and stir until meat is covered. Scrape contents of pan into pot of boiling stock and water. Add star anise and the remaining 2 T of hot chili oil.

Turn heat low to maintain a very gentle simmering, cover and simmer for 2 - 3 hours, until the meat is tender and the sinews are soft and translucent. Adjust taste with soy sauce, sugar, or hot oil if necessary. This step may be done in advance. Cover and refrigerate if to be kept a long time. Reheat right before serving.

This soup as the Scotch Chix have modified it does not have to have noodles - there is enough meat for it to stand on its own. However, if you want to serve it with noodles then boil the noodles and add them to the red-cooked beef right before serving. If all of the dish will not be consumed at the time of serving, add noodles to the individual bowls or to a tureen with the soup poured over it (the noodles will get soggy if they remain in the soup as leftovers).