Guangming Li shares his recipe for the Five Spice Beef Brisket

I am Guangming Li and I’m originally from China. I am married and have a son. My parents are the source of my interest in good, honest and rustic food. My father especially is a great cook and I have always enjoyed meals at home.

At the age of 20, I had the good fortune of joining as an apprentice at my uncle’s restaurant. It was a small neighbourhood restaurant in my hometown that serves up everyday Chinese food. Nothing fancy but a lot of good rustic Chinese food takes time to prepare and involves a lot of work. I started from scratch as a washer up, kitchen porter and became a chef within two years.

Wanting to learn more, I left for the big city and got myself a position in a four star restaurant. This was a world of difference, a massive place with four floors of dining area employing 50 chefs.

I started as a commis chef and learned everything I could for two years before being promoted to one of the many sous chefs working directly under the head chef who was vey renowned in the city. I acquired my professional skills during the three years as a sous chef and was fortunate to cover the head chef for while during his absence. When I turned 27, I decided to set up on my own and opened a small restaurant in the same city. The business thrived but alas I was not able to negotiate the renewal of the lease at the premises. This is when I took an advertised position in England and finally landed in SoJo, Oxford.

Five Spice Beef Brisket is a universal Chinese recipe for all regions of China. Despite its name it’s a non spicy dish. In the last century, when not many Chinese could afford beef, they tended to use beef brisket as an affordable option.

SoJo still serves up this recipe with beef brisket for authenticity and nostalgia. The gravy or sauce is known by the Chinese as “The Master Sauce” and this can be used for cooking poultry and lamb. For the purpose of this column, the beef brisket is used.

FIVE SPICE BEEF BRISKET

Ingredients – Serve 4

* 1000 grams of beef brisket, trimming off the fat and sinew 
* 2 sprigs of spring onions, each tied in a knot 
* 1 sprig of spring onion, finely sliced 
* 1 inch thumb size of ginger, smashed or pressed 
* 1 teaspoon of roasted sesame oil 
* 3 tablespoons light soy sauce 
* 1 tablespoon of dark soy sauce 
* 4 tablespoon Chinese yellow wine or Brandy 
* 1.5 litre of meat stock 
* 1/2 tablespoon of five spice powder 
* 1/4 teaspoon of ground white pepper 
* 1/4 teaspoon of sugar 
* 1 teaspoon of sea salt 
* 150 gram of rock sugar

When trimming the beef brisket, trim off the fat and sinew although the Chinese much prefer to leave the sinew on the brisket for a bit of bite.

Then cut the trimmed brisket in cubes of 3/4 inch.

Place the brisket, knotted spring onions, smashed ginger, yellow wine or brandy and meat stock into a clay pot or stock pot and bring these ingredients to open boil. Skim off any scum from the surface as it is boiling.

Once they reach to the boil, cover and simmer down to low heat for 20 minutes.

Thereafter add salt, pepper, sugar, rock sugar, light and dark soy sauces to the ingredients.

Return to the boil, covered and simmer for another 25-30 minutes, reducing the liquid.

Leave the beef and liquid to cool for one hour in the stock pot, covered. Then drain out the liquid (leaving residue sauce as gravy to coat the brisket) and cool for 30 minutes, covered.

Add sesame oil all over, dish out into a deep plate, sprinkle diced spring onions to garnish and serve.