In the world of food, beef brisket and offal occupy a place that cannot be ignored with its unique charm. This dish not only combines the mellowness of beef with the richness of beef offal, but also locks in the essence of various seasonings during the long simmering process, leaving people with an unforgettable aftertaste. Today, let's walk into the production process of beef brisket and offal, from the careful selection of ingredients to the final plating and tasting, every step contains the love and pursuit of food.
1. Preparation: Details determine success or failure
1. Ingredient shopping: Freshness is king
The first step in making beef brisket offal is to choose high-quality ingredients. For brisket, we generally choose the fat and lean parts, so that the meat can maintain a certain tenderness after stewing, and bring a rich taste layer. Bright red color, clear texture, and no peculiar smell are the basic criteria for selecting brisket. The choice of beef offal is more particular, the tripe should be thick and elastic, the heart of the beef should be bright red without bruising, and the beef tongue should be selected with a smooth surface and no damage. In addition, fresh vegetables such as onions and green onions are also indispensable ingredients, which not only enhance the flavor of the dish, but also add a fresh touch of color to the beef brisket and offal.
2. Material preparation: the art of knife work and plating
The initial processing of the purchased ingredients is an important part of making beef brisket and offal. First, wash the brisket and offal to remove impurities and blood from the surface. Next, use a sharp knife to cut the brisket into evenly sized cubes to facilitate the flavor and maintain the integrity of the meat. Beef offal is cut according to the specific part, for example, tripe can be cut into strips, and beef tongue can be cut into thin slices. Shredding onions, slicing ginger, and slicing green onions are seemingly simple knife treatments, but in fact they contain respect and understanding for the ingredients. At the same time, the neatly arranged cut ingredients on the plate are not only beautiful and elegant, but also inspire the chef's creativity.
2. Marinated beef: the first experience of flavor
Marinating is one of the key steps in making brisket offal. By marinating, the beef and beef offal can fully absorb the flavor of the seasoning, so as to achieve the effect of removing the smell and increasing the flavor. Place the sliced beef brisket and offal in a large bowl and add the appropriate amount of light soy sauce, dark soy sauce, cooking wine, salt, sugar and ginger slices. Light soy sauce and dark soy sauce are used to color and enhance freshness, while cooking wine removes fishy smells and adds aroma. Salt and sugar can adjust the taste of the dish and make it more in line with the general public's preferences. Ginger slices have the effect of warming the stomach from the cold and complement the beef. During the marinating process, you can gently grasp and mix well with your hands to ensure that each piece of meat is evenly coated with seasoning. The marinating time is generally about 30 minutes, which can ensure that the seasoning fully penetrates into the meat, but does not make the meat too soft and lose its taste.
3. Blanching: the secret of removing the smell and improving the freshness
Once the marinade is complete, the next step is blanching. Blanching not only removes blood and impurities from beef and offal, but also further removes fishy odors and improves the clarity of the soup base. Put the marinated beef and offal in a pot, add enough water (preferably to cover the ingredients), and bring to a boil over high heat. During the blanching process, pay close attention to the changes in the pot and skim off the foam on the surface in time after the water boils. These foams are mainly formed by impurities and blood in the ingredients, and if not skimmed off in time, it will affect the taste and appearance of the finished product. The blanching time should not be too long, generally a few minutes. Finally, use a drain to remove the blanched beef and offal, rinse with clean water and drain for later use.
4. Stewed beef brisket and offal: the test of time and heat
1. Heat the pan with cold oil: Bring out the aroma of the ingredients
Before simmering, it is necessary to treat the hot pan with cold oil. Heat the pot and pour in a little cooking oil (such as peanut oil or rapeseed oil), and stir-fry the shredded onion when the oil temperature rises to 5 or 6 percent hot. The aroma of onions quickly fills the entire kitchen and provides a good basis for the subsequent simmering process. Sautéed shredded onions not only enhance the flavor of the dish but also increase appetite. Next, put the blanched beef brisket and offal into a pot and stir-fry with the onion shreds so that the surface is slightly browned. This not only locks in the moisture in the ingredients, but also makes the meat firmer and more elastic.
2. Add spices: The charm of spices
After stir-frying evenly, the next step is to add the seasoning. Add spices such as star anise, cinnamon and bay leaf to the pan and stir-fry with the beef and offal. These spices have a rich aroma and a unique taste that enhance the flavor level of the dish. In the process of stir-frying, it is necessary to pay attention to the control of the heat to avoid too much fire, which will cause the spices to burn and affect the taste. Once the spices and ingredients are fully integrated, you can add seasonings such as light soy sauce, dark soy sauce and cooking wine. These seasonings not only add color and texture to the dish, but also make the meat more delicious and juicy. Add water until the surface of the ingredients is submerged, cover the pot and start simmering.
3. Simmer over medium-low heat: patience and waiting for the reward
Reduce the heat to medium-low and cover the pot and start the long simmering process. During this process, you need to be patient and careful, always pay attention to the changes in the pot, and adjust the heat and water addition as needed. Medium-low heat simmering can keep the soup slightly boiling, which is conducive to the full release of nutrients and flavor substances in the ingredients and absorption by the soup. At the same time, medium-low heat can also keep the meat tender and not woody. During the simmering process, open the lid from time to time to check the consistency of the soup and the softness of the meat, and if necessary, add an appropriate amount of boiling water to maintain the amount and consistency of the soup. In addition, it can be adjusted according to personal taste, adding the right amount of salt or chili powder during the simmering process to make the dish more in line with your taste preferences.
5. Seasoning and plating: the key to perfect presentation
After more than an hour of careful stewing, the beef brisket and offal finally ushered in the final seasoning and plating session. At this point, you can take a sip of the soup to feel its richness and adjust it to your taste by adding the right amount of salt or chili powder to make the dish more delicious and delicious. If you like a richer taste, you can also add some chicken essence or monosodium glutamate for freshness, but it should be noted that these seasonings should not be too much, so as not to mask the flavor characteristics of the ingredients themselves. After seasoning, let the brisket and offal simmer for a few more minutes to allow the seasoning to better penetrate into the meat, then turn off the heat and remove from the pot.
When serving, remove the brisket and offal, place them on a plate and drizzle with some broth to increase the moistness and texture. If you prefer, you can also sprinkle some chopped green onions or coriander on the surface as a garnish to add color and aroma. In addition, you can also enjoy it with vegetables or staple dishes such as rice and noodles according to your personal preference, making the table more varied.
6. Pairing suggestions: creative and delicious combinations
There are many ways to mix and match beef brisket and offal, and you can combine them creatively according to personal preference. The most common way is to enjoy brisket offal with rice or noodles. Put hot rice or noodles into a bowl, pour the rich beef brisket and beef offal soup, and then sandwich a few pieces of soft beef and beef offal in one bite, which not only has the softness of rice or noodles, but also the flavor of beef and beef offal. In addition, beef brisket and offal can be enjoyed as a hot pot base with a variety of shabu-shabu. In the cold winter, the family sits together, eats hot pot, chats, and enjoys the warmth and happiness brought by food.
In addition to the traditional way of collocation, you can also try some new and creative combinations. For example, beef brisket and offal are stewed together with potatoes, carrots and other vegetables to make a nutritious stew; Or stir-fry beef brisket and offal with tofu, mushrooms and other ingredients to make a home-style stir-fry with great color and flavor. Either way, the brisket and offal can be combined with a different charm that makes people love it.
7. Precautions: details make perfect
In the process of making beef brisket and offal, the following details need to be paid attention to to ensure the quality and taste of the finished product:
1. Fresh ingredients: When buying ingredients, choose fresh, odorless beef and offal. Fresh ingredients not only taste better, but also ensure the hygiene and safety of the finished product.
2. Blanching to remove the fishiness: Blanching is one of the important steps to remove the fishy smell of beef and beef offal. During the blanching process, skim off the foam and rinse it with clean water to remove blood and impurities.
3. Fire control: Pay attention to the control of heat during the stewing process to avoid excessive heat that causes the soup to dry up or the meat is too woody. Medium-low heat simmering can keep the soup slightly boiling, which is conducive to the full release of nutrients and flavor substances in the ingredients.
4. Appropriate amount of seasoning: When seasoning, salt, sugar, chili powder and other seasonings should be added according to personal taste, so as to avoid being too salty or too spicy to affect the taste. At the same time, it is also necessary to pay attention to the type and amount of seasoning, so as not to cover up the flavor characteristics of the ingredients themselves.
5. Beautiful plating: When plating, you can arrange the beef brisket and beef offal neatly and beautifully, and sprinkle some chopped green onions or coriander as garnishes to add color and aroma. In addition, you can create creative combinations according to your personal preferences to enrich your dishes.
8. Summary: The story and emotion behind the food
Although the production of beef brisket and beef offal may seem tedious, it contains the love and pursuit of food, as well as the love and care of family and friends. In the process of preparing ingredients, marinating beef, blanching to remove fish, and stewing and seasoning, we not only learned how to make a delicious dish, but also experienced the joy and sense of accomplishment of cooking. When the family sits around and tastes the beef brisket and offal they have made themselves, the feeling of warmth and happiness comes naturally. Food is not only a taste enjoyment, but also a kind of emotional transmission and cultural inheritance. I hope that through this article, more people can understand and like the delicious dish of beef brisket and offal, and feel the beauty and warmth of life in the process of enjoying the food.