Chinese beef and potato stew recipe: a variation on a comfort-food classic

Beef stew is a comfort-food classic: so much so that it transcends borders and even cultures and is a popular staple worldwide.  This recipe for an Asian beef stew, featuring potatoes, is a great way to experience a classic all over again in a slightly different way.  Furthermore, this recipe is entirely authentic Chinese cuisine, popular at least in northern China.  The recipe is adapted from that of the author's friend, a resident of Beijing.

Ingredients:

1. Roughly 1.5 to 2 pounds of beef, preferably a roast, cut into one-inch cubes;
2. 4 large Yukon Gold potatoes (or equivalent), peeled and cut into one-inch cubes;
3. 3/4 sweet onion, cut into large pieces;
4. 8-10 white or baby portabella mushrooms, cleaned and quartered;
5. 4-6 shiitake mushrooms, sliced (optional);
6. 4-5 cloves of garlic, smashed and finely chopped;
7. 1 inch of fresh ginger root, sliced into coins or matchsticks;
8. Salt, freshly ground black pepper, red wine vinegar (optional), and soy sauce to taste (roughly 2 tbsp);
9. A few (8-20) Szechuan (sichuan) peppercorns, freshly ground, if available (hard to find!);
10. 2 tbsp peanut or canola oil.

Directions:

1. Prepare the beef and all of the vegetables except the potatoes.  For the best health benefits, smash and chop the garlic first!
2. Add the oil to a large wok or heavy pot with a lid and put it over high heat.  Add the beef first, salting and peppering it lightly.  Stir it and toss it in the pan until it is just about browned.
3. Add the prepared vegetables, lightly salting and peppering them as well. Stir the mixture somewhat and cover it completely, reducing the heat slightly to medium-high.
4. While the meat and vegetables cook, peel and begin to cut up the potatoes.  It is prudent, though not strictly necessary, to stir the contents of the wok or pot after each of the four potatoes is prepared (roughly every 2-4 minutes).  Each time the lid is removed from the pot, try to pour the condensed liquid off it and into the sink.
5. Add the soy sauce, approximately 2 tbsp (or to taste) and vinegar.
6. When all of the potatoes are ready, add them to the wok or pot, salt and pepper lightly (now would be when to add the Szechuan pepper, if you have it).  Cover and let it cook for 3-4 minutes, then stir and reduce the temperature to just above medium.
7. Stir the mixture every four or five minutes thereafter, draining the water collected on the lid into the sink each time (for a thinner stew, do not drain that water).  The potatoes will need approximately 20-25 minutes to cook through.
8. When the potatoes are cooked through and the sauce is just starting to thicken naturally from the potato starch, the dish is prepared.  Serve it hot with crusty bread.

Variations and suggestions:

• Add some cayenne pepper powder or red pepper flakes for a little more depth of flavor or some spice, particularly if Szechuan pepper is unavailable;
• The flavor of Szechuan pepper can be (very) roughly approximated by using additional black pepper and just a light pinch of ground cloves and cayenne pepper.
• If desired, a few carrots, washed and peeled, cut into 3/4-inch half-moons can be added with the potatoes, or carrot matchsticks can be added just at the end.
• Gourmet mushrooms like beech mushrooms and maitake mushrooms add a nice variation on the flavor, particularly for mushroom-lovers.  Chantrelle mushrooms (frequently available at upscale groceries like The Fresh Market) are also good, though their delicacy is washed out by the flavor of the stew.
• The ginger slices need not be eaten, though they are significantly mellowed by the cooking by the time it is done.  They are warming and aid with digestion, so eating them is recommended, especially if you like ginger.
• For an extra-authentic experience, serve this dish in the traditional Chinese way: place the wok or pot on a heat-protective surface in the middle of the table and provide everyone with a bowl, some bread, and chopsticks.  Each person can then pick what they want from the central wok with their chopsticks or serve themselves a small amount at a time using a serving spoon.  This requires a table where everyone can reach, obviously.

Buy it locally!  The shiitake mushrooms in this recipe add a lot, so don't miss them.  They're frequently available in the produce aisle in the Knoxville-area Kroger grocery stores as well as loose in the Knoxville The Fresh Market stores.  For unbeatable local meat, consider getting some grassfed beef from the Sunbright, TN, Laurel Creek Farms Pasture Raised Meats, a local option with excellent quality that makes a real difference.  Other great beef in Knoxville is available at the Earth Fare and The Fresh Market locations. 

To other local meat vendors: If you carry great beef, please make a note of yourself in the comments section of this article!

For more great recipes and cooking ideas, follow the Knoxville Gourmet Food Examiner by subcribing at the top of the page. You can also read more on his personal cooking blog: The Untrained Gourmet.