Description
One of Shanxi province's three great specialties. A secret beef dish passed down for centuries in the World Heritage Pingyao Ancient City. Fresh beef is aged and cured for weeks in special salt and spices, braised until meltingly soft in a secret master stock, chilled, and sliced paper-thin. It boasts a beautiful ruby-red color naturally.
Restaurants serving Pingyao Niu Rou (Shanxi Pingyao Cured Beef)
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On this site you can check dictionary details and, later, places to buy or eat related items.
The Recipe section below is a general reference, not a recipe from the listed shops.
Recipe
Ingredients
- Beef round
- Natural salt
- Star anise
- Cinnamon
- Sichuan pepper
- Ginger
Instructions
- [Authentic Recipe]
- Select premium beef round or shank. Master artisans read the meat fibers.
- Rub the meat with Pingyao's mineral-rich well salt, saltpeter, and Sichuan pepper. Salt-cure slowly in a cold dark place for a month to develop extreme umami and red color.
- Place the aged meat in a giant pot containing secret master stock. Add star anise, cinnamon, ginger, and simmer continuously on low for
- hours overnight.
- Kill the heat and chill the meat completely inside the broth to lock in the umami.
- Press the chilled meat with heavy stones to tightly condense the fibers.
- Right before eating, slice paper-thin with a cleaver and plate.
Learn more Spice, substitutes, tips
Key spices
Intense amino acid umami generated by long-term salt-curing
Substitutes at Japanese supermarkets
Cure JP beef shank in Shio-Koji for days, braise in star anise broth, chill
Pairing
Shanxi Lao Chen Cu dip / Baijiu
Trivia
[Trivia] Legend says when Emperor Guangxu and Empress Dowager Cixi fled to Pingyao, they ate this beef and declared it more delicious than royal feasts, designating it an Imperial Tribute. Today, it is a national star product sold in vacuum packs in supermarkets across China.
Eating tips & etiquette
[Unique Eating] Excellent eaten plain, but the Shanxi etiquette is to mix a dipping dish of Shanxi Lao Chen Cu, grated garlic, and homemade chili oil. Dip the paper-thin beef lightly. The tartness of the black vinegar perfectly resets the sticky gelatin and strong saltiness of the meat.
Allergen
Beef