• 1 cup boiling water
  • 1/2 cup dried black mushrooms
  • 500 grams of beef brisket, trimmed and cubed
  • 1/2 onion, chopped
  • 2 stalks of green onions, chopped
  • 1 teaspoon grated ginger
  • 2 garlic cloves, minced
  • 2 cups broth
  • 1 tablespoon of brown sugar
  • 1,5 tablespoons of soy sauce
  • 1 tablespoon sake
  • 1/2 teaspoon Sichuan pepper
  • 2 star anise
  • 1 whole clove
  • 3 dried red chilies
  • 1 cinnamon stick (5cm long)
  • 1 teaspoon sesame oil
  1. Soak dried mushrooms in boiling water for about 30 minutes.
  2. Remove mushrooms, chop and set aside.
  3. Strain soaking liquid. Discard solids and reserve 1 cup soaking liquid.
  4. Sauté beef on all sides or until browned. Add onion, ginger, and garlic. Fry couple of minutes. Stir in reserved soaking liquid, 2 cups broth, brown sugar, soy sauce, sake, Sichuan pepper, star anise, clove, dried chilies and cinnamon stick.
  5. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 1 hour. Stir in mushrooms.
  6. Cover and simmer 40 minutes or until beef is tender.
  7. Remove beef mixture with a slotted spoon. Discard star anise, cloves, dried chilies, and cinnamon stick.
  8. Bring remaining liquid to a boil, cook until reduced to 1 cup.
  9. Serve sprinkled with green onions and sesame oil over rice with sauce.