Monday, December 22, 2008

Spicy, Sweet, and Tangy Beef Brisket Stew


This probably sound really annoying...considering there are places which are not literally freakin' cold...like -40C cold.

But I really can't stand both summer heat and winter cold. I am the kind of creature which survives in super pleasant temperature of 17-23C. In summer, my home is where my AC is...and in winter...my home is where my heater is. I generally start using heater when the temperature hits below 10C (boy, I am NOT good for the environment).

In teeny tiny Hong Kong flats, we don't generally have oil radiators, they are too gigantic. If I were to place one in my living room...I'll have to jump over it/the sofa to get to the other rooms. So, we normally get one of those tiny fan heaters (about 20 x 20 x 10 cm), which are not the safest of all, but at least it leaves me a bit of space to trip over its cable. Since it is tiny, it is not really strong enough. Good thing I can lug it around the flat, so it follows me wherever I move.

Recently, I learn a couple of new ways to keep me warm....
1. Eat more
2. Eat more
3. Eat more

Seriously. I get hungry every few seconds, it is getting ridiculous!
I hope this spicy and filling dish could lower the frequency of my hunger...

Spicy, Sweet and Tangy Beef Brisket Stew

Recipe
- 1 lb beef brisket, defrosted, washed, excess fat trimmed, cut into bit sized chunks
- 6 cloves of garlic, crushed
- 1 onion, cut into chunks
- 3 cm ginger, crushed
- 4 tomatoes, cut into chunks
- 1 bunch of fresh corriander, chopped
- 3 red chilli, chopped
- juice of 1 lemon
- 1 piece of palm sugar
- light soy sauce, dark soy sauce, white pepper, sugar, rice vinegar
- olive oil, hot water

Heat a pot, saute garlic, ginger, and onion with a bit of olive oil, add brisket, add tomatoes, add hot water just to cover the content, add soy sauce, palm sugar, pepper, sugar, rice vinegar. I used a pressure cooker, so I just put the cover on and cook for about 20 minutes. If you aren't using pressure cooker, cook for about 2-3 hours until the brisket pieces are tender, add water when necessary. At the end, add chilli, lemon juice and chopped corriander. Perfect with steamed rice...go the extra mile by adding kerupuk udang (Indonesian prawn crackers) and fried shallot ^_^

Holiday snaps of the day...

Faking it: A fake Christmas feast...at Pacific Place, Admiralty, Hong Kong.


Cheers to good food, good food, and more good food!

18 comments:

Jo said...

beef brisket sounds just the thing for a winter night dinner. looks really delicious.

Anonymous said...

I share the same sentiment, I am only happy when the temperature is comfortable. This stew looks amazing. I have to try it.

Elsye said...

rittt...merry christmast...!! aku yo mau juga kalo di undang makan..wakakka

Elsye said...

merry christmas again...hihihihi..sowry iki aku lupa mau copas resepmu yoo

Anonymous said...

You mean eat more than I do now? God help us! haha
That dish looks sooo good, Rita!

Pam said...

I am with you. I hate being hot and cold. The brisket stew looks and sounds amazing! Hope you stay warm.

Dwiana P said...

Rita, itu stew warna nya.... aduhai amat! Merry christmas yah!

southernoise said...

ahhh beef brisket! nothing beats a beef brisket stew on a cold stormy night.

Unknown said...

that brisket sure does look lovely... the cookies you baked were awesome, burnt and all :)... have a great holiday season... and yes, i'm off to hk for the new year, yey!!! my favorite place...

Little Corner of Mine said...

I love the combination of spicy, sweet and tangy, sounds so yummy already!

Heather said...

that eating more always helps, huh? this looks really good :) i love brisket. such a forgiving meat!

Nisa-mom said...

Ritaaaaaaa.. apa kabar ? merry christmast ya say..

Indonesia Eats said...

ngeno yoo kowe gak bagi2 ngilerrrrrrrr hiksss
happy holidays, Rita

food makes me happy said...

Merry Christmas there!!
For sure we're all gonna stock up on those holiday feasts!

Anonymous said...

Rita.. it's like -40C cold here. I refuse to feel bad for you. No, no, no!

Why don't you come to NY.. I'll provide unlimited supplies of food and you cook for me.. i mean for us... but mostly for me.

Noob Cook said...

Hohoho, happy holidays! ^o^ I love the Christmas banner on top. Love the stew you whipped up, must be extra comforting during the cold season in HK now =)

Selba said...

Your spicy, sweet and tangy beef brisket stew sounds so perfect for holiday feast... yummy! :D

Lidia Sianturi said...

wenakkkkkkkk...syegerrr...
nyindir aku ya Rit -40C? hahahaha...