Peppered Beef Soup

  

Purpose:

To expel cold and warm the abdomen; to soothe the stomach and smooth qi circulation.  This soup can be used to treat vomiting and loss of appetite due to sluggishness of the functions of stomach and spleen as a result of cold invasion, which may be accompanied by the feeling of pain and cold in the abdomen.  

Material:

Beef stew (or beef)                                 500 g

White pepper                                          15 g

Star anise                                                9 g
Soy sauce                                               1 tbs

Green onion                                            some            

Note:

Any beef can be used.  Cut the meet to bite size.  In US, the way cattle are electrocuted without letting off the blood renders it necessary to remove the blood scum and foam by the following steps: put the beef in a pot to cook with about 5 cups of water.  Bring to quick boil by setting the heating at high, then reduce the fire to low, then quickly use a strainer to remove the larger pieces of floating blood scum, and finally use a fine strainer to remove as much as possible the smaller pieces.  When the water is mostly clear, you can then proceed to add the cleaned spices and start simmering.  Whole white pepper and star anise (not powder) are used and they should be available from whole food store, or some specialty stores for spices, or Chinese grocers.  Green onion is to add some flavor and green color.

Procedure:

a.   Wash clean white pepper and star anise.  Clean and cut the green onion to small pieces.    

b.   Clean and cut the beef to bite size.  Add about 5 cups of water to beef in one pot.  Bring to boil.  Remove foam and scum.  Then add white pepper and star anise.  Let simmer for 2 hours.

c.   Add 1 table spoon soy sauce and add some salt to your taste. 

d.   Sprinkle some cleaned and cut green onion.  Boil for 1 min.  Ready to serve.

        

Comment:

From my experience, the soup tastes great right after cooking, but the meat tastes better after being kept for one day in the refrigerator (to soak in salt or soy sauce).  Microwave to warm up before serving.  It is a very good snack soup after a day's work - it is warm and good on your hungry stomach.  This is a good way to prevent you from eating too much cold food when the body is tired and weak, and can contract cold much more easily. 

Star anise (八角）

White pepper (白胡椒）

Pepper and Tangerine Peel Tilapia Soup

Purpose:

To expel cold and warm the body core; to enhance appetite and nourish the body.  

Material:

Tilapia  （鲫鱼）                                      500 g

White pepper （白胡椒）                         6 g

Tangerine peel （陈皮）                           10 g

Fresh ginger （姜）                                  30 g
Cooking oil                                            1.5 tbs

Green onion （葱）                                  some
Salt                                                        some

Note:

Use whole tilapia - better freshly killed and cleaned; cut into three segments: head, tail, and center.  Use whole white pepper (not powder).  Tangerine peel must be dried.  All these can be purchased from Chinese grocers.  If you do not have access to a Chinese grocer, you might want to find substitutes.  Some supermarkets do supply daily fresh tilapia filets.  Whole white pepper and tangerine peel (not orange peel) should be available from some specialty stores for spices.  You can prepare your own dried tangerine peel by sun-drying or air-drying tangerine peel after you have eaten the fruit.  Collect them in an air-tight jar.  Green onion is to add some flavor and green color.

Procedure:

a.     Wash clean ginger, tangerine peel, and white pepper.  Skin ginger and cut to slices.  Add about 5 cups of water to the spices in one pot.  Bring to boil, then let simmer for 45 min.  Clean green onion and cut to small pieces.

b.     Add cooking oil to another pot, and slightly fry each side of the tilapia segments.  (You can use less oil or skip frying altogether if you need to watch out for oil intake.)

c.     Decant the liquid from “a” into the pot containing tilapia.  Bring to boil, and then simmer for 15-20 min.  Flip the fish segments once or twice during cooking.  

d.     Sprinkle green onion into the soup.  Boil for 1 min.  Add salt to your taste.  Ready to serve.

        

Comment:

From my experience, the fish tastes best right after cooking; it tastes very fresh, without any mud feeling that sometimes stays with tilapia.  The soup tastes better when it is hot; the pepper smell is a bit strong and there is a little bitter taste to the soup, which could be from the tangerine peel.  Overall, this soup leaves the body a warm feeling in the core, and is an experience of somewhat strong spices due to the relative large amount of each spice used in the recipe.

Tangerine peel （陈皮）

White pepper （白胡椒）

Tilapia （鲫鱼)