Beef Soup with Shanyao, Ginger, and White Pepper

Purpose:

To expel cold, warm the abdomen and stop vomiting; to strengthen the spleen and improve appetite; to nourish qi and blood, and to fortify the body.  This soup can be used as food therapy for treating weak stomach and spleen, insufficient qi and blood, general lack of energy, cold stomach and nausea, loss of appetite, dizziness and blurry eyes.

Material:

Lower leg muscles of beef (beef stew)          600 g

Shanyao                                                      50 g
(Fresh shanyao)                                          (300 g)  
Fresh ginger                                                40 g     
White pepper                                              15 g

Cooking wine                                              1/2 tbs

Soy sauce                                                   1 tbs (optional)

Green onion                                                some (optional)
Cilantro                                                                     some (optional)           

Note:

Lower leg muscles of beef (beef shin，牛腱肉) or beef stew are good in that they do not taste too dry after cooking for 3 hours.  Sometimes they contain tendinous tissues which is good for taste and nutrition.  From Chinese grocers, you can buy a whole piece of beef shin.  You can also use beef stew from most supermarkets if beef shin is not available to you.  Cut the meat to bite size, add about ten cups of cold water, cook to boil and remove the blood scum and foam (refer to a previous post if you are not familiar with the procedure).  When water in the pot is mostly clear, you can then proceed to add shanyao, ginger, and white pepper.  Bring to boil and start simmering.  If you are looking for therapeutic effects you might want to purchase dried shanyao slices from traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) pharmacy (refer to another previous post for information regarding shanyao).  If you just want to enjoy the taste and have a little bit of therapeutic effect, you can use fresh shanyao or dried shanyao slices from Chinese grocers.  Clean dried shanyao slices and whole white pepper (not powder), skin and slice fresh ginger before adding them to the cooking pot.  For fresh shanyao, add them only for the last hour of cooking.  I am not sure if fresh or dried shanyao is available from whole food stores, but whole white pepper and fresh ginger should be easily available.  Stores for spices or Chinese grocers are also good places for the ingredients.  Any cooking wine should be good, although I usually use Shaoxing cooking wine (绍兴料酒）- a popular Chinese brand that is available from Chinese groceries in gallon size bottles.  Green onion is to add some flavor and green color (you can use cilantro instead, or in combination with green onion).

Procedure:

a.   Wash clean white pepper and and dried shanyao slices.  Soaked shanyao slices in water (or skin and cut fresh shanyao to bite size).  Skin and slice fresh ginger.  Clean and cut green onion to small pieces (or cilantro to 1 inch length).

b.   Clean and cut the beef to bite size.  Add about 10 cups of water to beef in one pot.  Bring to boil.  Remove foam and scum.  Then add soaked shanyao slices, white pepper, ginger slices, and cooking wine.  Let simmer for 3 hours.  If you use fresh shanyao, add the cut pieces to the pot after 2 hours of simmering.  Bring to boil and let simmer for another hour.

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

d.   Sprinkle some cleaned and cut green onion (and/or cilantro).  Boil for 1 min.  Ready to serve.

        

Comment:

If for some reason you do not like soy sauce, you can just add salt to flavor.  From my experience, both soup and meat taste great right after cooking as well as after being kept in a refrigerator.  Meat soups always taste better when they are hot, so warm them up before serving.  Shanyao adds a starchy sweetness and also thickens the soup a little.  The soup is a little "hot" on the tongue due to the large quantity of ginger and white pepper in this recipe, but it is a pleasant feeling.  This soup seems to be a good remedy for esophageal reflux.  Drinking a small bowl of this soup for dinner could probably lessen reflux and give your a good night sleep.  This soup is good to go with rice or bread, or eat alone.  

Dried shanyao （山药干）

Beef Shin （牛腱）

Fresh shanyao （新鲜山药）

Dried Shanyao （山药干）