This is absolutely the best beef stew with potatoes recipe ever! Even kids who don't like vegetables will eat the potatoes and carrots!
Materials
100 Home-Style Dishes: Steps for Making Braised Beef with Potatoes and Carrots
Cut the beef into small pieces and wash it (because I didn't blanch it in cold water, I washed it many times after cutting it into pieces to remove the blood). Wash and peel the potatoes and carrots, then cut them into small chunks using a rolling cut. Cut the onion into strips, the scallions into sections, and chop some scallions. Slice the ginger.
Heat a wok with about three times the amount you would normally use for stir-frying. Once the oil is about 60-70% hot, add the potato and carrot chunks and fry. After the potatoes release their aroma (like French fries), stir-fry until both sides are golden brown.
Fry the potatoes and carrots until wrinkled on the surface, then remove and set aside. (Frying the potatoes and carrots beforehand prevents them from falling apart during stewing.)
Leave some oil in the pan, then add scallions and ginger and sauté until fragrant.
Add the beef and stir-fry over high heat until it changes color.
Add cooking wine, light soy sauce, dark soy sauce, sugar, and five-spice powder in that order, and stir-fry evenly.
Add hot water to cover the beef (it must be hot water, otherwise the beef will not easily become tender). Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce to a simmer and cook slowly.
In a separate frying pan, add a small amount of oil to the bottom. Once the oil is hot, add the onions and sauté on both sides until slightly softened.
Place the fried onions at the bottom of the rice cooker.
Pour the beef and broth into the rice cooker. Turn on the stewing function for 2 hours. After stewing, turn on the soup function for 1.5 hours. The beef will be cooked in the rice cooker for a total of 3.5 hours.
Pour the beef and broth from the rice cooker into a cast iron pot, add the previously fried potatoes and carrots, and simmer over medium-low heat for 20 minutes. With 10 minutes left before turning off the heat, add salt to taste and 2 grams of chicken bouillon. Taste the broth and add seasonings as needed. (Don't add salt too early, or the beef won't tenderize.)
This method produces incredibly tender beef, and the potatoes and carrots are especially delicious. Before serving, leave some broth for soaking rice or dipping steamed buns, and you can sprinkle some chopped green onions on top. It's so fragrant!
