Beef stew is like a universal across international cuisines. There’s the French version, known as beouf bourguignon, which features lots of red wine in its broth. There’s the American style, which uses lots of tomato sauce. Hong Kong beef stew is usually served in cafes as an appetizer. It features lots of tomato, but also cabbage and bay leaf for its flavor profile. It is based on the Eastern European borscht, but has its own character and omits the beets.
How to make a delicious Hong Kong Beef Stew
- Use good quality beef that becomes tender when cooked for a long time (short rib, chuck roast)
- Sear the beef before cooking
- Take time to cook out tomato past and aromatics before adding broth
- Use a high quality beef broth
- Add some beef stock base for extra umami
- Make sure to season every step of cooking. Season your meat before searing and then season the soup itself as it is cooking. The salt and spices will absorb into the meat and vegetables as they cook.
Hong Kong Beef Stew
A luscious, beefy, hearty stew made famous at Hong Kong style cafes
Ingredients
- 1 tsp salt
- 1.5 lb beef stew meat
- 2 carrots roughly chopped
- 2 stalks celery roughly chopped
- 1 tbsp canola oil
- 1/2 onion diced
- 1 bay leaf
- 3 tomatoes roughly chopped
- 1 1/2 tbsp tomato paste
- 1 tbsp ketchup
- 1 quart beef broth
- 1 1/2 quarts water
- 1/2 head small cabbage roughly chopped
- 3 tsp seasoned salt
- 1 tbsp sugar
- 2 white potatoes cut into 2-inch cubes
Instructions
- Season beef with salt and mix well into meat. Then heat a large pot on high heat. Add in meat to brown. Sear about 3-5 minutes each side.
- Remove meat from pan. Then add in carrots, celery, onion, tomato paste, and ketchup. Saute for 5 minutes.
- Add in beef broth, water, bay leaf, seasoned salt, and sugar. Bring to a boil. Then turn heat to low and allow to simmer for 1.5-2 hours until meat is tender.
- Occasionally remove foam that builds up on the surface of the stew.
- When meat is tender, add in potatoes and turn up heat to medium. Allow to cook until potatoes are tender, approximately 20 minutes.
- Taste for seasoning and add salt or sugar to taste.
For other beef stew recipes, check out my French Beef Burgundy Stew and American style Classic Beef Vegetable Stew.
