This post was made possible thanks to Crockpot. I am giving away a Crockpot Traditional CHP200 (RRP $119.99) just complete the entry form at the bottom of this post to enter.

I was born in Hong Kong and the Cantonese have a long-standing obsession with food. They love to eat well and they love to eat often.

Whenever I visit Hong Kong, my days transition from meal to meal. Almost the entire time is spent eating along with the social fanfare that comes with it. There are many dishes I am inspired by. However, locals typically do not cook at home. After working long hours, grocery shopping, followed by cooking at home is undesirable when eating out is so good and very affordable.

Here in New Zealand, not so much. Regularly eating out in NZ is expensive but luckily there are clever ways to cook at home using affordable ingredients which yield maximum flavour.

Enter the crockpot

Thanks to Crockpot I have created a braised beef noodle recipe inspired by a dish found at Dai Pai Dong (an open air style food stall which is becoming extinct) in Hong Kong. Full of flavour with meltingly tender chunks of beef, served with egg noodles or rice noodles and token sprigs of leafy greens, there are many variations of this noodle dish. Braised beef is as forgiving as it is delicious making it perfect for slow cooker adaptation.

You might have already tried braised beef before and you can find these dishes at Cantonese and Chinese eateries here in Auckland. Especially along Dominion Road which is a haven for Chinese food. But, just in case you haven’t, I would describe this as a gently spiced (with ginger, cinnamon, star anise) braised beef stew.

I used the Crockpot Traditional CHP200 which is perfect for households with 2 to 4 people. I was pleasantly surprised by how light it is. It’s compact size makes it easy to store when not in use and great for taking to pot lucks or even packing in the car for winter getaways.

Beef brisket is typically used in this dish but due to its rising popularity, brisket can be hard to find these days. Not to worry, you can use chuck, shin or similar cuts of beef suitable for braising and stewing. The Chinese also use beef tendons which is full of collagen and adds a luxurious fatty mouth-feel, but I’ve yet to cook with beef tendons. Not quite there yet!

This recipe serves four hungry mouths and makes rad leftovers. If you take this for your work day lunch, be prepared for some very real food envy. The ingredients list is fairly long but you may find you have most of these ingredients already so don’t let the list scare you off. The payoff is worth it!

Hong Kong Style Braised Beef Noodles

Serves 4

Ingredients

• 800 grams stewing beef (e.g. brisket, chuck, shin)
• 3 tablespoons flour
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 tablespoons cooking oil
• 1 thumb size piece of ginger, cut in half
• 2 spring onion
• 2 star anise
• 3 cloves garlic, peeled and smashed
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 2-3 cups beef stock or water
• 2 tablespoons Chinese cooking wine
• 3 tablespoons rice vinegar
• 2 tablespoons soy sauce
• 1 teaspoon dried chilli flakes
• 2 tablespoons sugar

To serve

• 250 grams dried egg noodles or dried rice noodles
• 1 large bunch of Chinese greens (e.g. bok choy, choy sum)

Optional: Fried scallions, chilli oil

Preparation

1. Cut the beef into large chunks. Place in a bowl with flour and salt and combine to thoroughly coat beef.
2. Divide the spring onions into white and green parts and remove the root. Slice the white portions in half. Slice and reserve green portion for garnish.
3. Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a hot pan and add the ginger, spring onion, star anise, garlic and cinnamon stick. Fry for 2 minutes until fragrant. Remove and place into crockpot.
4. To the hot pan, add the beef, frying in 2 batches for about 5 minutes, turning frequently until browned. Place browned beef in crockpot. Add to the crockpot: Chinese cooking wine, rice vinegar, soy sauce, chilli flakes, sugar and enough stock or water to cover. Stir to combine and cook for 6-8 hours on low or 4 hours on high.
5. Skim excess fat from the surface and remove the ginger, star anise and cinnamon stick. Taste and season with salt and black pepper to your liking. At this stage, the braised beef and rich broth can be cooled and refrigerated or frozen in portions for future meals. Otherwise, forge on ahead…
6. Cut or divide Chinese greens into smaller pieces and cook in boiling water 1 minute until just wilted. Drain. Cook noodles in boiling water for 1-2 minutes, stirring to ensure even cooking. Drain and divide noodles into serving bowls. Ladle in braised beef with the rich broth and top with wilted greens.
7. Optional: garnish with fried scallions, sliced spring onion and a drizzle of chilli oil.

Win a crockpot!

In celebration of winter and the relaunch of Crockpot in New Zealand, win this Crockpot Traditional CHP200 so you can make this recipe and many more at home. Simply visit CrockPotNZ to find the answer to complete the entry form below.

This competition is now closed. See the winner here.

Terms and conditions

• One entry per person.
• Open to New Zealand only.
• Prize consists of one Crockpot Traditional CHP200, RRP $119.99. Prize will be sent directly to the winner by Crockpot.
• Entries close 8 June 2017 and winner will be drawn 9 June 2017, contacted by email and announced here and on Facebook.
• In the event that the winner is not contactable within 3 days, Bunny Eats Design reserves the right to redraw a winner.