Steamed Beef - A Replica of the Popular Shunde Steamed Dishes - Crispy on the Outside and Tender on the Inside - A Cantonese Dishes Perfect with Rice

Cut the brittle or snowflake beef into thin slices against the grain; this will allow it to absorb more flavor and cook more easily.

Chop the fermented black beans; shred the ginger and slice the sand ginger; cut the garlic and shallots into chunks.

First, marinate the beef slices: Add the seasonings to the beef, including white pepper, black pepper, salt, a little sugar, and 20 grams of light soy sauce. Mix well. Then add a little cornstarch to make the meat more tender. Mix well again. Add a little vegetable oil to lock in the moisture of the beef. Mix well to allow the beef to fully absorb the seasonings.

Seal well and marinate for 30 minutes.

Take a large cast iron pot and place a rack inside. Put a small bowl of water (200ml) at the bottom of the pot. Take an approximately 8-inch plate and place it on the rack. Cover the pot and steam over high heat for 5 minutes. (Let the plate heat up first, then add the beef to shorten the cooking time. High heat locks in the moisture, making the meat slices taste even better 😋)

Open the pot lid and spread the marinated beef slices and seasonings evenly in the heated bowl. Just spread a single layer of beef slices; don't pile them up too much, or they won't cook through.

Cover the pot and steam over high heat. There will still be a little water at the bottom of the pot; the high temperature will evaporate the water, and the steam will circulate inside the pot, locking in the moisture of the beef. Steam over high heat until the skin is dry and crispy on the outside, while the inside remains tender. Adjust the steaming time as needed: 5 minutes for tender beef; 8 minutes for crispy beef.

Steamed beef is ready! ✅ Crispy on the outside and tender on the inside, with the unique flavor of fermented black beans and sand ginger. Enjoy a bite of rice and a bite of meat.

Use a cheap or unused large cast iron pot. Prolonged dry heating will damage the pot. An occasional dry heating is fine, but it will damage the oil film that has been carefully built up. After heating, the pot must be allowed to cool naturally before cleaning and applying a layer of oil.