Ingredients:
Beef shank 800 grams
Ginger 1 piece
Rice wine 100 milliliters
Green onion 1 stalk
Cinnamon stick 1 piece
Star anise 2 pieces
Bay leaves 3 leaves
Dressing Cilantro 5 sprigs
Garlic 3 cloves
Dried red chilies 6-8 pieces
Light soy sauce 30 milliliters
Sugar 3 grams
White rice vinegar 5 milliliters
Steamed fish sauce 10 milliliters
Instructions:
1. Wash all ingredients thoroughly. Choose beef with coarse fibers, like beef shank, and remove any membranes to prevent slipping while cutting. Avoid using beef back meat.
2. In a large pot, pour in rice wine.
3. Add cinnamon stick, star anise, bay leaves, and sliced ginger. (The recipe forgot to include green onion here.)
4. Cut the beef into two pieces, ensuring to cut along the grain without severing it.
5. Bring to a boil over high heat. Skim off any blood foam that surfaces.
6. Reduce heat to low and simmer for one hour. Turn off the heat and let it sit in the liquid for another hour to allow the beef to absorb moisture. This prevents the beef from becoming dry when frozen.
7. Remove the beef and let it cool. Place in a bag and freeze in the refrigerator. I usually cook it the day before serving, so I don't time this step. If you're in a hurry to eat, check if it's firm but not fully frozen.
8. Before serving, take it out of the refrigerator to thaw slowly. In summer, this takes about an hour; in winter, approximately 3 hours. If you're short on time, microwave on low for 1.5 minutes.
9. While it's still partially frozen, slice thinly. Slicing is easier when it's not fully thawed and prevents crumbling. Cut across the grain, not along it, to ensure the slices are chewable.
10. Place the sliced beef in a large bowl.
11. Dice the dried red chilies and garlic. Fry the dried red chilies in oil until fragrant; be careful not to burn them.
12. Heat oil in a pan over medium heat, add the garlic and diced chilies, and fry for about 30 seconds. While frying, mix sugar, white rice vinegar, steamed fish sauce, and a bit of cold water to make the dressing. Make sure the dressing is slightly more than needed.
13. Pour the fried garlic and chilies into the prepared dressing.
14. Stir well until the sugar dissolves. Isn't it tempting?
15. Pour the dressing over the sliced beef and mix thoroughly. Let it cool.
16. Chop the cilantro finely.
17. Once the beef has cooled completely, mix in the chopped cilantro. Taste and adjust seasoning; add more steamed fish sauce if needed.
18. Serve on a plate. This dish pairs wonderfully with drinks!"