Mastering Taiwanese Beef Rolls: Step-by-Step Guide
6
servings30
minutes1
hour30
minutes332
kcalTaiwanese beef rolls: tender beef, scallion pancake, hoisin sauce, scallions, and cucumber.
Ingredients
- FOR THE BRAISED BEEF SHANK:
1 1/2 to 2 pounds of boneless beef shank
2 slices of ginger
4 cups of water (plus extra for pre-boiling the beef)
10 grams of rock sugar (or granulated sugar can be used as a substitute; 10g of rock sugar is approximately equivalent to 2 teaspoons of granulated sugar)
1 small cassia cinnamon stick
1 dried bay leaf
1 star anise pod
1 small segment of dried tangerine peel.
3 whole cloves
1 tsp Sichuan peppercorns.
1 tsp white/black peppercorns.
3 cloves of garlic (smashed)
2 scallions, cut into large segments.
3 tablespoons of Shaoxing wine
3 tbsp of light soy sauce.
1 tablespoon of dark soy sauce
- FOR THE REMAINING COOKING INSTRUCTIONS:
6 scallion pancakes (store-bought or homemade using one of our recipes)
Cooking oil (any neutral oil)
1 medium cucumber (julienned)
3 scallions (chopped)
3 tbsp cilantro, chopped.
2-3 tbsp of hoisin sauce.
Directions
- Begin by slicing the beef shank into 4 to 5-inch pieces. Place these pieces in a medium-sized pot along with the ginger slices, and cover them with water. Bring it to a boil and let it boil for 30 seconds. Then, drain the water, rinse the beef, and thoroughly clean the pot. Discard the ginger slices.
- Now, add the beef back into the cleaned pot. Include the rock sugar, cinnamon stick, bay leaf, star anise, dried tangerine peel, cloves, Sichuan peppercorns, white or black peppercorns, crushed garlic, scallions, Shaoxing wine, light soy sauce, and dark soy sauce.
- Pour in 4 cups of water to cover the ingredients. If the beef isn’t completely covered, add a bit more water. Bring it to a boil, then reduce the heat to a simmer. Cover the pot and let it simmer for 1 hour, or until the beef is tender when pierced with a fork but still maintains its firmness (it should not fall apart). Once done, remove the beef from the pot and allow it to cool at room temperature. Cover and refrigerate it until it’s thoroughly chilled, which will take at least 2 hours or you can leave it overnight.
- Cook the scallion pancake in oil until it’s crisp on both sides, following the package instructions. While it’s cooking, thinly slice the beef and prepare the cucumber, scallions, and cilantro if you’re using it.
- Spread a layer of hoisin sauce on each pancake and top it with scallions, cilantro, a portion of beef, and cucumber. Wrap the scallion pancake tightly and divide the roll in half by slicing it. Repeat this process with the remaining pancakes, and your dish is ready to be served!
Taiwanese beef rolls feature thinly sliced, fragrant braised beef enveloped in sweet hoisin sauce, fresh scallions, and cucumber, all nestled within a crispy, flaky scallion pancake. If this description doesn’t pique your interest, I’m not sure what will!
These Taiwanese beef rolls, often found on local menus, are a delightful combination of flakiness, chewiness, tenderness, sweetness, freshness, savoriness, and saltiness all rolled into one. During a recent visit to a local Taiwanese restaurant, we couldn’t help but notice this delectable snack gracing most tables. We promptly ordered it and couldn’t help but wonder why we hadn’t shared a recipe for it on our blog!
