Steamed Beef in Small Bamboo Basket with Rice Flour

Steamed Beef in Small Bamboo Basket with Rice Flour

　　Steamed Beef in Small Bamboo Basket with Rice Flour

　　Ingredients:

　　One piece of beef brisket (350g), 100g of five-spice rice flour, one piece of ginger, a small bunch of scallions, one dried lotus leaf.

　　Seasonings:

　　Salt to taste, black pepper to taste, 1 tsp cooking oil, 1 tbsp dark soy sauce, ½ tsp sugar, 2 tbsp oyster sauce, juice of ¼ lemon (optional or replace with 1 tsp cornstarch), and a small bowl of water.

　　Preparation Steps:

　　1. Prepare all ingredients, and soak the dried lotus leaf in water in advance until softened.

　　2. Wash the beef, then slice it thinly against the grain. You may also lightly pound both sides of the slices with the back of a knife to make the meat more tender and flavorful after steaming.

　　3. Finely mince a small piece of ginger, and chop the scallions into scallion greens.

　　4. Place the beef in a bowl, add the minced ginger and all seasonings except the water. Mix well, then let it marinate for 30 minutes.

　　5. Pour the rice flour into the bowl, slowly add water while mixing with the beef so that the flour gradually absorbs the moisture.

　　6. Lay the softened lotus leaf on the steamer tray. If the leaf is large enough, you can fold it to cover the tray to prevent beef juices from leaking.

　　7. Evenly spread the beef mixed with rice flour over the lotus leaf.

　　8. Place the steamer tray in the pot, fill the pot with sufficient water, and steam over high heat for 20–30 minutes.

　　9. Sprinkle with chopped scallions before serving. Fresh thyme and red chili flakes are for garnish only and can be omitted.

　　Tips:

　　1. If using store-bought pre-packaged steamed meat rice flour, you can skip the salt as the mix is already quite salty. Even homemade rice flour has some saltiness, so add salt cautiously—start with a small amount, mix it with the flour, then taste and adjust as needed.

　　2. The lemon juice is added to tenderize the beef. It can be omitted if unavailable, or replaced with starch.

　　3. Dried lotus leaves can be found at Chinese medicine shops or tea stores. I bought mine at Carrefour. If unavailable, you can substitute with steamer cloth or parchment paper.