Instant Pot Braised Beef with Radish(红烧牛腩)

This is another common Chinese dish that every family does it a little differently. I followed this recipe. 

Ingredients

Beef rough flank (牛腩) - 3 to 3 ½ lbs., cut into 2 1/2-inch pieces
Vegetable oil - 2 TBSP
Ginger - 8 slices
Shaoxing wine - 1 cup
Soy sauce  - 3 TBSP
Dark soy sauce - 1 TBSP
Oyster sauce - 1 TBSP
Star anise - 3 pieces
Cinnamon stick - 1
Bay leaves - 3 pieces

Cloves - 5

Sichuan peppercorn - 10-15
Rock sugar - 2 TBSP

Daikon radish - 2 lbs., peeled and cut into 1-½ inch pieces

chicken stock or water - ¼ cup , mixed with 2 tsp cornstarch

Salt (to taste)
Optional garnish: 2 scallions (cut on a diagonal into 1-inch pieces)

Steps

1. Soak beef pieces in cold water for 30 minutes to remove blood, then rinse off and set aside. 

2. Fill cooking pot with cold water, add beef, 1/2 cup cooking wine and 4 slices of ginger. Place over high heat, bring to a boil, and cook the beef for 1 minute to remove any impurities. Use a slotted spoon to remove the beef to rinse and set aside.

3. Heat 2 tablespoons vegetable oil in your Instant Pot on the sauté setting. Add the rest of the ginger slices, and cook for 2-3 minutes, until fragrant and slightly crisped at the edges. Add the blanched beef and all ingredients.

4. Seal the Instant Pot, and turn on the meat/stew for 45 minutes. Once finished, allow the Instant Pot to release pressure naturally. 

5. Once the Instant Pot is safe to open, open it and add the radish chunks. Stir to combine with the beef. Replace the lid, seal the Instant Pot, and put it back on manual high pressure for 10 minutes. Once done, allow the pressure to release again using Quick Pressure Release this time.

6. Open the pot when safe. Turn on the Sauté setting and bring the stew to a simmer. Mix together chicken stock or water and cornstarch into a slurry and stir into the stew to thicken. Simmer for 2 minutes, season with salt to taste, and stir in the scallions.

7. Serve with rice or noodle.

12345 Spare Ribs

This is how my mom cooks sweet and sour spare ribs. I am using InstantPot to make it even easier. 12345 is the proportion of the ingredients. Depends on how much ribs to be cooked, you can increase the ingredients. 

Ingredients

Cooking Wine - 2 TBSP
Sugar - 4 TBSP
Dark Vinegar - 6 TBSP
Soy Sauce - 8 TBSP
Water - 10 TBSP

Spare ribs - about 1 lb chops

Steps

1. Put all ingredients in InstantPot.

2. Cook in InstantPot for 40 minutes with high pressure.

3. Fish out the ribs and serve.

Braised Beef Shrank with InstantPot (卤牛腱)

A common homemade Chinese cold dish that can be consumed alone or be put on top of soup noodle. All ingredients are for reference only, mostly they are "to taste".

Ingredients

Beef shrank - 2 pieces

Ginger - 3 slices
Clovers - 3

Star Anise - 2

Bay leave - 3

Soy sauce - 1/2 cup

Dark soy sauce - 3 TBSP

Cooking wine - 3 TBSP
Salt - 2 tsp

Rock Sugar - 2 tsp
Green onion - 3
Water - enough to cover the meat
Red chili pepper (optional)

Steps

1. Put all ingredients in instant pot, close the lid and seal, press Meat setting and cook for 35 minutes.

2. when it is done, transfer meat and sauce to a covered pot. Place the pot in refrigerator to chill for at least 4 hours. Remove the fat on top.

3. Slice and serve. Can put some of the sauce on top if it is too dry. 

InstantPot Honey Teriyaki Chicken

In my search for easy weeknight dinner, I found this recipe which is also good for freezer meals.

Ingredients

Boneless skinless chicken breasts - 1.5 - 2 lbs
Onion - 1/2 medium size, chopped
Soy sauce - 1/2 cup
Honey - 1/4 cup
Apple cider vinegar - 1/4 cup
Brown sugar - 3 TBSP
Cornstarch - 1 TBSP
Water - 1 TBSP
Minced garlic - 2 tsp
Ginger - 1 to 2 tsp minced or 4 slices
optional garnish: sesame seeds and chopped scallion

Steps

1. Stir the cornstarch and water together in a small bowl until combined, then pour into a medium saucepan over low-medium heat. Add the brown sugar, honey, soy sauce, vinegar, garlic, and ginger. Allow to simmer while whisking occasionally. Bring to a boil and allow to boil for 1 minute, then remove from heat.

2. Place chopped onion and chicken into InstantPot. Pour teriyaki sauce on top. Cook on slow cook mode for 4 hours.

3. Remove the chicken from the slow cooker and, using 2 forks, shred into smaller pieces. Place back into the InstantPot and stir to combine. Close lid and keep warm to let it soak for 1 hour.

4. Garnish with sesame seeds and scallion, if desired, and serve on top of cooked rice or alongside steamed vegetables. Or pile onto rolls and enjoy sandwich style.

Steamed pork ribs with crushed rice (粉蒸排骨)

Ingredients

Baby back ribs - approx 2 lbs, cut into 2 inch long pieces

[Marinate sauce]

Ginger - 2 tsp, shredded

Garlic - 1 TBSP, minced

Soy sauce - 1 TBSP

Dark soy sauce - 1 TBSP

Salt - 1/2 tsp

Sugar - 1/2 tsp

Black bean sauce - 1 TBSP

[Crushed Rice coating]

Glutinous rice - 1/2 cup

White rice - 1/2 cup

Star anise - 1

Cinnamon stick - 1/2 stick

Sichuan Pepper (Zanthoxylum)  - 1/2 tps

[Garnish]

Green onion - 1tsp, fresh chopped

Steps

1. Put ribs and all ingredients in marinate sauce into a Ziploc bag, seal and shake well. Put in fridge for at least 2 hours, or overnight.

2. Add all ingredients in Crushed rice coating to a frying pan under medium heat. Keep stir it until rice slightly golden. After the rice cool down, discard the Zanthoxylum, anise and cinnamon. Put cooked rice in a blender to ground into coarse powder.

3. Coat back ribs evenly with crushed rice and place in a shallow bowl. Optional, mix 2 tablespoons water with the leftover marinade sauce and pour onto ribs. Place the steam rack inside the Instant Pot. Fill water to the 2-cup mark. Place the bowl with back ribs on the steam rack. Cover the lid and turn the pressure valve to the Seal position. Press the “Steam” button and set 50 minutes of cook time.

4. When it is done, take out the dish and garnish with chopped green onions.

Braised Pork Hock with Rock Candy (冰糖猪蹄)

Ingredients

Pork Hock - 3-4 lbs
Green onion - 3 stalks, cut in large pieces
Ginger - 5 - 6 slices
Cooking wine - 3 TBSP
Soy sauce - 4 TBSP
Dark soy sauce - 6 TBSP
Rock Candy - 1/4 cup

Steps

1. Place the hock inside InstantPot and fill with water to cover the meet. Press “Sauté” function with no cover, boil for 10 minutes, drain and rinse off.
2. Put hock back into the InstantPot. Add all ingredients. Cover the lid and place the pressure valve to “Seal” position. Press “Manual” button and set 50 minutes of cooking time.

3. Take out the hock, Press "Saute" function with no cover to reduce the remaining sauce and then pour the sauce over the hock. 

Steamed baby back ribs with glutinous rice (糯米蒸排骨)

Ingredients

Baby back ribs - 2-3 lbs
Green onion - 1 stalk cut into big pieces

Ginger - 3-5 slices

Dark soy sauce - 1 TBSP

Soy sauce - 1 TBSP

Water - 1 TBSP

Corn Starch - 1 TBSP

Sugar - 1 tsp

Salt - 1/2 tsp

Glutinous rice - 1/2 Cup

Steps
1. Clean baby ribs and cut into pieces between bones. Put baby ribs and marinate ingredients into a Ziploc bag, seal it and shake well in a fridge over night.

2. Soak glutinous rice in cold water overnight. Drain the rice and coat the ribs with rice and place on a bowl.

3. In InstantPot, add 2 cups of water and put the bowl on a steaming rack. Cover the lid and make sure the valve at the close position. Choose “steam” function for 60 minutes.