Recipe from Jason Wang Adapted by Tejal Rao

Ingredients

• 
  1 pound boneless beef shank or stew cuts
  
• 
  2 tablespoons vegetable oil
  
• 
  ½ red onion, diced
  
• 
  2 scallions, trimmed and sliced
  
• 
  1 (1 1/2-inch) piece fresh ginger, peeled and chopped
  
• 
  2 garlic cloves, peeled and sliced
  
• 
  1 star anise pod, broken
  
• 
  2 dried red chilies, such as Tianjin or chilies de árbol, broken into a few pieces
  
• 
  2 teaspoons Pixian doubanjiang or spicy broad-bean paste
  
• 
  2 tablespoons Shaoxing cooking wine
  
• 
  1 tablespoon soy sauce
  
• 
  1 small tomato, diced
  
• 
  1 tablespoon Sichuan peppercorn powder (or 2 tablespoons whole Sichuan peppercorns, finely ground)
  
• 
  1 teaspoon red chili powder (preferably from Tianjin chilies)
  
• 
  1 tablespoon Sichuan chili crisp
  

Preparation

1. 
   Place the meat in a large pot and cover with cold water by about 2 inches; bring to a boil. Let boil for 3 minutes, then turn off the heat, drain the water and transfer the meat to a cutting board. When it’s cool enough to handle, cut the meat into approximately 1-inch cubes.
   
2. 
   In the same pot, heat the vegetable oil over medium. Add the onion, scallions, ginger, garlic, star anise and dried red chilies, and sauté for about 30 seconds. Reduce heat slightly, and stir in Pixian sauce, letting it cook until the red oil rises. Add the beef, cooking wine, soy sauce and 2 cups water.
   
3. 
   Cover the pot and bring to a boil over high. Once the mixture is boiling, reduce heat to low so the liquid holds at a simmer, and cook for 30 minutes. Remove the lid and simmer for another 30 minutes, until meat is tender and the sauce is reduced. If the pan starts to dry out, exposing the meat, add a splash of water as needed.
   
4. 
   Once the meat is cooked, add the tomato, Sichuan peppercorn powder and chile powder, and stir to combine. Turn off the heat, and cover for about 5 minutes so the flavors can meld. Serve over warm rice or noodles, and finish with a drizzle of Sichuan chile crisp.