Home-styleMedium 180 min serves 4

Home-Style Braised Beef (Lǔ Niú Ròu)

Name: Home-Style Braised Beef (Lǔ Niú Ròu)
Total time: 180 min
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: Home-style
Ingredients: beef shank (lean, with connective tissue); light soy sauce; dark soy sauce; Shaoxing wine; star anise; ginger; scallion; five-spice powder

卤牛肉 · lǔ niú ròu

家庭快手版 · Home version: This version uses gentle simmering and reuses the master stock for depth — unlike restaurant versions that often over-spice or pressure-cook. My grandmother in Yangpu kept hers for months, skimming daily and adding new aromatics.

My uncle in Shanghai’s Hongkou district taught me this recipe when I was 16 — he’d braise beef every Sunday morning while listening to Shanghai Opera on the radio, saving the broth for dumpling fillings all week.

Recipe author: HǎoWèi Test Kitchen

Home-cooking research team

Reviewed by HǎoWèi editorial team · Last updated 2026-08-29

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Ingredients

beef shank (lean, with connective tissue)牛腱子肉🛒 local750 g
light soy sauce生抽🏮 asian60 ml
dark soy sauce老抽🏮 asian30 ml
Shaoxing wine绍兴酒🏮 asian30 ml
star anise八角🏮 asian4 pcs
ginger生姜🛒 local40 g
scallion小葱🛒 local60 g
five-spice powder五香粉🏮 asian1.5 g

beef shank (lean, with connective tissue): Look for firm, marbled slices with visible sinew — essential for chewy-tender texture.

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Instructions

1Rinse beef shank under cold water; soak in cold water for 30 minutes to draw out blood. Drain and pat dry.
去腥关键步骤
2Blanch beef in a large pot of boiling water for 5 minutes. Skim off foam vigorously. Remove beef, rinse under cool water, and set aside.
去沫要彻底
3In a clean pot, combine all aromatics (ginger, scallion, star anise, five-spice) with light soy, dark soy, Shaoxing wine, and 1.5 L water. Bring to a gentle boil over medium-high heat.
香料与酱料先煮透
4Add blanched beef. Reduce heat to low, cover partially, and simmer gently for 2.5 hours — turning meat every 45 minutes.
小火慢炖不沸腾
🔍 Look for Low heat 2.5 小时 · 2.5 hours
Visual: 汤面仅微微冒泡，液面持续静谧微滚。Surface barely shivers with tiny bubbles; liquid maintains a steady, quiet simmer.
You know it's right when: 筷子轻压微有弹性，不散不烂。Meat yields slightly when pressed with chopsticks but does not fall apart.
5Turn off heat. Let beef cool completely in the broth (minimum 2 hours, ideally overnight). Slice thinly against the grain before serving.
浸卤入味是灵魂
🔍 Look for 2–12 小时 · 2–12 hours
Visual: 卤汁微稠，如漆般裹住牛肉。Broth thickens slightly and coats the meat like lacquer.
You know it's right when: 肉质紧实柔韧，卤汁表面泛光。Meat feels firm yet supple; broth glistens on surface.

Tips

· Save the cooled broth — strain, refrigerate up to 1 week or freeze for 3 months. Reuse as base for luwei chicken feet or eggs.
· For cleaner slices, chill beef in broth overnight before cutting.
· If star anise is unavailable, substitute 1 tsp ground anise + ¼ tsp cinnamon (not authentic but functional).

Sources & references

Quantities, technique notes, and substitution ratios are cross-checked against established Chinese cookery references and standard food-science sources.

Read our editorial policy
Fuchsia Dunlop, Land of Plenty: A Treasury of Authentic Sichuan Cooking
USDA FoodData Central — ingredient nutrition and portion data
Traditional Chinese family-kitchen practice and regional taste records

Common questions

Can I skip Shaoxing wine? What's the substitute?

Dry sherry is the closest 1:1 swap (fidelity ~80%). No sherry? Use a splash of white wine plus a little water, or just skip it and add a tiny extra pinch of sugar — the wine's job is depth and removing meat's gamey notes, and a good marinade covers most of it.

Source: HǎoWèi substitution engine

What's the difference between light and dark soy sauce?

Light soy (生抽) is the everyday salty seasoning — thin and salty, used in most recipes. Dark soy (老抽) is thicker, darker, slightly sweet, and used mostly for color (braises, fried rice). If you only buy one, get light soy. For dark soy's color: 1 tbsp light soy + a pinch of sugar + a few drops of molasses.

Source: HǎoWèi pantry guide

Is there a vegan substitute for oyster sauce?

Yes — 'mushroom oyster sauce' (often labeled vegetarian/vegan) is sold in most Asian grocers and increasingly in mainstream supermarkets. It behaves 1:1 and adds the same glossy umami. Watch labels if you're also gluten-free; most brands are GF, some aren't.

Source: HǎoWèi substitution engine