Braised beef with pickled mustard green

Put the beef and the femur bone in a stock pot, cover with plenty of water, and bring to a boil over high heat with the lid partially on.

Slice the ginger thinly, cut the scallions into stalks, and gather the garlic, half purple onion, cinnamon stick, cloves, black peppercorn, fennel seeds, Sichuan peppercorns and angelica root.

Put the aromatics and spices into disposable spice bags.

Skim all the scum off the boiling water with a fine sieve, then transfer the beef and bones to a clean clay pot. Blanching is optional and is done to remove the gamey flavour.

Fill the clay pot with four to five cups of hot water, add the spice bags, and bring to a boil over high heat.

Drop the heat to low and simmer for two and a half hours, until a chopstick pokes through the meat without resistance.

Lift the beef out onto a cutting board, leaving the broth behind, and dice it into bite-sized pieces.

Discard the bones and the spice bags, squeezing the broth out of the bags, and return the beef to the clay pot.

Rinse the pickled mustard green and squeeze the water out.

Heat a wok over medium heat with oil, then add the ginger, garlic, shallot, Thai bird eye chilies, dried red chilies and the Sichuan Doubanjiang. Stir for a couple of minutes until everything is coated red.

Add the pickled mustard green, raise the heat to high, and keep stirring for a few minutes.

Season with the oyster sauce and the soy sauce, drizzling the soy sauce down the side of the wok.

Pour in the beef and all the broth, bring to a simmer, and cook 10 minutes. Do not braise the mustard green longer or it loses its crunch.