Cantonese braised beef with potatoes

Cut the beef chuck into one inch cubes, put it in a stock pot, cover with water and bring to a boil over high heat with the lid partially on.

Fish the beef out and drain it. Strain the cloudy blanching water through a fine cheesecloth to remove the impurities and reserve the clear broth.

Combine one and a half tablespoons of soy sauce, one and a half teaspoons of dark soy sauce, a tablespoon each of oyster sauce and zhu hou paste, one and a half tablespoons of tomato paste, two tablespoons of sugar and two pieces of red fermented bean curd.

Preheat a clay pot until hot and add one and a half tablespoons of cooking oil.

Add the blanched beef with six cloves of garlic, six slices of ginger and four scallions cut into stalks and stir until fragrant.

Pour in the seasoning and stir a minute or two to let the heat activate the flavours.

Add four cups of the reserved blanching water, bring to a boil over high heat, then drop to low and simmer two hours, checking the liquid level and adding hot water so it does not go dry.

Forty minutes before the beef is done, peel the potatoes and cut them into chunks.

At an hour and a half, remove the soggy scallions and ginger slices, add the potatoes, stir them under the liquid and simmer another thirty minutes.

Test the potatoes for fork tenderness, then add half a red bell pepper cut into small triangles.

Taste the broth for salt. Raise the heat to reduce it if it is thin, or add a little water if it is too thick.

Spoon generously over rice.