Sichuan dressed cold beef with cooked chili oil

Put 350 grams of beef shen in a pot with one litre of cool water.

Bring to a boil, skimming as needed, then turn the heat to low and add the star anise, bay leaf, fennel seed, Sichuan peppercorn, sand ginger and both dried chilies.

Add the ginger and the section of Welsh onion, then the salt, chicken bouillon powder and Shaoxing wine.

Cover and braise 40 minutes, or until a chopstick pierces the beef easily.

Lift the beef onto a drying rack and let it cool completely, a couple of hours, so the surface moisture evaporates.

Chili oil: cut 25 grams of dried chili into sections and toast over low heat, stirring constantly, until deep brown; cool until crispy.

Pound the toasted chilies to a coarse powder in a mortar and pestle and set aside.

Heat 80 grams of rapeseed or peanut oil to smoking point, about 220 degrees Celsius, then take it off the heat and let it fall to about 180.

Add the half inch of ginger, the Welsh onion and the eighth of an onion; fry on low until golden brown, then lift them out.

Bring the oil back to 150 degrees Celsius, shut the heat off, stir in the coarse chili powder, let it cool slightly and jar it.

Slice 100 grams of the cooled beef very thinly against the grain.

In a mixing bowl combine the soy sauce, chili oil, toasted sesame oil, salt, sugar, Sichuan peppercorn powder and MSG.

Add the beef, the pounded roasted peanuts, the toasted sesame seeds, the cilantro and the scallion; mix together and plate.