Ingredients

• 1 kg tough fatty stew beef cut into cubes
• 200g roasted chestnut kernels
• ½ cup soy sauce
• 2-3 bay leaves
• 1T Shaoxing wine rice cooking wine
• Black pepper
• Cayenne pepper
• 3 cloves garlic, diced
• 1 onion OR 3 scallions, chopped
• 1-2 inches fresh ginger, diced
• Hand full of baby carrots
• 1-2T gelatin soaked in cold water
• 3 cups water
• 2T molasses
• 2T diced fat or oil
• 2 stalks celery
• 454g mushrooms, sliced

Directions

1. Add fat/oil and heat/render.
2. Add bite size pieces beef and brown quickly in a hot pan.
3. Set beef aside and add a little more oil if necessary. Add garlic and ginger to season the oil, then add mushrooms, onion, and celery. Cook until soft. Deglaze with rice wine if necessary.
4. Add in beef, pepper, bay leaves and sauté for a few min before adding water, molasses, soy sauce, and chestnuts.
5. Bring to a boil and simmer for 3 hours.
6. Add carrots and any other vegetables you like to simmer for the last 30-45 min of the 3 hour cook time.

Notes