Steamed Banh Mi with Braised Beef Cheeks

 

You will need:
1 large carrot, julienne
1 large beet, julienne
2-3 jalapenos, sliced
2 spring onions
2 cups rice vinegar
1 teaspoon kosher salt
2 tablespoons sugar

Dissolve 2 tablespoons sugar and 1 teaspoon salt in 2 cups rice vinegar.

Place all prepared veggies into individual jars.  Pour vinegar mixture to over veggies.

Cover with a lid and refrigerate until ready to use.

Oh Snap!  That was easy.

I realize the list looks overwhelming, but it isn’t.  Most of the ingredients are going into a sauce that the beef in cooked in.  Basically you are going to measure, stir, pour, cook.  Easy peasy.

 

In a small bowl, stir the first 8 ingredients together.  That would be the garlic, ginger, soy, vinegar, Chinese five spice, coconut sugar, chili garlic sauce and sesame oil.  Just stir it all together.

Set aside.

Melt 2 tablespoons coconut oil in a pan, heavy pot or in the pan of a pressure cooker.

Add beef to the hot oil.  Brown on all sides.  Don’t over crowd your beef or you will be steaming it instead of browning.

Once the beef has browned remove from pan.

Deglaze the pan with 1 cup coconut water, unsalted beef broth or just plain water.

Return the beef and coconut water to the pot your are going to cook it in.  It can be a heavy pot, crockpot or a pressure cooker.  You choose.

Pour the soy mixture over the meat.  Cover with a tight fitting lid.  Place covered pot in a 275 degree preheated oven and bake for 4-5 hours.  If using a crockpot, cook for 4 hours on high heat.  If using a pressure cooker, cook for 30 minutes then let the pressure release on it’s own.

To serve, arrange beef in a split steamed bun.  Top with pickled veggies and a drizzle of sriracha.

DON’T FORGET THE SRIRACHA.

Enjoy.  Again and again.

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Steamed Bun Bahn Mi with Braised Beef Cheeks

Steamed Banh Mi with beef cheeks and pickled veggies are over the top delicious.

Course Appetizer, Main Course

Cuisine American, Vietnamese

Prep Time 20 minutes

Cook Time 35 minutes

standing time 1 hour

Total Time 55 minutes

Servings 4 people

Calories 450 kcal

Ingredients

Pickled Vegetables:

• 2-3 jalapeno peppers
• sliced 1 carrot julienne
• 1 beet julienne
• 2 spring onions sliced
• 2 cups rice vinegar 1
• teaspoon kosher salt
• 2 tablespoons sugar

Braised Beef:

• 3 cloves garlic minced
• 2 tablespoons fresh ginger chopped
• 1/2 cup soy sauce
• 1/2 cup rice vinegar
• 1 1/2 tsp. Chinese Five Spice
• 2 tablespoons coconut sugar or brown sugar
• 1 tablespoon chili garlic sauce
• 1 teaspoon sesame oil
• 1 cup coconut water water or unsalted beef broth
• 2 lbs. beef cheeks or beef chuck roast cut into 3-inch pieces
• 2 tablespoons coconut oil
• 8 - 10 steamed buns recipe:  Steamed Buns  OR use bibb lettuce leaves to make lettuce wrapsoptional:  Sriracha  (optional, but mandatory)

Instructions

1. To make the pickled vegetables: Place jalapenos, carrots, beets, and onions in separate jars.  Mix rice vinegar, salt, and sugar together until dissolved.  Poor vinegar mixture equally over prepared veggies.  Cover and place in refrigerator for at least 1 hour.

Braised Beef Cheeks:

1. In a small bowl, mix together garlic, ginger, soy sauce, vinegar, Chinese 5 spice, coconut sugar, chili garlic sauce, and sesame oil. Set aside.  Heat, skillet or pan or pressure cooker, brown beef on all sides in the coconut oil.  Do not crowd the pan.  Remove beef and deglaze pan with coconut water, beef broth or water.  Return beef to pot or a crockpot.  Pour soy mixture over meat.  Cover tightly with a lid and cook beef in a 275 degree oven for 4-5 hours or until tender.  Remove beef from juices and using two forks shred the beef.  Strain off any fat that has accumulated and discard the fat. Return juices to pot. Add beef to pot and keep warm until ready to serve. Crockpot:  If using a crockpot, cook on high heat for 4 hours.  Follow directions above.
2. Pressure Cooker:  Pressure on high for 30 minutes.  Follow directions above.  After beef has been shredded and fat has been removed from juices, return to pressure cooker and cook beef in juices on low pressure for another 5 minutes.  Beef can be left on low heat until ready to serve for 2-3 hours.

Recipe Notes

• Frozen pre-made steamed buns may be purchased in an Asian market.  Follow directions on package for reheating.
• Note the option for GF or Paleo with the use of Bibb lettuce leaves.
• Cucumbers, radishes, or other veggies may be used also.
• Steamed Buns  OR use bibb lettuce leaves to make lettuce wrap optional.
• Sriracha  (optional, but mandatory)

Nutrition Facts

Steamed Bun Bahn Mi with Braised Beef Cheeks

Amount Per Serving (10 g)

Calories 450 Calories from Fat 266

% Daily Value*

Total Fat 29.5g 45%

Saturated Fat 12.8g 64%

Cholesterol 15.7mg 5%

Sodium 1054mg 44%

Total Carbohydrates 93g 31%

Dietary Fiber 1.1g 4%

Sugars 4.2g

Protein 27g 54%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

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