Mum’s braised beef mince with crispy fried leeks and eggs
- Prepare
- less than 30 mins
- Cook
- 30 mins to 1 hour
- Serve
- Serves 4–6
My take on a comforting Chinese classic that my mum used to make. A rich, saucy mince beef stew is topped with a crispy fried egg and crispy leeks for a protein packed dinner that hits all the right notes.
Each serving provides 884 kcal, 36.6g protein, 90.1g carbohydrate (of which 8.3g sugars), 41g fat (of which 9.2g saturates), 3.9g fibre and 3.85g salt.
By Justin Tsang
Ingredients
For the beef mince
- 2 tbsp vegetable oil
- 4 garlic cloves, crushed
- 50g/1¾oz fresh root ginger, peeled and grated or very finely chopped
- 1 onion, very finely chopped
- 2 celery sticks, very finely chopped
- 500g/1lb 2oz beef mince
- 1 litre/1¾ pints beef stock
- 1 tbsp doubanjiang (hot broad bean paste) or gochujang
- 2 tbsp light soy sauce
- 4 tbsp dark soy sauce
- 2 tbsp oyster sauce
- 1 tsp granulated sugar
- 1 tsp MSG
- 150g/5½oz frozen peas
- 2 tbsp cornflour, mixed with 2 tbsp water
For the crispy leeks and eggs
- 6 tbsp vegetable oil
- 1 leek, trimmed, outer layer discarded and remaining leek sliced into matchsticks
- pinch salt
- 4–6 free-range eggs
To serve
- 600g/1lb 5oz jasmine rice
- 2 tbsp sesame seeds
- small bunch fresh coriander, thinly sliced
- 4 tsp chilli oil (optional)
Method
To make the beef mince, heat the vegetable oil in a heavy-based saucepan over a high heat for 1–2 minutes. Add the garlic and ginger and fry for 30 seconds. Add the onion and celery and fry for 2–3 minutes.
Add the beef mince and use a wooden spoon to break it up into small pieces. Cook for 6–8 minutes, or until the liquid has evaporated and the meat is browned.
Add the stock, doubanjiang, soy sauces, oyster sauce, sugar and MSG. Bring to the boil, then reduce the heat to low. Cover and cook for 40 minutes, stirring occasionally. The liquid in the braised beef should have reduced but still be quite runny.
Meanwhile, make the crispy leeks. Add the oil and leeks to a cold frying pan. Spread the leeks out to cover the entire base of the pan. Turn the heat to medium and then slowly fry the leeks without moving them for 8–10 minutes. Once they start turning a deep golden brown, begin to stir occasionally until the majority of the leeks turn the same colour. Remove the leeks from the oil, transfer to a plate lined with kitchen paper and sprinkle with the salt. Set aside.
Place the same pan back over a high heat and fry the eggs for 1–2 minutes, or until the edges are brown and crispy but the yolks are still runny. Set aside.
To continue with the beef mince, add the peas to the beef mixture and then slowly pour in the cornflour mixture while stirring. The sauce should thicken, but not be too thick. If the sauce is too thick, add splashes of water and stir to loosen.
Bring a saucepan of water to the boil, add the rice and cook according to packet instructions. Drain.
Divide the rice evenly between bowls. Generously ladle over the beef mixture.
Sprinkle over the sesame seeds and coriander and drizzle over the chilli oil. Add the fried eggs and crispy leeks and serve.
Recipe tips
Doubanjiang is typically only found in specialist supermarkets, but other chilli bean sauces can be used instead (toban djan is easier to find, but has a milder flavour so add a little extra if you like your meals super spicy).
