Chinese Braised Beef Shank

Blanch the Beef:

Bring a pot of water to a boil. Add the beef shank and boil for about 5 minutes to remove impurities. Drain and rinse the beef under cold water.

Prepare the Braising Liquid:

In a clean pot, combine 4 cups of water, soy sauce, rice wine, sugar, ginger, garlic, green onions, star anise, cinnamon stick, orange peel, Sichuan peppercorns (if using), and bay leaves. Bring to a simmer.

Braise the Beef:

Add the beef shank to the pot. Bring the liquid to a boil, then reduce the heat to low. Cover and simmer for about 1.5 to 2 hours, or until the beef is very tender.

Cool and Slice:

Turn off the heat and let the beef cool in the braising liquid. For best results, refrigerate the beef in the liquid overnight to deepen the flavors.
Once cooled, remove the beef from the liquid, and slice it thinly against the grain.

Serve:

Serve the beef slices chilled or at room temperature, drizzled with some of the strained braising liquid as a sauce.