Cantonese-Style Beef Jook Congee — The Comfort Bowl You Need This Winter
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Author:
Mandy Fu
Servings
4
Prep Time
15 minutes
Cook Time
30 minutes
When the weather turns chilly, nothing feels more comforting than a bowl of something warm, cozy, and silky-smooth. Today, I’m making the ultimate Cantonese comfort food — Beef Congee, or 生滚牛肉粥 (Jook). It’s a simple rice soup, but making perfect jook is an art, and the Cantonese have a few tricks up our sleeves. Let me show you exactly how to make it at home — just like what we grew up eating.
Ingredients
- 3/4 cup of jasmine rice
- 10 cups of beef stock or water
- 300g beef, sliced thinly
- 2.5 tsp of salt
- 2 tsp of grated ginger
- 1 tsp of garlic powder
- 1 tsp of ground white pepper
- 1 egg white
- 2.5 tbsp of cornstarch
- 1.5 tbsp of water
- 227g of leafy vegetables (Bok choy, Choy Sum, Gailan, Etc.), diced
Directions
Soak 3/4 cup of jasmine rice in clean water. Meanwhile, bring 10 cups of beef stock or water to a boil over medium heat.
- Slice the beef into 1/8 of an inch thick pieces. Recommend using flank steak, sirloin, ribeye, and strip steak.
- Marinate the beef with 2.5 tsp of salt, 2 tsp of ginger paste, 1 tsp of garlic powder, 1 tsp of finely ground white pepper powder, and 1 egg white. Stir until everything is well combined.
- Quickly mix 2.5 tbsp of cornstarch and 1.5 tbsp of water until no lumps, and pour it into the beef. Stir in one direction until all the mixture is absorbed. This is the key to the tenderest beef. The water makes the beef extra juicy. The cornstarch creates a starchy layer that locks the juice as well as giving the beef an extra smooth texture. This method is called velvety. Try it, and it will blow your mind.
- Drain the rice completely and add it to the boiling broth. Turn the heat to medium-low and simmer it without the lid for 20 minutes. If you put the lid on, it will overflow, and you will end up with a huge mess.
- While the jook is simmering, dice some green leafy vegetables, such as Choy Sum, bok choy, cabbage, spinach, or broccoli.
- After 20 minutes of simmering, take a whisk and stir for 1- 2 minutes or until the congee reaches your favorite consistency. Please note that the longer you stir, the creamier the jook will be.
- Add the beef and stir to cook the beef for less than 15 seconds. Add the diced vegetables and turn off the heat.
- Serve with your favorite pickles.
Recipe Video
Recipe Note
In China, congee is usually enjoyed with side dishes, so I prepared some salted radish, pickled mustard stems, aka zhaicai—which you can find in almost any Asian grocery store—along with some Chinese fermented bean curd. This beef congee is flavorful on its own, so these sides are optional; they are kind of like the salt and pepper on a Western dinner table that you can add based on your preference.
However, if you’re eating plain white congee, the side dishes can be endless—there are literally dozens of delicious side dishes you can pair with it. If that interests you, click the like button and leave me a comment below. I can make a whole video showing how to cook perfect white congee and how to prepare all those tasty side dishes.
