柱侯蘿蔔炆牛筋腩 30 Minutes InstantPot Braised Beef Brisket and Tendon is one of my favourite Chinese comfort dishes. Enjoy this fork-tender beef recipe goes with rice or with soup noodles. Bonus, this Chinese braised beef brisket daikon recipe works into healthy keto meal prep ideas for the week!
> In This Post: Everything You'll Need For Authentic Chinese Braised Beef Brisket
Jump to:
- > In This Post: Everything You'll Need For Authentic Chinese Braised Beef Brisket
- Hong Kong Braised Beef Brisket
- Ingredients and Substitutes
- Instant Pot Pressure Cooker Beef
- What Best Cut of Beef To Use For Braised Brisket?
- Tenderizing Beef Rough Flank in an Instant Pot
- How Do I Make My Brisket Tender?
- What is Chu Hou Sauce 柱侯醬?
- What is Chu Hou Sauce Substitute?
- Chinese Style Instant Pot Braised Beef Brisket and Tendon Cooking Tips
- What To Serve With Braised Brisket and Tendons
- > Recipe
- Chinese Braised Beef Brisket and Tendon Recipe 柱侯蘿蔔炆牛筋腩
Hong Kong Braised Beef Brisket
Chinese braised beef brisket daikon dish is a recipe I grew up with. Whenever I visit Hong Kong, Asia, I hunt for the perfect bowl of beef brisket noodles at Chinese restaurants. Noodle houses often advertise that their beef brisket is their specialty - especially their sauce.
Hong Kong-style beef brisket is different from Jewish brisket recipes or the American BBQ BBQ brisket recipes. Cantonese braised beef recipe is comfort food. It is tender and gelatinous with chunky daikon radishes in a flavourful Chu Hou Sauce.
Recreating this dish at home has always been my dream, but I hate having to stew the tendons for HOURS! Luckily, I can shortcut my way with this easy Instant Pot Braised Beef with Radish pressure cooker method. It only takes 30 minutes to cook! Cooking Cantonese style Chinese beef brisket recipe in slow cooker a long time.
You can fill a table with Chinese classics meals like Braised Chinese Mushroom 髮菜炆冬菇 and Red Bean Soup 紅豆沙, creating an easy dinner your family will enjoy! I bought my Instant Pot from Amazon, and it was delivered the next day with Amazon Prime!
Ingredients and Substitutes
- Beef Brisket - cut into 3 inch chunks. No need to cut them into small pieces because they will shrink once cooked
- Beef Tendon - cut into 3 inch chunks also
- Daikon Radish
- Fresh Ginger
- Whole Star Anise
- Shallot or White Onion
- Lee Kum Kee Chu Hou paste 李錦記柱侯醬
- Rock Sugar or Brown Sugar
- Drinking Water
- Light Soy Sauce
- Dark Soy Sauce
- Oyster Sauce
- Cornstarch
- Shaoxing wine
- Vegetable or Avocado Oil
Most dry goods ingredients, tools and supplies can be purchased at your local Asian grocery store or Amazon Online.
Instant Pot Pressure Cooker Beef
Anyway, anyone with a busy schedule or who cares for babies needs this in their life! Without this Instant Pot pressure cooker, I can not imagine cooking with my baby! It is so easy to use and is such a time saver!
I often like to deliberately cook extra - store a portion in the fridge for lunch the next day, make it into noodle soup, and freeze a portion to make it into a healthy Asian meal prep to eat later in the week.
What Best Cut of Beef To Use For Braised Brisket?
Now that I am officially on the Instant Pot party train recreating the
most amazing brisket recipe with daikon in the pressure cooker is easy!
The flat-cut beef rough flank (Niú nǎn in Mandarin or Ngau lam in Cantonese) is the best beef cut for this slow cooking process. Although it is a rough flank full of connective tissues, it also has a layer of fat protecting the lean meat making this meat super tender after braising!
Some people opt of finger meat aka boneless short rib 牛坑腩 - the finger-like strips between the individual beef ribs. Tendering and marinating finger meat is an immensely satisfying beef finger meat recipe.
Remember to trim off excess fat as much as possible. By trimming excess fat, you will avoid a greasy dish or the need to skim off a layer of fat from the beef stew at the end of cooking.
Tenderizing Beef Rough Flank in an Instant Pot
One of the questions we always get is how long it takes to cook brisket in an Instant Pot? A general rule of thumb is to plan on 45 to 60 minutes per pound cooking beef brisket on the stovetop.
Since it is a pretty tough cut of meat full of sinewy tendons, you will need hours to render that delicious soft texture. However, when you cook braised beef brisket in the Instant Pot, you only need a fraction of the time.
This shortcut pressure cooker method only takes 30 minutes to achieve that fork-tender braised brisket. Because who really wants to cook beef brisket for six hours?
How Do I Make My Brisket Tender?
The Instant Pot is so unique. It helps tenderize, soften, and stew even the most challenging cut of meat in minutes! The high-pressure cooker temperature will break down the beef briskets' connective tissues, transforming and softening a tough brisket into tender, juicy meaty bites.
What is Chu Hou Sauce 柱侯醬?
The secret sauce in the infamous Cantonese Instant Pot braised beef brisket and tendons with daikon radish is Chu Hou Sauce (柱侯醬, zhù hóu jiàng).
So what is Chu Hou Sauce or Chu Hou Paste? The Chu Hou Paste recipe combines fermented soybean sauce similar to Hoisin sauce but with different seasonings such as sesame paste and fermented bean curd. This ingredient also varies by brand.
This convenient cooking staple is excellent for braising meats when paired with garlic and ginger.
What is Chu Hou Sauce Substitute?
If you can not find Chu Hou Sauce, you can substitute hoisin sauce. However, it is not the same. We like the savoury umami flavours of Lee Kum Kee's Chu Hou Sauce. In addition, it has a nice consistency of sweet, creamy texture. I usually just buy Lee Kum Kee paste which can be found at any local Asian supermarket.
Chinese Style Instant Pot Braised Beef Brisket and Tendon Cooking Tips
Before cooking the brisket and tendons, always remember to parboil and blanch the brisket and tendons in a big pot of boiling water to remove the impurities for approximately 5 minutes. Rinse off the white foam from the parboiled meat under cold water.
Cut the beef brisket and tendons into small cubes approximately 3 inches thick. The meat will shrink a lot in size after being braised. If the tendons are still too tough to cut, you can place it whole into the Instant Pot and cut it afterwards.
In a non-stick or wok, heat oil at medium-high heat (or Saute mode in the Instant Pot - when Instant Pot reaches the given working temperature, it displays "Hot" and you can start sautéing).
First, add aromatics like garlic, ginger and shallots and let simmer for 2 to 3 minutes. Once you smell the fragrant aromatics, it is time to brown the meat.
Next, add beef brisket, beef tendons and Chu Hou Paste into the wok or Instant Pot. Mix well with kitchen tongs. Once all the brisket and tendons are evenly coated with Chu Hou Paste, remove from wok and put into the Instant Pot.
Add in stewing marinate ingredients such as Shaoxing wine, light soy sauce, dark soy sauce, oyster sauce, star anise, bay leaves, water and rock sugar.
Pro Tip: Did you know that adding rock sugar helps soften the beef briskets?
Close and lock the Instant Pot cover and set pressure cook on high for 30 minutes followed by quick release.*
This traditional Chinese braised beef brisket daikon recipe is not complete without radishes.
Similarly, while the beef briskets are cooking in the pressure cooker, wash and cube the daikon radish 2 inches thick.
Open the Instant Pot cover and add daikon into the Instant Pot. Mix well with the beef briskets and tendons. Evenly coat with the liquid sauce.
After that, close and lock the Instant Pot cover and set pressure cook on high for 5 minutes followed by quick release.
In the meantime, while the daikon is cooking, mix together chicken stock or water and cornstarch in a small sauce bowl.
Open the Instant Pot lid and set it to Saute mode. Bring the beef stew to a nice simmer. Add the above-prepared cornstarch slurry into the stew and stir into the stew to thicken. Simmer for 2 minutes to desired consistency.
Garnish with heaps of cilantro and scallions.
Serve and enjoy over white jasmine rice or soupy noodles.
What To Serve With Braised Brisket and Tendons
Fork-tender beef recipe goes with rice or with soup noodles. It is best to balance out a bowl of white jasmine steamed rice or stir-fried leafy green vegetables.
- Microwave Black Cod with Black Bean Sauce 豉汁蒸黑魚微波爐
- Honey Garlic Pork Ribs (Air Fry) 蒜子蜜汁骨
- Chinese Braised Eggplant 紅燒茄子
- Vegan Dan Dan Noodles 擔擔麵 素食
- Air Fryer Soy Sauce Chicken Thighs 氣炸鍋豉油雞
After indulging in saucy and flavourful Chinese dish, don't forget to reward yourself with a refreshingly creamy, smooth and lightly sweetened Chinese Coconut Milk Pudding 椰汁糕.
Did you make this Keto-Friendly Low Carb One Pot Braised Beef Brisket Daikon Recipe? I'd love to see how you went with my recipes! Leave a comment below or tag me on Instagram @INSTANOMSS #INSTANOMSS
> Recipe
PrintChinese Braised Beef Brisket and Tendon Recipe 柱侯蘿蔔炆牛筋腩
柱侯蘿蔔炆牛筋腩 30 Minutes InstantPot Braised Beef Brisket and Tendon is one of my favourite Chinese comfort dishes. Enjoy this fork-tender beef recipe goes with rice or with soup noodles. Bonus, this Chinese braised beef brisket daikon recipe works into healthy keto meal prep ideas for the week!
- Prep Time: 15
- Cook Time: 30
- Total Time: 45 minutes
- Yield: 4-6 persons 1x
- Category: Main Dishes
- Method: InstantPot, Braised
- Cuisine: Chinese
Ingredients
- 3 lbs beef brisket, 3 inches chunks 牛腩 3 磅, 切大塊
- 1 lbs beef tendon, 3 inches chunks 牛腩 / 牛坑腩 3 磅, 切大塊
- 1 daikon radish, 2 inches chunks 白蘿蔔 1條, 切大塊
- 3-inch knob of ginger, peeled, sliced 薑 適量, 切片
- 3 whole star anise 八角 3粒
- 1 shallot, rough chop 小蔥 1粒, 切大塊
- 2 tbsp Lee Kum Kee Chu Hou paste 李錦記柱侯醬 2湯匙
- 1 small piece of rock sugar 冰糖 1粒
- 1 L water 水 1公升
- 2 tsp light soy sauce 生抽 2茶匙
- 2 tsp dark soy sauce 老抽 2茶匙
- 2 tsp oyster sauce 蠔油 2茶匙
- 1 tbsp cornstarch 生粉 1湯匙
- 4 tbsp Shaoxing wine 紹興酒 4湯匙
- 4 tbsp cooking oil 油 4湯匙
Garnish (Option)
- 1 bunch cilantro, rough chopped 芫茜(香菜) 點綴
- 1 bunch green onions, fine chopped 蔥 點綴
Instructions
- In a large pot of boiling water, blanch and parboil the brisket and tendons for 5 minutes to remove impurities.
- Remove briskets and tendons from the pot and rinse off the white foam from the parboiled meat under cold water.
- Cut the briskets and tendons into small cubes. If the tendons are still too tough to cut, you can place it whole into the Instant Pot and cut it afterwards.
- In a non-stick or wok, heat vegetable oil at medium-high heat (or Saute mode in the Instant Pot - when Instant Pot reaches the given working temperature, it displays "Hot" and you can start sautéing).**
- First, add aromatics like garlic, ginger and shallots and let simmer for 2 to 3 minutes. Once you smell the fragrant aromatics, it is time to brown the meat.
- Next, add beef briskets and tendons and brown the meat.
- Add Chu Hou Paste into the wok or Instant Pot. Mix well with kitchen tongs. Once all the brisket and tendons are evenly coated with Chu Hou Paste, remove from wok and put into the Instant Pot.
- Add in stewing marinate ingredients such as Shaoxing wine, light soy sauce, dark soy sauce, oyster sauce, star anise, bay leaves, water and rock sugar.
- Close and lock the Instant Pot cover and set pressure cook on high for 30 minutes followed by quick release.*
- In the meantime, while the beef briskets are cooking in the pressure cooker, wash and cube the daikon radish 2 inches thick.
- Open the Instant Pot cover and add daikon into the Instant Pot. Mix well with the beef briskets and tendons. Evenly coat with the liquid sauce.
- Again, close and lock the Instant Pot cover and set pressure cook on high for 5 minutes followed by quick release.
- While the daikon is cooking, mix together chicken stock or water and cornstarch in a small sauce bowl.
- Open the Instant Pot lid and set it to Saute mode. Bring the beef stew to a nice simmer. Add the above-prepared cornstarch slurry into the stew and stir into the stew to thicken. Simmer for 2 minutes to desired consistency.
- Garnish with heaps of cilantro and scallions.
- Serve and enjoy over white jasmine rice or soupy noodles.
Notes
- *40 minutes if you prefer your meat extra soft!
- **Alternatively, you can saute the above steps directly in the Instant Pot. The pot heats up very quickly. Ensure everything is chopped and prepared before this step.
- Served with rice or soup noodles
- Leftover stock can be frozen for up to a week for healthy Chinese food meal prep.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 pot
- Calories: 689
- Sugar: 1.8 g
- Sodium: 2927.8 mg
- Fat: 46.1 g
- Carbohydrates: 13.4 g
- Protein: 51.6 g
- Cholesterol: 167.9 mg
Keywords: Easy InstantPot Recipes, Chinese, Braised Beef Brisket, Beef Tendon, 柱侯蘿蔔炆牛筋腩, Instant Pot, 柱侯炆牛腩牛筋, keto, meal prep,
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Julie says
Loving the sounds of all the flavours in this dish. I love that you always provide alternatives for the more difficult to get ingredients. Very helpful and thoughtful.
★★★★★
Genevieve says
Oh wow, this brisket recipe looks divine! I can't wait to try making this. Look at that beef!
★★★★★
Nora says
I love this instant pot brisket! So easy and delicious! Thank you!
★★★★★
Bernice says
Wow! The Instant Pot is such an irreplaceable appliance. It's amazing how it makes life so much simpler. While I'm not a tendon fan, my husband sure is and he would love this dish!
Andréa Janssen says
This Chinese Braised Beef brisket was so delicious. The flavors blend greatly together and the beef was so tender. Thank you for this recipe!
★★★★★
Cookingmama says
How many bay leaves and garlic do I add?
Nancy says
I typically add 2 bay leaves and 5-6 garlic cloves. I love garlic but you can adjust to your personal preference. I hope this came out wonderful!
Stephen says
If I want the beef and tendon to be more tender (for seniors), should I increase the pressure cook time by 10 min or more? Any suggestion?
Nancy says
Hi Stephen - yes i would suggest increasing the time by 10 min intervals. But keep in mind it may break down the meat too much if you go to 20 mins. But that depends how the end user. you may need to adjust it accordingly. Hope that helps/
Shelby says
This brisket comes out delicious!
★★★★★
Nancy says
These briskets are highly requested all the time!
Rebecca - Glutarama says
Yet another simply yet delicious recipe Nancy. Plus your photography is always so beautiful too.
★★★★★
Nancy says
thanks for your support and all your kind words rebecca!!
Helen says
Such an interesting recipe! Thanks for joining in with #CookBlogShare 🙂
★★★★★
Nancy says
Hi five to team #cookblogshare
Gina Abernathy says
A great recipe. The beef was tender and the flavors were amazing.
★★★★★
Nancy says
What can I say! This recipe is a classic! 🙂
Janessa says
This beef turned out so tender! I can't wait to make it again.
★★★★★
Nancy says
We are addicted to this dish too! I swear we make it once a week, especially during the fall and winter months!
kushigalu says
Love the amazing combination of flavors here in the recipe thanks a lot for sharing
Nancy says
Don't forget to share this recipe with your friends and family!
Luci says
This was so good and really easy to make. Thanks for sharing
★★★★★
Nancy says
Enjoy this excellent meal prep recipe!
Kathleen says
This flavor packed beef brisket recipe is going on "my must" make list right now! It looks so hearty and comforting. Really like that it's made in the instant pot.
★★★★★
Nancy says
Thanks Kathleen! Enjoy it!
Amy says
This was so delicious! I loved how tender the beef was. It was a nice way to use brisket.
★★★★★
Nancy says
it's my favourite meal!
Cara says
The texture of this beef was absolutely unreal. And I love how easy making it in the Instant Pot was!
★★★★★
Nancy says
wasn't the beef super fork tender and juicy?
Renee B says
Such a tasty way to cook brisket! My husband loved it. I like that its freezer-friendly, too. Thanks you!
★★★★★
Nancy says
it's my favourite meal!
Nathan says
This brisket looks absolutely fantastic, lots of great flavors! Definitely adding this to my list for dinner next week. Can't wait to try it for myself!
★★★★★
Nancy says
wait till you try these fork tender juicy briskets!
Aimee Mars says
Wow, there are so many incredible flavors in this recipe and that sauce sounds incredible too! I've never had Chinese braised beef, but I can't wait to try it at home.
★★★★★
Nancy says
wait till you try these fork tender juicy briskets!
Joy says
Hi, if not made in an instant pot, how long will it take to cook on stovetop or by crockpot? Recipe looks great! Thanks.
Nancy says
it could take a few hours to get it perfectly braised. the Instant Pot is a life saver!
Sarah James says
What a tasty way to cook brisket, so tender and full of flavour. I like how you can double up on quantities for the freezer. Thanks for sharing.
★★★★★
Nancy says
OH yes I love making this brisket into a freezer meal!
Dana says
This was so tender and packed with flavor. A whole new (for me) spin on stew as I know it. Happy to have an alternative up my sleeve!
★★★★★
Nancy says
Enjoy this slow cooked tender beef
Jess says
I love this over rice!
★★★★★
Beth says
I made this recipe last night for the family, and it was a huge success. My kids tend to be picky, so I just told them it was beef. They had no idea that it was brisket tendon!
★★★★★
Maggie says
It was so good. My hubby and (better yet) my picky eater son loved it. Definitely making again.
Alfred says
Just cooked this recipe using 3 lbs of brisket only so proportionally reduce other ingredients.
mixed pressure cooking for 10 minutes then slow cooked for 3.5 hours. All good but I would reduce the amount water to 50% as specified to keep the flavour more intense and no so soupy when cooking is finished.
★★★★
Nancy says
Yes you can totally reduce the water to your desired consistency! I usually recook it the next day, so it works out perfectly for soup broth as well 🙂
Addie says
So hearty and flavorful! Wow!
★★★★★
Nancy says
cheers to that!
Melinda says
Yummy! Bookmarking this recipe for sure.
★★★★★
Nancy says
enjoy Melinda!
Emily Woodward says
We loved this with noodles!
★★★★★
Nancy says
what an excellent choice to pair this with noodles!
CD says
Such an easy and tasty recipe!
★★★★★
Nancy says
so happy to hear you liked it!
maya says
I'd actually never cooked with rock sugar before, so it was fun experimenting with it! Thanks for the recipe!
★★★★★
Nancy says
you will love rock sugar! you can find rock sugar at any asian supermarket!
Lillian says
This recipe is so full of flavor and the meat ends up crazy tender. I also love recipes that use parts of the animal that others might ignore. Plus, who can say no to another great instant pot recipe!
★★★★★
Nancy says
instant pot meals are the best aren't they!?
Jerika says
This looks so delish!!!YUM I can't wait to eat this with my rice. I'm sure my family would love this. Thank you!:)
★★★★★
Nancy says
high five to easy meals the whole family can enjoy!
Nora says
Love this instant pot recipe! It’s so delicious and easy to make!
★★★★★
Nancy says
She's a classic and well loved recipe!
Brittany F says
I love this instant pot recipe. The beef is tender and flavorful! With rice it’s a hearty meal.
★★★★★
Nancy says
how many bowls of rice did you enjoy with this?
Jen says
We like having this recipe on the weekends to enjoy a great meal, goes perfect with rice.
★★★★★
Nancy says
high five ! and then you have left overs for the week ahead!
MyYellowApron says
Would love to try the recipe. Thanks for sharing ❤️
Nancy says
enjoy!
Magali says
This brisket looks so yummy and moist! I will try this recipe this weekend!
★★★★★
Nancy says
happy feasting!
Andrea says
such a great recipe to warm up too! Love it!
★★★★★
Nancy says
high five to a cozy night!
Jeannie says
I agree when you say its a Chinese comfort food, there‘s a HK cafe here where we would go to and have this. Now we can make it at home.
★★★★★
Nancy says
Let me know how this compares Jeannie!
amanda says
so delicious! The whole family loved it and asked for it again next week!
★★★★★
Nancy says
hooray! i love hearing this!
Alexandra says
A delicious and comforting dish - so easy and full of flavour. My new favourite beef dish.
★★★★★
Nancy says
hooray! i love hearing this!
Jan says
I love brisket, and this one is a new version for me to keep
★★★★★
Nancy says
enjoy this classic dish! Glad you found it!
Kayla DiMaggio says
This brisket recipe was so delicious and tender! Total hit in our household!
★★★★★
Nancy says
my family requests this every other week! we never get tired of it!
Bernice says
While I am not a huge fan of tendon, I have had it cooked a few ways that I enjoyed it. My husband loves it and would absolutely love this recipe. The instant pot is such a time saver!
★★★★★
Nancy says
awwww maybe you will give it a try again? or just skip it and cook the briskets on its own.
Agnieszka says
I was looking for unique ways to cook brisket. This looks amazing! Will definitely try.
★★★★★
Nancy says
this is a Cantonese classic dish! hope you like it
Jeannie says
this is so good, perfect for a hot cup of rice. will be a staple for our dinner
★★★★★
Emily says
Great recipe! I actually search out daikon quite a bit because I'm doing Keto. It's a wonderful substitute for high-carb potatoes.
★★★★★
Megan Ellam says
This looks so delicious Nancy. I will definitely give it a try.
★★★★★
maura says
This is the easiest recipe! thank you
★★★★★
Nancy says
you're welcome!
Brianna says
What a great dish with a ton of flavor!
★★★★★
Nancy says
everyone must mops up this dish especially the sauce!
Leslie says
Love this recipe!
★★★★★
Nancy says
thanks Leslie!
Nart says
Such a great recipe 🙂
★★★★★
Nancy says
Thanks Nart! Happy Cooking!
Pam Greer says
So tender and delicious!
★★★★★
Nancy says
this recipe is zero fail!
Kayla DiMaggio says
This recipe was so full of flavor and so delicious! I loved how tender the brisket was!
★★★★★
Nancy says
and it goes wonderfully with noodles, rice or pasta too!
Bernice says
Such wonderful, comforting dish. Love those flavours!
★★★★★
Nancy says
it's perfect for winter season!
Andrea White says
Such an easy recipe!
★★★★★
Nancy says
high five on easy recipes!
Oscar says
Looks great. Looking forward to make this recipe.
★★★★★
Nancy says
can't wait to see your version!
Kaitlin says
highly recommend
★★★★★
Nancy says
thanks Kaitlin!
Andrea White says
So yummy! Thanks for an easy recipe!
★★★★★
Nancy says
thank you - hope you enjoy it!
Karen says
This sounds lovely and I am going to try the recommended sauce but you don't state how much of anything to use.
Nancy says
Hi Karen!! So sorry about that. There was a web issue and it is now fixed! Hope you enjoy this recipe!