Claypot Lamb Brisket 腐竹羊肉煲~ 祝你喜洋洋 CNY Spread # 6

Why is lamb or mutton auspicious for Lunar New Year? The Chinese word for lamb and mutton is 羊and it sounds similar to 洋 which means vast. 喜洋洋 means lots of joy.... It might make you laugh more as you eat. Joking :)

I love lamb and mutton and all the likes of them. It's the smell that I enjoy. But I'm not the biggest lamb fan in the house.

I tried cooking this dish and the outcome was quite good. Except that my beancurd sticks were not good. I think they weren't fresh, as old beancurd sticks always has the texture like plastic. Seriously not joking. Just try keeping some beancurd sticks for a few months.. and you will get what I mean.

The original recipe calls for Chu Hou sauce.... I thought I saw it in Ipoh's Jusco... but I can't find it anymore. I thought it was on the shelves right after they renovated the place.. but nooooo. Oh well, nevermind. Let's just make do with premium oyster sauce :)

I believe the old style of cooking this will be stewing it in a claypot all the way... but if you have a pressure cooker, use it. If you have a slow cooker, use it. Or if not, any heavy based pot that won't burn your stew easily will work great.

Claypot Lamb Brisket 腐竹羊肉煲

Reference : tfysw 

500gm lamb ribs and brisket
1.5 cup carrot, chunks
5 water chestnuts, peeled
50gm beancurd sticks , fried

20gm ginger, sliced
20gm garlic, peeled and whole
3 stalks spring onion, white and green parts separated

Spices
1 small piece dried tangerine peel (too much will make the stew bitter)
2 inches Chinese Cinnamon(cassia)
1/4 tsp fennel
1 star anise
2 bay leaf

Seasoning
1 cube white fermented beancurd 腐乳
2 Tbsp premium oyster sauce
2 Tbsp light soy sauce
1 Tbsp Shaoxing wine
1 Tbsp brown sugar
Salt to taste

1 tsp Cornstarch + 1/4 cup water

1. Cut lamb into bite sizes. Heat a wok until very hot and put in 1 Tbsp of oil. Put in lamb pieces and brown the lamb. Dish up and rinse with water. Drain the lamb.
2. Heat up wok and put in 1 Tbsp of oil, and saute ginger and garlic until fragrant. Put in white parts of spring onion and cook until fragrant. Add in carrots, water chestnuts and lamb and all the spices and cook it for about a minute or two. Add in enough water to cover.
3. Bring a to a boil and lower to a simmer for 1 hour.
4. Then add in beansticks and simmer until the meat is really tender and beansticks are soft.
5. Reduce gravy to preferred amount, taste and adjust seasonings and thicken with cornstarch mixture.
6. Add in green parts of spring onion and turn off the heat.