Savory Spiced Beef Brisket

Get ready to fill your kitchen with the most incredible, soul-warming aroma. This recipe transforms a humble cut of beef brisket into a dish of profound flavor and melt-in-your-mouth tenderness. While the ingredient list might look long, the process is wonderfully straightforward, relying on the magic of a slow braise—or a pressure cooker for a fantastic shortcut. The method involves simmering the beef in a broth infused with a symphony of warm spices like star anise, cassia, and Sichuan peppercorns, creating a savory, deeply comforting flavor profile often associated with classic homestyle cooking. It’s an impressive dish that requires mostly hands-off simmering time, making it a perfect weekend project that delivers a truly restaurant-quality meal with minimal fuss. Here’s what you’ll need to get started. Don’t be intimidated by some of the more specific spices; I’ve included plenty of easy-to-find substitutions so you can make this delicious dish with ingredients from your local supermarket. For the Beef: 2 lbs (about 900g) beef brisket or chuck roast, cut into 1.5-inch cubes 1 tablespoon Shaoxing wine (or dry sherry) 2 tablespoons vegetable oil Boiling water, as needed Salt, to taste For the Aromatic Braising Liquid: 3 slices of ginger 2 star anise pods 1 small stick of cassia bark (or a 3-inch cinnamon stick) 15 Sichuan peppercorns 1 black cardamom pod (cao guo) 2 slices of angelica root (bai zhi) A few strands of dried tangerine or orange peel (optional) 3-4 tablespoons dark soy sauce (or red-braising soy sauce) A Note on Ingredients: Many of these spices can be found at an Asian grocery store. However, if you have trouble finding them, here are some tips. Dark soy sauce is thicker and less salty than regular soy sauce, used primarily for its rich, dark color and subtle sweetness. If you can’t find…