Ingredients For Ground Beef Meat Sauce
Ground Beef: Ground beef comes with different amounts of fat. More fat usually means better flavour, but using lean ground beef can still make a delicious dish by this recipe. You can also use ground pork.
Shiitake Mushroom: Start with whole dried Shiitake mushrooms, soak them in hot water for half an hour, and remove the tough stems before chopping. Personally, I prefer a slightly chunkier texture, so I don’t chop them too finely, but feel free to adjust according to your preference. If you can’t find Shiitake mushrooms, you can substitute with white or brown mushrooms.
Star Anise: I use only two star anises to avoid overpowering the dish, but feel free to add a couple more to adjust to your taste. You can omit it if you prefer not to have that flavour.
Soy Sauce: I use regular and dark soy sauce because it’s an essential combination for most Chinese braised meat dishes. The dark soy sauce not only adds colour but also adds caramelized flavours. If you don’t have dark soy sauce, you can substitute it with half the regular soy sauce.
Oil: This recipe uses plenty of oil to ensure smooth mixing with pasta or rice. The oil also helps preserve the meat for longer storage. I use olive oil for its health benefits but feel free to reduce the amount if you prefer.
About Shiitake Mushroom
Shiitake mushrooms have a woodsy and earthy aroma. In many Chinese vegan recipes, they often serve as a meat substitute, delivering an umami taste that enhances the overall flavour.
You can find two types of dried shiitake mushrooms in the market: sliced and whole. The whole ones need to be soaked in water and then cut into pieces, but they tend to be more flavorful. The sliced ones lose a bit of flavour during processing but are convenient as they can be added directly to dishes.
The water will turn brown after soaking the shiitake mushrooms. You can use this flavorful liquid to replace water in this recipe. However, be careful when using it, as sediment or dirt may settle at the bottom, so pour it slowly.
Instructions For Chinese Meat Sauce
Step One: Frying Ingredients
Heat oil in a saucepan over medium heat and add star anise and onion. Fry until the onion is lightly browned. Then, add ground beef and stir until it starts to sizzle and turn lightly brown.
Step Two: Combining and Simmering
Add soy sauce, dark soy sauce, oyster sauce, rice wine, and chopped mushrooms into the saucepan. Stir and let them sizzle with the meat for 20 seconds. Then, add water, cover with a lid, and reduce the heat to low to medium. Simmer for half an hour.
Step Three: Reduce the Sauce (Optional)
Remove the lid and increase the heat to medium to high. Stir continuously to reduce the liquid until it sizzles and thickens again.
Recipe Notes
About Step Three: The saucier version tastes great with rice, while the reduced sauce goes well with pasta.
The Saltiness: The saltiness can differ depending on the brand of soy sauce, dark soy sauce, and oyster sauce you use. Start with two tablespoons of soy sauce and add more if needed. It’s good to make the sauce a bit saltier when serving with pasta, which can tone down flavours. You can always adjust by adding extra soy sauce or salt if it’s not salty enough for your taste.
Spicy up: Fresh chilli complements this meat sauce nicely; add them five minutes before finishing cooking for an extra kick. Alternatively, drizzle some chilli sauce over the dish after serving.