IP Braised Chu Hou beef brisket

More autumn flavours. Minimal fuss, I didn't even bother to blanch first. Finally found the correct method for getting melt in the mouth brisket and without getting mushy veg!

Ingredients

1kg beef brisket

2 tbsp chu hou sauce

2 tsbp oyster sauce

1 tsp sugar

2 tsp white peppercorns, toasted and crushed (put in a tea bag)

2 to 3 tsp soya sauce (to taste)

2 slices ginger, thinly julienned

4 cloves garlic, minced

2 spring onions, chopped + 1 for garnishing

1 bell pepper, chopped

2 tomatoes, chopped

1 tbsp tomato paste

1 beef bullion cube, crushed

2 tbsp corn flour + 2 tbsp water to make a slurry

Method

1. Marinade the beef with the chu hou, soya sauce, and oyster sauce. Leave overnight.

2. In the Instant Pot, saute the aromatics. 

3. Add a trivet and pour in 1.5 C water (I pour the water into the marinating bowl to wash out the leftover marinade). Put beef brisket on top of the trivet. Cook using the Meat function for 50 minutes.

4. Remove the brisket and let it rest. Once rested, slice it up.

5. While waiting for the brisket to rest, make the sauce. Add the beef bullion cube and tomato paste. 

6. Add the tomatoes and bell peppers. Use the Saute function. and let the sauce reduce to about half. Do not cover.

7. Once the sauce has reduced and the vegs are cooked (no more than 5 minutes), add the corn starch slurry to thicken up the sauce.

8. Serve up and garnish with more spring onion. 

IP Pumpkin soup

My colleague gave me a quarter of a kent pumpkin from her mom's veg patch and I put it to good use. With the cool weather of autumn starting, it was a great time to detox with a good veg soup! The magic ingredient is galangal!

Ingredients

¼ pumpkin, skinned

4 medium carrots, sliced

2 medium potatoes, cubed

1 can butter beans, drained

¼ C barley

1 packet store bought chicken soup (or use veg soup to keep it vegetarian)

Water

2 slices of galangal

2 slices of ginger

4 cloves garlic

2 spring onions, sliced

2 tsp white pepper

200ml double cream

chives, chopped (for garnish)

Method

1. Prepare the vegetables. 

2. Toast the white peppercorns and then crush with pestle and mortar.

3. Saute the garlic, ginger, galangal, and spring onions. Add the chopped veg and briefly saute.

4. Pour in the stock, add the crushed white peppercorns (i use a disposable tea bag).

5. Set on soup for 20 minutes. Naturally depressurise.

6. Using the Saute function, pour on the cream and bring back to the boil. Reduce if required.

7. Run through either with an immersion blender or I just used a potato masher to leave it more rustic.

8. Garnish with chopped chives and serve immediate.