Beef soup with vegetables

Ingredients for 6 servings:

• 2 m.-sized onion(s)
• 30 g fresh ginger
• 2 kg beef shank(s)
• 1 kg beef brisket
• 1 tbsp soy sauce, light
• 1 tbsp rice wine
• 1 tsp peppercorns (Sichuan)
• ½ tsp salt
• 2 star anise
• 4 liters of water
• 2 carnations
• 350 g beef (rump or fillet), very lean
• 4 small carrots, young
• ½ cucumber(s), pitted
• 4 spring onions

Instructions

Working time approx. 40 minutes; Cooking/baking time approx. 3 hours 30 minutes; Total time approx. 4 hours 10 minutes

Soup for the dragon menu

For the stock, halve the onions with the skin on and fry them cut-side down in a pan without any fat until golden brown. Slice the ginger. Add the leg slices to the onions in the pot, cover with water, bring to a boil, and simmer for 5 minutes. Drain and rinse off any suspended solids. Rinse the pot. Add the leg slices, beef brisket, ginger, peppercorns, onions, soy sauce, and salt to the pot and fill with 4 liters of water. Simmer for 2-3 hours, skimming off any suspended solids and fat that rise to the surface. Reduce the stock uncovered for another hour to 2 liters. 30 minutes before the end of the cooking time, add the star anise, rice wine, and cloves. Allow the stock to cool, then strain through a cloth. Keep warm until ready to use. For the garnish, peel the carrots and then cut into wide strips using a vegetable peeler. Halve the cucumber, remove the seeds, and then quarter it. Also cut this into wide strips using a vegetable peeler. Using a very sharp knife, slice the beef across the grain into the thinnest strips possible, then spread them out thinly with the back of the knife. Shape the strips into a rose shape. Trim the spring onions and slice them into thin rings. Arrange the vegetable strips on plates. Place the beef rose in the center of the plates and divide the spring onions among the plates. Season the soup to taste and bring to a boil. Pour the boiling hot soup over the meat with a ladle and serve immediately.