This Chinese beef stew with dried bean curd sticks, or foo jook, is a delicious Cantonese take on beef stew that’s reminiscent of two other classic Cantonese dishes—Beef Stew with Daikon Radish, and Lamb Stew with Foo Jook.  But we know some folks out there (say, my 2-year-old son) aren’t huge fans of these somewhat polarizing ingredients—daikon and lamb.I felt like there was some version out there that was milder—using beef and foo jook—with all the savoriness you get from Cantonese braises.  While I think I’ve seen this variation on beef stew in restaurants, my parents sort of scratched their heads when I described the idea to them.Was this a named “dish” that would be familiar to others?  All that said, they weren’t scratching their heads anymore after I plonked a pot of this stew on the table for them to try.

Ever since coming up with this recipe, it has been such a crowd-pleaser that I had to document it on The Woks of Life!  A Chinese Dish with Western Techniques Beef stew has to be one of the simplest meals to make, but it feels so special when you serve it.I’m making this recipe with Chinese flavors, but Western technique that will feel familiar to any home cook who’s made a beef stew.Here’s how I changed things up:  Rather than braising the stew on the stove, I braise it in the oven for that “set it and forget it” factor.  I’m also using chuck roast, i.e.

your standard beef stew meat, rather than th

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