A Little Five-spice Powder Sure Was a Successful Replacement!
I found a very approachable recipe for an affordable cut of beef. Because there were many alternatives listed for the ingredients on the recipe, I was encouraged to find a substitution for one of the ingredients. Best of all, the effort resulted in a delicious dinner!
Below are some links to more details, including photos:
My Story
After making beef shank adobo, I wanted to find a recipe that had a step for seasoning the beef shank prior to cooking.
Inspiring Recipe
The recipe that I found was, Chinese Braised Beef Shank Recipe, from a blog by Lorin Cheung, a Registered Dietitian, Certified Intuitive Eating Counselor, and birth and bereavement doula.
First Try
When beef shank was on sale at the nearby supermarket, I took the opportunity to try the recipe.
Ingredients to Use
With four pieces of beef shank, I replaced a couple of the ingredients in the recipe, while doubling the rest of them. The remaining items that I ended up using were as follows:
- 1 teaspoon of ground cinnamon
- 4 cloves of garlic
- 4 slices of ginger
- 2 teaspoons of Chinese five-spice powder
- 2 bay leaves
- 4 tablespoons of dark soy sauce
- 2 teaspoons of sesame oil
- 2 tablespoons of brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons of Shaoxing wine
- Avocado oil
- Salt, to taste
- Pepper, to taste
- Cold water
- 2 green onions
Since I didn’t have any cinnamon sticks nor star anise at home, I substituted them with ground cinnamon and Chinese five-spice powder, respectively.
According to an article, Can I Substitute Ground Cinnamon for Cinnamon Sticks?, from the DIY guide, ehow, 1 cinnamon stick is equal to 1/2 – 1 teaspoon of ground cinnamon. Because I enjoy the smell of cinnamon, I added an amount on the top of the range.
As for the star anise, I learned from an online resource, A Couple Cooks, that 1/2 teaspoon of Chinese five-spice powder can replace 1 whole piece of this spice. The article that I referenced, Best Star Anise Substitute, indicated that star anise is one of the main ingredients in Chinese five-spice powder.
Steps to Prepare
Of the eight steps in the instructions, I made minor adjustments to many of them by doing the following:
- Step 2 – Used a pot instead of a skillet or pan, so everything would fit.
- Step 4 – Browned the beef shank for more than two minutes at times while I was multi-tasking.
- Step 6 – Added the wine with the spices since I didn’t see where I was supposed to do it.
- Step 7 – Brought the liquid to a boil on high, then lowered the heat gradually to medium, medium low, and finally to low to simmer for 2.5 hours.
- Step 8 – Left the majority of the spices in the pot to save some time.
Time to Eat
I couldn’t wait to taste the beef shank since I was tempted by the aroma from the Chinese five-spice powder and ground cinnamon for hours!
Recipe Rating
Below were the results of the recipe after the first try:
| Number of Ingredients | Effort (Low🤏, Medium🤏🤏, High🤏🤏🤏) | Cost per Serving (<$2💰, $2-5💰💰, >$5💰💰💰) | Taste (Not for me🤔, Trying Again🙂, Eating Regularly😋) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1️⃣5️⃣* | 🤏 | 💰💰 | 🙂 |
I certainly enjoyed the flavorful beef shank with tender meat. In addition, the fragrance reminded my older son of Vietnamese Pho. Lastly, my husband thought the dish was good as well.
Second Try
For the second try, my goal was simply to duplicate the tasty dish.
Ingredients to Use
I added the same amount of each ingredient during the second time as I did the first time.
Steps to Prepare
During the second attempt, I followed the process that I used during the first try, but forgot to season the beef shank with pepper and salt until after I scooped everything into the serving bowl. To remedy this, I added them to the bowl and poured in more sauce, so the salt and pepper would hopefully travel through the cracks.
Time to Eat
Since I didn’t taste the dish after adding the salt and pepper, I was hoping that I had sprinkled the right amounts.
Recipe Rating
Below are the results of the recipe from the second attempt:
| Number of Ingredients | Effort (Low🤏, Medium🤏🤏, High🤏🤏🤏) | Cost per Serving (<$2💰, $2-5💰💰, >$5💰💰💰) | Taste (Not for me🤔, Trying Again🙂, Eating Regularly😋) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1️⃣5️⃣* | 🤏 | 💰💰 | 🙂 |
This batch had leaner meat, so some pieces weren’t as tender. As for the seasoning, it was light on the salt and pepper, but it had enough flavor if I poured on the sauce. Nonetheless, my husband still enjoyed it!
As I will be referencing this recipe again, I’ll try to make it better next time by doing the following:
Continuous Improvement
- Buy beef shank with more fat, marrow, and connective tissue.
- Season the dish, as needed, before serving.
Up until now, I always avoided recipes using star anise because it was never convenient to buy this spice, but after learning that I could often use Chinese five-spice powder as a substitute, I would like to share with my younger self the following:
Lesson for Dumber Self
- Don’t be intimidated by unavailable spices; just find a substitute!
What will you do now?
Next Step for You
- Try the recipe, Chinese Braised Beef Shank Recipe, from a blog by Lorin Cheung?
- Learn more about alternatives for star anise? (What was helpful for me was Best Star Anise Substitute, from online resource, A Couple Cooks.)
- Read another post on this site? (Go to the menu at the top of the page.)