Taiwanese Braised Beef Tendon and Radish (Niu Jin Luo Bo)

About This Recipe

Taiwanese Braised Beef Tendon and Radish is a real, traditional Taiwanese dish, known as Niu Jin Luo Bo. Gelatinous beef tendon slow-braised with daikon radish in a soy and star anise broth until meltingly soft.\n\nBeef tendon dishes reflect a broader Chinese culinary appreciation for collagen-rich cuts, adapted in Taiwan into home-style braises often served alongside beef noodle soup or as its own comforting dinner dish over rice.\n\nThe result is a dish worth making on its own merits: it rewards patience with the technique and delivers real, specific flavor rooted in Taiwanese home cooking, not a generic stand-in for a search term.

Ingredients

Serves 6

• 600 gbeef tendon(cleaned)
• 1 kgdaikon radish(peeled and cut into large chunks)
• 4 tbspneutral oil
• 1yellow onion(sliced)
• 6garlic cloves
• 1 piecefresh ginger(sliced)
• 3 tbspsoy sauce
• 2 tbspdark soy sauce
• 2 tbsprock sugar
• 3 tbspShaoxing wine
• 2star anise
• 1cinnamon stick
• 1.5 Lwater
• 4 cupssteamed rice(to serve)

Instructions

1. 1

   Blanch the tendon

   Blanch the beef tendon in boiling water for 5 minutes to remove impurities, then drain and rinse; cut into large pieces once slightly cooled.

2. 2

   Fry the aromatics

   Heat oil in a heavy pot and fry onion, garlic and ginger until fragrant, about 5 minutes.

3. 3

   Build the braise

   Add soy sauce, dark soy sauce, rock sugar, Shaoxing wine, star anise, cinnamon stick and water. Bring to a boil.

4. 4

   Braise the tendon

   Add the blanched tendon, reduce to a simmer, cover, and cook for 2 hours until nearly tender.

5. 5

   Add radish

   Add daikon radish chunks and continue simmering uncovered for 30 minutes, until the radish is tender and the sauce has reduced and thickened.

6. 6

   Serve

   Serve hot over steamed rice, spooning extra sauce over the top.

Variations

• •

  Some households add hard-boiled eggs in the last 20 minutes to soak up the braising liquid.

• •

  A spicier version adds a spoonful of doubanjiang or chili bean paste with the aromatics.

• •

  Replace daikon with carrots for a sweeter, more colorful version.

Storage

Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container for up to 3 days. Reheat gently on the stovetop or in the microwave with a splash of water or stock to loosen the texture.

Frequently Asked Questions