Introduction 簡介
柱侯蘿蔔炆牛腩 — beef brisket braised with white radish in chu hou sauce — is a classic Cantonese dish. The beef is slowly cooked until tender, while the radish absorbs the rich, savoury gravy. It is the kind of dish where the vegetables can be just as eagerly sought after as the meat: a piece of radish full of beef juices, served with hot steamed rice, needs little else.
柱侯蘿蔔炆牛腩係一道經典粵菜。牛腩用慢火炆到軟腍，白蘿蔔就吸滿濃郁嘅醬汁同肉香。呢道菜有趣嘅地方，係蘿蔔往往同牛腩一樣咁受歡迎——一件吸滿肉汁、清甜多汁嘅蘿蔔，配碗熱辣辣嘅白飯，已經好滿足。
The name “chu hou” comes from the sauce, which is traditionally attributed to Leung Chu Hou, a Qing-era chef associated with the Sam Pan Lau restaurant in Foshan, Guangdong. Accounts of its invention vary, but the connection between the chef, the restaurant and the sauce is a recurring part of Foshan’s food history. Food writer Pearl Kong Chen describes a fermented soybean paste enriched with sugar, dried citrus peel, ginger, garlic and sesame. Its layered flavour made it particularly suited to braising, and chu hou sauce became an enduring part of the Cantonese kitchen, used for chicken, duck and beef brisket.[1] At home, we usually use ready-made chu hou sauce, which is easy to find in jars at Asian grocery stores.
「柱侯」呢個名嚟自柱侯醬，相傳由清代廣東佛山三品樓嘅廚師梁柱侯創製。關於佢點樣創製呢款醬，有幾個唔同版本，不過梁柱侯、三品樓同柱侯醬之間嘅淵源，一直都係佛山飲食故事嘅一部分。飲食作家江獻珠記述，柱侯醬以原豉醬為底，加入糖、果皮、薑、蒜蓉同芝麻，令味道更加豐富。呢種醇厚醬香特別適合炆煮，亦令柱侯醬成為粵式廚房常用嘅醬料，由炆雞、炆鴨到炆牛腩都用得着。[1] 平時喺屋企煮，我哋多數會用現成嘅樽裝柱侯醬，喺亞洲超市好容易就買到。
Hong Kong Beef Cuts Explained: 牛腩、坑腩、爽腩與崩沙腩
While this dish is translated as “braised brisket” in English, the cut of beef used is not exactly—and most likely is not—the “brisket” we understand in English. This comes down to the way cattle are butchered in Hong Kong and Cantonese tradition. There are different ways of butchering cattle even within China, and within Guangdong there are at least two different styles: this Cantonese style, which places more emphasis on naam, and another associated mainly with Chaoshan beef hotpot. Under the Hong Kong/Cantonese style, a broad portion of the animal is considered naam, which is widely translated as “brisket”.
雖然呢道菜英文譯做 “braised brisket”，但實際用嘅牛肉部位，同英文理解嘅 “brisket” 並唔完全一樣，而且好多時根本唔係嗰個部位。呢個分別，源於香港同廣府傳統分切牛肉嘅方式。即使喺中國，各地分切牛肉嘅方法都唔一樣；單係廣東，至少已經有兩種唔同風格：一種係呢度講嘅廣府式，比較着重「腩」嘅分類，另一種就主要同潮汕牛肉火鍋有關。按香港／廣府式嘅分切習慣，牛身上相當大一片範圍都可以歸入「腩」，而英文就廣泛將佢譯成 “brisket”。
Diagram 1 shows the most recognisable way of understanding the different cuts of beef. Diagram 2 indicates the rough areas of naam under the Hong Kong/Cantonese butchery style and marks the three most sought-after cuts: Song naam, Haang naam and Bang saa naam. While the diagram is not precisely to scale, naam actually extends well beyond the brisket region. In fact, some of the most sought-after cuts lie across the rib and plate regions, and parts of the flank.[3][4]
圖1係大家最容易認到、用嚟理解唔同牛肉部位嘅分切圖。圖2就標示香港／廣府式分切所講嘅「腩」嘅大致範圍，同埋三個最受追捧嘅部位：爽腩、坑腩同崩沙腩。雖然幅圖唔係完全按實際比例繪製，但「腩」其實遠遠超出 brisket 牛胸肉嘅範圍。事實上，最受追捧嘅部分牛腩部位，分布喺 rib 肋部同 plate 胸腹部一帶，亦包括部分 flank 側腹部。[3][4]
For a demonstration of Hong Kong/Cantonese butchery, watch this video from 4:54 to 5:32, where the butcher cuts out the naam region.[5]
想睇香港／廣府式分切牛肉嘅實際示範，可以睇呢段影片嘅4:54至5:32，睇師傅點樣將「腩」切出嚟。[5]
At home, I most often use beef rib fingers bought from Korean-style butcher shops here in Australia. These strips of meat from between the ribs are commonly sold as ngau hang naam in Hong Kong. The name is descriptive: hang means a trench or groove, referring to the hollows left after the rib bones are removed.[3]
我自己喺屋企煮呢道菜，多數會用喺澳洲呢邊韓式肉店買嘅牛肋條，即係香港肉檔常見嘅牛坑腩，不過就切分開做一條條。佢係肋骨之間嘅條狀肉，拆走肋骨之後會留低一條條凹槽，「坑腩」個名就係咁嚟。[3]
Alongside this richly sauced version, Hong Kong also has its much-loved Clear Broth Beef Brisket Hot Pot. Both bring together beef brisket and white radish, but offer different pleasures: one is full of fermented-bean flavour and fragrant gravy; the other centres on a light, aromatic broth. Both recipes rely on gentle cooking over low heat to keep the brisket soft and tender. If you enjoy beef brisket, they are two lovely ways to cook the same familiar ingredients.
除咗醬香濃郁嘅柱侯牛腩，香港人亦好鍾意食清湯牛腩煲。兩款都係牛腩配白蘿蔔，但各有各好食：柱侯做法重醬香，啖啖濃郁入味；清湯做法就着重湯頭嘅清香鮮甜。兩款做法都要用小火慢慢煮，令牛腩保持軟腍嫩滑。同樣幾款熟悉嘅材料，可以煮出兩種唔同風味，鍾意食牛腩嘅話，兩款都值得試吓。
The Star Ingredient: Chu Hou Paste 主角：柱侯醬
Chu hou sauce (柱侯醬), also sold as chu hou paste, gives this dish its characteristic savoury bean flavour and gentle sweetness. It is a blended sauce built on fermented soybean paste, rather than a mixture in which all the ingredients are fermented together. Ginger, garlic and sesame add fragrance and depth. Recipes vary between producers.[2]
柱侯醬係呢道菜醬香同甜鹹味道嘅主要來源。佢係以發酵豆醬為底，再配合其他材料調製而成嘅複合醬料，唔係將所有材料一齊發酵。薑、蒜同芝麻令醬香更加豐富。唔同牌子嘅配方各有分別。[2]
In this recipe, chu hou sauce is mixed with 南乳 (red fermented bean curd), which adds a reddish colour and another layer of fermented flavour. Briefly frying the mixture with the ginger, garlic and beef releases its aroma before the water goes in. As the beef and radish cook, the sauce flavours the braising liquid; the final uncovered simmer then concentrates it into a gravy that coats both ingredients.
呢個食譜將柱侯醬同南乳撈勻，南乳會增添紅潤色澤，同埋多一層發酵醬香。加水之前，先將醬料同薑、蒜、牛腩炒香，再慢火炆煮，等牛腩同蘿蔔吸收味道。最後開蓋收汁，醬汁就會變得濃郁，掛喺牛腩同蘿蔔表面。
Ready-made jars are easy to find at Asian grocery stores. Look for 柱侯醬, “Chu Hou Sauce” or “Chu Hou Paste” on the label. Sweetness and saltiness differ between brands, so use the recipe’s final seasoning amounts as a guide and taste after reducing the gravy before adding more soy sauce. Follow the jar’s instructions for storage after opening.
亞洲超市好容易買到現成嘅樽裝柱侯醬，樽身通常會寫住「柱侯醬」、“Chu Hou Sauce” 或 “Chu Hou Paste”。唔同牌子嘅甜度同鹹度都有分別，所以食譜最後調味嘅份量只係參考；收汁之後先試味，再決定要加幾多豉油。開封後就按樽身指示保存。
Chu hou sauce is also used in the Hong Kong Char Siu recipe—another way to put that jar to use beyond braising.
柱侯醬除咗用嚟炆肉，亦可以用嚟整港式叉燒，一樽醬又多一個用法。
References 參考資料
[1] 江獻珠：〈我是佛山人〉
[2] 李錦記香港：柱侯醬
[3] 泰豐凍肉食品：巴西牛肋條（牛坑腩）; 808 Supermarket：牛肋條（牛坑腩）Beef Rib Finger Meat
[4] 米芝蓮指南：香港必食牛腩麵
[5] Hong Kong/Cantonese butchery demonstration 香港／廣府式分切牛肉示範（4:54–5:32）
Braised Beef Brisket 柱侯蘿蔔炆牛腩
Description 簡介
Ingredients 食材
Beef blanching ingredients 汆水材料
Sauce 醬料
Spice bag 香料包
Instructions 做法
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Cut the beef rib fingers into chunks and place them in a pot. Add enough water to just cover the beef, then add two slices of ginger and one tablespoon of rice wine. Bring to a medium boil and blanch for 10 minutes. Rinse thoroughly and drain. Mix the sauce ingredients well. Prepare the spice bag.
牛肋條切塊，放煲中，加水剛好蓋過牛肋條，加入兩片薑和一湯匙米酒，中火煮十分鐘汆水，洗淨後瀝乾；撈勻醬料；準備香料包。
Before cutting the rib fingers into chunks, I usually trim off a little excess fat and remove any tough, silvery membrane on the surface (silverskin). This is just my personal preference; you can also use the rib fingers as they are. / 牛肋條切塊之前，我通常會修走少少多餘脂肪，同埋去除表面較韌嘅銀白色筋膜（silverskin）。呢個只係我個人喜好，亦可以唔修，直接用嚟煮。 -
Heat oil in a pot, add four slices of ginger and garlic, and sauté until fragrant. Add the beef rib fingers and sear both sides until browned, then push it to the side. Pour in the sauce, stir-fry until aromatic, and mix everything well.
熱油鍋，落4片薑片和蒜頭爆香，落牛肋條，煎香兩面後撥開，加入醬料炒香後撈勻。
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Add enough water to just cover the beef rib fingers. Bring to a boil, then add rock sugar and the spice bag. Cover and simmer over low heat for 30 minutes. Meanwhile, wash, peel, and cut the daikon into chunks using the roll-cut method.
加水至剛好蓋過牛肋條，煮滾後加入冰糖和香料包，蓋好小火煮30分鐘；期間將白蘿蔔洗淨，去皮，滾刀切好。
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Add the daikon and 1 tablespoon of light soy sauce. Cover and simmer over medium heat for 5 minutes, then reduce to low heat and cook for another 10 minutes. Stir the ingredients, cover again, and continue to cook for another 20 minutes.
加入白蘿蔔和1湯匙生抽，蓋好中火煮5分鐘後轉小火煮10分鐘，攪拌一下材料後蓋好再煮20分鐘。
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Uncover the pot and remove the spice bag. Check the amount of liquid and continue simmering over medium-low heat until it reduces to about 1/3 to 1/4 of the original amount, which should take around 40 minutes. During this time, you can use an oil skimmer to remove excess fat if needed.
開蓋，移除香料包，留意現時水的份量，中小火煮至水收至1/3至1/4，大概要40分鐘左右；期間可用隔油網隔除多餘油脂。
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Sprinkle with chopped spring onions before serving.
灑上蔥花。