Best for: Shaokao night when half the crowd wants beef.
Niurou chuan is the beef entry in the shaokao skewer lineup: well-marbled beef cubes given a short soy-and-wine marinade, then grilled fast over charcoal and finished with the same cumin-chile dusting as the lamb. The marinade is the only detour from the lamb original — the fire and the spice stay the same.
Grill: Direct high heat over charcoal; 450–500°F. Equipment: Charcoal grill, flat metal skewers, tongs, instant-read thermometer.
Ingredients
Marinate: 30 minutes. Rest: 5 minutes. Total: 58 minutes.
- 1 1/2 lb beef chuck or flank steak, cut into 3/4-inch cubes
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon Shaoxing wine (or dry sherry)
- 1 tablespoon neutral oil, plus more for the grate
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 2 tablespoons cumin seeds, coarsely crushed
- 2 teaspoons Chinese chile flakes (or crushed red pepper flakes)
- 1 teaspoon fine table salt
- 1/2 teaspoon ground Sichuan pepper
- 12 flat metal skewers (or bamboo skewers soaked 30 minutes)
Directions
Toss the beef with the soy sauce, Shaoxing wine, neutral oil, and sugar. Cover and marinate for 30 minutes at room temperature or up to 2 hours in the refrigerator.
Stir the cumin, chile flakes, salt, and Sichuan pepper into the shaokao spice mix. Light a full chimney of charcoal and heat the grill to 450–500°F.
Thread the beef snugly onto the skewers, letting the excess marinade drip off so the meat sears instead of steaming.
Grill the skewers directly over the coals for about 2 minutes per side, turning often, until deeply browned with charred edges.
Dust all sides generously with the spice mix during the last minute of grilling and cook until the beef registers 145°F for medium-rare to medium.
Rest for 5 minutes and serve hot, with the remaining spice mix alongside for dipping.
Grilling tip: Chuck gives you the fat that shaokao skewers need; lean steak dries out over this much direct heat.
