Cinnamon Braised Beef

To coin a southern term, I love me some cinnamon and sugar. Throughout the years, my husband has scoffed at every sticky sweet cinnamon concoction that I've made. Recently, I found out why.

In China, cinnamon is rarely used in sweets. However, it is often paired with star anise when braising meat. Jason is so used to cinnamon in his savory dishes that he just doesn't like it in my sweets!

I actually love meaty cinnamony dishes, so here are a couple of new ideas for using this yummy spice!

1. This one is easy! The next time you make a hearty beef stew, toss in two star anise and one stick of cinnamon. It adds such a warm rich flavor to the stew. I love it!

2. Another recipe I love. Toss chunks of beef in a frying pan with a bit of hot oil. Sear the outside of the meat. When it's mostly brown on the outside, toss in some minced garlic, ginger, and onion until they're nice and caramelized. Then, throw in your cinnamon and anise, two cups of water, salt and pepper. Cover your pan and let everything simmer. (I usually have to add more water before the meat gets tender.) Once the meat is almost done I like to throw in a bunch of my favorite mushrooms. Instead of mushrooms, you can toss in some potatoes and/or green beans, which is what they do here in China. Just make sure there's enough water in the bottom of your pan to cook them. When I'm ready to serve this, I take the top off the pan and allow the water to reduce then, YUM!

3. My mother in law uses the above technique to cook pork ribs. She cuts them into bite-sized riblets first, sears, then simmers them. Jason prefers this over the beef. Super yummy!