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Fuqi Feipian (Sliced Beef and Offal in Chilli Oil)
Thin-sliced braised beef shin, tripe and tongue dressed in chilli oil, Sichuan pepper, sesame and crushed peanut. Adapted for a home kitchen from the original ClouChef R&D report — 夫妻肺片, report 9.
Original poster image from clouchef.com (poster: 夫妻肺片_9.jpeg). This is the hero poster only, not a step-by-step photo set.
Prep: 15 minutes (plus braising)Cook: 1 hour 40 minutesTotal: About 2 hoursServings: 2–3Difficulty: AdvancedRegion: SichuanFlavour: Mala (numbing-spicy), savoury
Why this works
The name promises offal and delivers it, but the technique is what makes the dish approachable: everything is braised first, so the cooking is already done before the plate is assembled, and the final dressing takes minutes. Braising shin, tripe and tongue separately in a spiced Sichuan stock for about ninety-five minutes, then resting them in the liquid, gives each cut its own texture — firm shin, springy tripe, soft tongue — while a shared spice base ties them together. Slicing across the grain at just 0.3 cm matters as much as the braise: thicker slices chew tough and refuse the dressing. The dressing itself is layered rather than mixed all at once — hot chilli oil first to bloom aroma and finish the kill step, then pepper, soy, vinegar and sugar only after the oil cools below 60 °C, so the vinegar stays bright instead of flashing off. A bowl of plain rice and a light vegetable side balance the rich, oily dressing and complete the table.
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Ingredients
| Ingredient | US | Metric | Substitute / note |
|---|---|---|---|
| Braised beef shin | 2.8 oz | 80 g | Weight is the sliced, braised meat. Buy raw shin, tripe and tongue and braise per the steps, or use ready-braised meats from a Chinese deli (adaptation). |
| Braised beef tripe | 2.5 oz | 70 g | Clean thoroughly before braising; tripe needs the longest rinse of the three. |
| Braised beef tongue | 1.8 oz | 50 g | Peel the skin after braising, while still warm. |
| Sichuan braising spices (star anise, cinnamon, tsaoko, dried chillies) | To taste | To taste | Report names the spices but gives no quantities; use a small handful per litre of water as the home adaptation. |
| Special chilli oil | 2 tbsp + 1 tsp | 35 ml | Homemade or store-bought Sichuan chilli oil with sediment. |
| Sichuan pepper powder, freshly ground | 1 tsp | 3 g | Grind Hanyuan pepper just before use; pre-ground pepper older than a week loses its tingle. |
| Light soy sauce | 2 tsp | 10 ml | — |
| Fragrant vinegar | 1 tsp | 5 ml | Chinkiang black vinegar. |
| Sugar | ½ tsp | 2 g | — |
| Toasted white sesame seeds | 1 tsp | 5 g | — |
| Crushed roasted peanuts | 2 tsp | 10 g | — |
| Coriander leaves | ½ cup | 15 g | Washed and dried; see the safety note in the steps. |
| Scallions, chopped | 1 tbsp | 5 g | — |
Equipment
- Large pot for braising
- Sharp knife for thin slicing
- Small pan for heating the chilli oil
- Thermometer
Steps
- Braise the meats. Blanch the shin, tripe and tongue separately, then braise in a Sichuan stock with star anise, cinnamon, tsaoko and dried chillies for about 95 minutes. Turn off the heat and soak for 30 minutes more. Cool, then refrigerate if not using at once.
- Reheat safely. The report's restaurant method reheats sealed braised meat in water above 95 °C for 5 minutes and rinses the surface with boiling water for 5 seconds. At home, simmer the meats gently until the centre reaches at least 75 °C / 167 °F (home adaptation of the same control point). Drain and pat dry.
- Slice thinly. Slice all three meats across the grain into 0.3 cm slices and arrange in a shallow bowl. Wash coriander and scallions thoroughly and dry them; the report specifies a food-grade disinfecting soak for raw garnishes in professional kitchens — at home, wash very well under running water and use only fresh, undamaged leaves (adaptation).
- Dress in two stages. Heat the chilli oil to 160 °C (just smoking) and pour evenly over the slices. Once the oil has cooled below 60 °C, add the Sichuan pepper powder, soy sauce, vinegar and sugar and toss gently.
- Garnish and serve. Scatter the sesame, crushed peanut, coriander and scallions over the top. Serve at once, while the meat is still at least 60 °C / 140 °F, with rice or as a cold-table centrepiece.
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Technique: braise, rest, slice, dress — in that order
The soak after braising is not idle time: the meats reabsorb seasoned liquid as they cool, which is why fuqi feipian tastes more seasoned than plain sliced braised beef. Slice only when the meat is cool and firm — warm meat tears and will not hold 0.3 cm. And never add vinegar to hot oil: it spits, and the acid note boils away, leaving only flat heat.
Variations
- Shin only: use only braised beef shin if tripe or tongue is hard to find; the dressing is the same, though the texture range narrows (adaptation).
- No peanuts: omit the peanut and add extra sesame for a nut-free version (adaptation).
Frequently asked questions
Does it contain lung?
No — despite the name, which translates as 'husband-and-wife lung slices', the modern dish uses beef shin, tripe and tongue, not lung.
Can I buy the braised meats ready-made?
Yes, and it is the sensible home shortcut: a Chinese deli's braised beef and offal, reheated thoroughly, then sliced and dressed as above.
Why is my dressing flat?
Usually stale pepper powder, or vinegar added while the oil was still hot. Grind the pepper fresh and wait for the oil to cool.
Storage and freezing
Best eaten the day it is dressed. Undressed braised meats keep 3 days refrigerated (the report's chilled shelf life) or freeze well for 1 month; once dressed, do not keep beyond 1 day and do not freeze the dressed dish.
Fuqi Feipian (Sliced Beef and Offal in Chilli Oil) — Recipe Card
Thin-sliced braised beef and offal in chilli oil with Sichuan pepper and peanut.
Prep: 15 minutes (plus braising)Cook: 1 hour 40 minutesTotal: About 2 hoursServings: 2–3
Ingredients: 80 g braised beef shin; 70 g braised tripe; 50 g braised tongue; 35 ml chilli oil; 3 g Sichuan pepper powder; 10 ml soy sauce; 5 ml vinegar; 2 g sugar; 5 g sesame; 10 g peanuts; 15 g coriander; 5 g scallions.
Steps: 1) Braise 95 minutes, soak 30 minutes. 2) Reheat to 75 °C centre. 3) Slice 0.3 cm. 4) Pour 160 °C chilli oil over, then season once cooled, garnish and serve.
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Source note: ingredients, quantities and steps are adapted from the original ClouChef R&D report for 夫妻肺片 (data/reports/9.md). The report's pricing, margin and marketing sections are deliberately omitted here; no B2B cost is presented as a home-cook cost. The braising-spice quantities, not given in the report, the ready-braised shortcut and the home garnish-washing adaptation are labelled as such. Original poster image: clouchef.com (夫妻肺片_9.jpeg).