Hong Shao Rou
Slow-braised pork belly with rock sugar, in an Instant Pot or on the stove, with a glossy, savoury-sweet sauce.
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Spicy Hunan Lamb Stew with White Radish
Warming winter stew: lamb chunks and white radish in a spicy, savoury broth. Adapted for a home kitchen from the original ClouChef R&D report — 湘式羊肉炖萝卜, report 134.
Original poster image from clouchef.com (poster: 湘式羊肉炖萝卜_134.jpeg). This is the hero poster only, not a step-by-step photo set.
Prep: 15 minutesCook: 1 hour 40 minutesTotal: 1 hour 55 minutesServings: 2–3Difficulty: MediumRegion: HunanFlavour: Spicy, warming
Why this works
This stew is built around a single balance: 90 minutes of gentle heat makes lamb tender without shredding it, while the radish turns translucent and drinks up the broth instead of dissolving. The cooking starts hot and fast for a reason — chillies, pepper, ginger and garlic get just 30 seconds in 180 °C oil, long enough to bloom and short enough to avoid the bitterness that scorched chilli brings — and then the lamb is seared for 3 minutes to render some fat before any liquid appears. After that, everything slows down: boiling water, a lid, and a low simmer for 1.5 hours. Salt goes in only at the end, because salting early would firm the meat and draw moisture out during the long cook. The final high-heat reduction concentrates the broth into something that coats, rather than a thin soup the lamb swims in. Serve it straight from the pot, family-style, with steamed rice to catch the reduced, chilli-warmed broth.
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Ingredients
| Ingredient | US | Metric | Substitute / note |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lamb leg or lamb belly, boneless, cut into 3 cm chunks | 8.8 oz | 250 g | Boneless weight, per the report. |
| White radish (daikon), peeled, cut into chunks | 7 oz | 200 g | About a quarter of a large radish. |
| Dried chillies, cut into segments | 0.35 oz | 10 g | Deseed them for a milder stew, per the report. |
| Sichuan or red peppercorns | 1 tsp | 5 g | The report specifies red peppercorns for aroma. |
| Ginger, sliced | 1 tbsp | 15 g | — |
| Garlic, smashed | 2 tsp | 10 g | — |
| Cooking wine | 1 tbsp + 1 tsp | 20 ml | Shaoxing wine; 10 ml for blanching, the rest for the braise. |
| Light soy sauce | 2 tsp | 10 ml | — |
| Salt | 1 tsp | 5 g | Added last, per the report. |
| Neutral cooking oil | 2 tbsp | 30 ml | — |
| Boiling water | about 2 1/2 cups | 600 ml | Enough to cover the ingredients by 1 cm. |
| Scallion or coriander, to garnish | 1 tbsp | 10 g | Optional garnish. |
Equipment
- Heavy lidded pot or Dutch oven
- Colander
- Slotted spoon
Steps
- Blanch the lamb. Cut the lamb into 3 cm chunks. Cover with cold water, add ginger slices and 10 ml cooking wine, and bring to a boil. Skim the scum, drain, and set aside.
- Bloom the spices — 30 seconds. Heat the oil to about 180 °C (roughly 60% heat). Add the dried chillies, peppercorns, ginger and garlic and fry for 30 seconds only, until fragrant — any longer and the chillies scorch.
- Sear the lamb. Add the blanched lamb and fry on medium heat for about 3 minutes, until the surface is lightly browned and some fat has rendered.
- Braise low for 1.5 hours. Add the radish chunks, the remaining cooking wine and the light soy, and toss. Pour in boiling water to cover by 1 cm, bring to a boil, then cover and simmer on low heat for 1.5 hours.
- Reduce and season last. Uncover, turn to high heat, and reduce for 3–5 minutes until the broth is thick. Add the salt last, stir, and serve garnished with scallion or coriander.
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Technique: 1.5 hours low, salt last
The report names 1.5 hours as the balance point: shorter and the lamb is still tough, longer and the radish falls apart. Keep the simmer genuinely low — a rolling boil toughens lamb and shreds radish. And salt goes in only after reducing, because salted meat firms up during a long cook and the reduced broth would overshoot on saltiness. A pressure cooker can cut the braise to about 20 minutes (from the report), with a slightly less developed flavour. Lamb must reach at least 75 °C at the centre and hold it for 5 minutes (from the report).
Variations
- Milder.: Deseed the chillies and halve their quantity; the warming spice remains but the heat drops sharply (adaptation).
- Pressure cooker.: About 20 minutes under pressure (from the report), then reduce on high heat as usual. The flavour will be slightly less rounded.
- Radish substitute.: Turnip can stand in for white radish at home (adaptation); it cooks a little faster, so check it from 1 hour.
Frequently asked questions
Why is my lamb still tough?
The simmer was probably too fierce, or the braise was cut short. Low heat and the full 1.5 hours matter more than any other factor.
Why did my radish disintegrate?
It was probably boiled hard instead of simmered low, or cooked well past 1.5 hours. Gentle heat keeps it translucent and intact.
Can I make this ahead?
Yes — like most braises it improves overnight. Refrigerate, skim any set fat if you like, and reheat until boiling throughout.
Storage
Leftovers keep 2 days refrigerated and improve overnight. Freeze in portions for up to 1 month; thaw in the fridge and reheat until boiling throughout. Do not reheat more than once.
Spicy Hunan Lamb Stew with White Radish — Recipe Card
Spicy Hunan lamb and white radish, slow-braised until tender in a reduced broth.
Prep: 15 minutesCook: 1 hour 40 minutesTotal: 1 hour 55 minutesServings: 2–3
Ingredients: 250 g lamb; 200 g white radish; 10 g dried chillies; 5 g peppercorns; 15 g ginger; 10 g garlic; 20 ml cooking wine; 10 ml light soy; 5 g salt; 30 ml oil; about 600 ml boiling water.
Steps: 1) Blanch lamb with ginger and wine, drain. 2) Bloom spices in 180 °C oil for 30 seconds. 3) Sear lamb 3 minutes. 4) Add radish, wine and soy, cover with boiling water, simmer low 1.5 hours. 5) Reduce 3–5 minutes, salt last, serve.
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Source note: ingredients, quantities and steps are adapted from the original ClouChef R&D report for 湘式羊肉炖萝卜 (data/reports/134.md). The report's pricing, margin and marketing sections are deliberately omitted here; no B2B cost is presented as a home-cook cost. Original poster image: clouchef.com (湘式羊肉炖萝卜_134.jpeg). Serving size for home use (2–3) and the milder and turnip options are adaptations and are labelled as such.