Fu Qi Fei Pian (夫妻肺片 — Husband and Wife Beef Slices)

Fu Qi Fei Pian translates as 'husband and wife offal slices,' a name that traces back to a Chengdu street vendor couple in the 1930s who sold sliced beef offal dressed in chilli oil from a basket. Despite the name, modern versions typically contain no lung (fei) — the character is a homophone that has been reinterpreted over time. What remains is a masterclass in Sichuan cold-dish technique: thinly sliced beef shank, tripe, and tendon are arranged on a plate and drenched in a complex sauce of red chilli oil, toasted Sichuan peppercorns, sesame paste, and dark soy sauce. The numbing heat (mala) is intense and addictive. It is served at room temperature, making it perfect as an opening dish or late-night snack.

Serves: 4

Ingredients

Braised meats:

• 400 g (14 oz) beef shank
• 200 g (7 oz) honeycomb beef tripe, cleaned
• 200 g (7 oz) beef tendon
• 1 litre (4 cups) water
• 3 tbsp Shaoxing rice wine
• 1 tsp Sichuan peppercorns
• 3 star anise
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 3 tbsp soy sauce
• 1 tsp dark soy sauce
• 1 thumb ginger, sliced

Sauce:

• 3 tbsp chilli oil (with sediment)
• 1 tbsp toasted Sichuan peppercorn oil or ½ tsp ground Sichuan pepper
• 2 tbsp light soy sauce
• 1 tbsp dark soy sauce
• 1 tbsp black rice vinegar
• 1 tsp sesame paste or tahini
• 2 tsp sugar
• 2 garlic cloves, minced

Garnish: toasted sesame seeds, crushed roasted peanuts, sliced spring onions, fresh coriander

Instructions

1. Blanch tripe in boiling water for 5 minutes; drain and scrub. Combine beef shank, tripe, and tendon in a pot with all braising ingredients. Bring to a boil, skim, then simmer on low heat: shank for 1.5 hours, tripe for 2 hours, tendon for 3 hours (add each to the pot at the appropriate time so all finish together, or braise separately).
2. Cool in the braising liquid. Refrigerate until cold — at least 2 hours — which firms the meats for clean slicing.
3. Slice beef shank across the grain into 2 mm (⅛-inch) slices. Slice tripe into thin strips. Cut tendon into 5 mm bite-sized pieces.
4. Whisk together all sauce ingredients until smooth.
5. Arrange meats on a plate. Pour the sauce over evenly. Top with toasted sesame, crushed peanuts, spring onions, and coriander.
6. Serve at room temperature, encouraging diners to toss before eating.

Cook's Notes: Patience during slicing is key — colder meats slice more cleanly. Good chilli oil with its settled sediment of chilli flakes and spices is the soul of the dish. Lao Gan Ma or homemade chilli oil both work well.