Ngau Za

A cornerstone of Hong Kong's street food heritage since at least the 1950s, ngau za — literally 'mixed beef' — is a bubbling clay pot or bamboo steamer of tendons, tripe, honeycomb stomach, lung, and radish all day-braised in a master stock of soy, star anise, tangerine peel, and fermented tofu. Sold from pushcarts and chopstick-counter stalls, it is the original Hong Kong comfort food.

Serves: 4–6

Ingredients

Offal

• 400g (14 oz) beef tendon, cleaned and cut into 5cm (2 in) pieces
• 300g (11 oz) beef honeycomb tripe, cleaned and cut into 5cm squares
• 200g (7 oz) beef lung, cleaned and sliced (optional — substitute more tripe)
• 400g (14 oz) daikon radish, peeled and cut into 3cm (1¼ in) rounds

Master Braising Stock

• 1.5 litres (6 cups) water or light beef stock
• 80ml (⅓ cup) soy sauce
• 80ml (⅓ cup) dark soy sauce
• 60ml (¼ cup) Shaoxing rice wine
• 2 tbsp (30g) fermented red tofu (nam yue), mashed
• 3 tbsp (45g) rock sugar
• 3 whole star anise
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 4 slices galangal or ginger
• 2 dried tangerine peel pieces (chen pi), soaked
• 1 tsp five-spice powder
• 4 cloves garlic, smashed

Serving

• Hoisin sauce and chilli oil for dipping
• Fresh coriander leaves

Instructions

1. Blanch each type of offal separately in boiling water for 5 minutes to remove impurities. Drain and rinse under cold water.
2. Combine all braising stock ingredients in a large pot. Bring to a boil, stirring to dissolve rock sugar. Taste — it should be savoury, slightly sweet, and deeply fragrant.
3. Add tendon first, as it requires the most cooking time. Simmer over low heat, partially covered, for 1 hour.
4. Add tripe and lung (if using). Continue simmering 45 minutes more.
5. Add daikon rounds. Cook a further 30–40 minutes until daikon is tender and translucent and all the offal is yielding — tendon should be gelatinous, tripe tender but with a slight chew.
6. Serve in deep bowls with plenty of braising liquid. Accompany with hoisin sauce, chilli oil, and fresh coriander. The stock improves with repeated use — strain and freeze as a master stock.

Cook's Notes: Authentic vendors braise overnight and reheat to order. At home, a low oven (140°C/285°F) covered casserole gives equally tender results. Chen pi (aged dried tangerine peel) is essential for its floral bitterness — find it at Chinese grocers.