What's that OFFAL smell?

I'll tell you what it is - beef tendon! If you've never heard the term "offal", then today is the day to learn it. According to merriam-webster.com, offal is the term that describes the internal organs, including the intestines, of an animal that is used for food. So things like the liver, heart, kidney, omasum and etc... are offal. Other parts of the animal, such as tongue, feet, tendon, ears, tail are also termed "offal". Now that we've defined what "offal" is, it's time to talk about that "offal" smelling beef tendon :).

Typically, whenever my mom asked me what kind of 'wonton' noodles I wanted, I always asked for part beef tendon and part seafood dumplings! I would gobble up all the beef tendon first, then pick at everything else! As I got older and started experimenting with recipes, I decided that I wanted to try making beef tendon. As I tried making it a few times, I learned some things about cooking beef tendon.
1) If you don't cook it long enough, it's really tough and you probably won't be able to eat it.
2) If cooked for too long of a period, they literally melt away and all you're left with is a pot of goo. You'll have maybe a few small pieces of the really tough tendon left in that goo if you're lucky!
3) If cooked properly, it is so tender it practically melts in you mouth.
And last but not least, I LOVE eating beef tendon. I will even try to eat the really tough ones that just needed a tad more time in the pot - I'm obsessed!
Now if you're curious, adventurous, have either a pressure cooker, a crockpot or just a whole lot of time, then you should try making beef tendon because they're just so yummy!
Hopefully you enjoy my picture guide recipe for beef tendon and brisket stew with daikon.

Spicy beef tendon and brisket stew with daikon recipe via pictures!

~ 2 lbs of beef tendon cut into 2 inch pieces

1.5 to 2 lbs of beef brisket cut into 2inch cubes

Blanch the beef tendon, rinse and set aside.  Repeat steps with the beef brisket.

Blanched tendon and brisket

~6-7 large garlic cloves crushed, sliced scallion, a knob of ginger, crushed

1 large and 1 small daikon, chopped into chunks

Rock sugar (amount depends on personal preference), 2-3 in piece of dried orange peel, 3 dried chili peppers, 8 or 9 star anise, cassia bark (I used 2 pieces that were about 2-3 inches long), a dash of salt, cooking wine (2-3 tbs), bean paste (1-2 tbs), light and dark soy sauce (2 -3 tbs each), 1/2 cup to 1 cup of chicken stock or whatever stock you have on hand or just water. If using just water, you might want to up the amounts of bean paste, soy sauce and salt.

Fry the ginger, garlic and scallions in the pot you're using until fragrant and slightly brown. Add the beef tendon and let brown, then add the beef brisket. Let beef brisket brown a bit. Then add the stock/water, salt, soy sauce, star anise, cassia bark, rock sugar, bean paste, and cooking wine. Add the daikon last. If using a pressure cooker, cook for approximately 40 to 50 minutes. If using a slow cooker, put it on high and cook for about 3 to 4 hours. If using a regular pot, then simmer for 2 to 3 hours. Check the beef  tendon and brisket towards the end of cooking time to see if they're tender.  

Enjoy!