Tony Tan's family beef brisket

Instructions

1. Put the beef in a saucepan and cover with water. Bring to the boil, reduce to a simmer and cook for 5 minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon and rinse under cold water. Rinse the saucepan.
2. Wrap the cumin, fennel seeds, cinnamon, star anise and peppercorns in muslin and tie into a bag with kitchen string. Heat the oil in a large, heavy-based saucepan over medium-high heat and fry the ginger until it begins to turn golden. Now add the garlic and fry for another 1–2 minutes.
3. Add the brisket, soy sauce, sugar or beef cube and the bag of spices and cover with the stock. Bring to the boil, then reduce the heat to low and simmer gently, partially covered, until beef is fork tender (about 2 hours). Season with salt and pepper.
4. Remove the beef with a slotted spoon, then, when cool enough to handle, slice it and divide it among soup bowls. Add the pickled mustard greens, then ladle the hot broth over the top. Scatter with celery leaves and coriander. Serve with fresh chopped chilli, chilli sauce and rice or noodles.

• My sister and brother-in-law used to run a coffee shop, commonly known as a kopitiam, in Malaysia and Singapore. Their eatery in Malaysia was in a sawmill overlooking the Kuantan River. Locals would flock there for their beef brisket and curry laksa. I have inherited this delicious brisket recipe from them
• The original recipe includes tripe. If you wish to add tripe, cook it for 3 hours but remove the beef brisket after 2 hours.
• Pickled mustard greens are readily available in Asian grocers. Do seek them out – they’ll give the dish real oomph.
• This is traditionally eaten with noodles but it’s fabulous with rice, too, and since this is a soupy dish, sometimes I even eat it on its own, especially when the weather’s cold.