街市THE WET MARKET
Beef tendon
牛筋
The tendon from the leg, white and translucent, and too hard to bite raw. It needs an hour and a half to two hours of braising before it softens, and then it is silky and sticky, which is why cart noodles cannot do without it. Chinese grocers sell it frozen in packs, usually already cleaned. Judge it by a chopstick, not the clock: done is when it slides straight in.
Preparation
Thawed overnight in the fridge if frozen, blanched ten minutes from cold water, then braised until a chopstick slides in.
Availability in Australia
Easy to find
