Dina's Coming Home - Ana's Beef Minchi
In the second episode of my new series ‘Dina’s Coming Home’, I headed to South East London to visit Ana Da Costa to learn all about her Macanese heritage and the fascinating nuances around it being perceived as a country when in actual fact it is a region within China as well as life in Macao and how she now fits into London. The series seeks to unpack how food helps us form our identities and bring us close to our cultures despite living away from them.
In this episode I learnt how to make Beef Ninchi, a Macanese dish made up of Mince Meat, Fried Potatoes, Rice and Egg! It was the Macanese dish Ana first learnt how to make and is such a perfect one to be introduced to the cuisine, super comforting and moorish!
Ingredients:
500gr minced beef
2tbsp light soy sauce
1tbsp dark soy sauce
1/2 tbsp sweet soy sauce (kecap manis)
1/2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
1 tsp ground cumin
1tsp MSG
1 bay leaf
1 tsp sugar
Pinch of salt and black pepper
1 onion, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 tbsp cornstarch + 2tbsp cold water
2 large potatoes, cubed
2 tbsp oil
Instructions:
1. In a bowl, add the beef, all four sauces, ground cumin MSG, bay leaf, sugar, salt and black pepper. Mix well and let it marinate for at least one hour.
2. Whilst the meat marinates, prepare your potatoes and cut them into around 1cm cubes. Rinse the potatoes in cold water, drain and pat dry.
3. Coat the potatoes in 1/2 tbsp of oil and sprinkle with a bit of salt. Bake in preheated oven at 190C for 25 minutes, turning and shaking the cubes halfway. Once they are cooked, set them aside.
4. In a pan, add 1 tbsp of oil and sauté the onions and garlic until fragrant.
5. Add the meat to the pan and cook until browned, breaking it up into small pieces as it cooks.
6. Turn the heat to low, and add the cornstarch slurry. Combine well and let it simmer for around 10 minutes.
7. Remove the bay leaf, and mix in the cooked potatoes.
8. Make white rice and a fried egg to serve with your minchi!