Heat 15ml oil in a wok over a medium high
heat. Put in the onions, garlic and whole spring onions and stir fry for
2 minutes.
Add the lemon grass and continue to stir
until the onions become lightly brown, remove the spring onions and set
aside.
Heat the remaining oil over a high heat.
Stir fry as many pieces of beef as are convenient until they are brown,
turning them over from time to time. Continue until all the beef has
been cooked.
Add the water. Add the lemon grass
mixture, yellow bean sauce, chili powder, star anise, cinnamon,
peppercorns and sugar and bring to the boil. Cover and lower the heat to
simmer gently for 1 1/2 hours.
Add the reserved spring onions, cover
again and allow to simmer for a further 15 minutes or until the sauce
has thickened a little and the meat is tender.
