Simply sensational: Mark Hix uses cheaper cuts of meat to create some heart-warming Asian stews, and save on washing up, too.

(Jason Lowe)

If I've been out for a night on the town I usually end up in a restaurant in London's Chinatown with a craving for a beef flank hot-pot or a comforting stew made from the cheaper cuts of meat which yield a real depth of flavour when slowly cooked. But these Asian classics are easy to make at home, too; so why not treat your mates to a great dinner party without breaking the bank?

Yu Mei's belly pork stew

Serves 4

This warming stew was a favourite recipe of Yu Mei Lim, who was the Chinese grandmother of my editor Madeleine Lim.

1-1.2kg pork belly

1tbsp sunflower or groundnut oil

10 cloves of garlic, peeled and chopped

120g root ginger, scraped and finely chopped

120ml rice wine or medium sherry

1tbsp sugar

100ml light soy sauce

4 potatoes, peeled, uncooked

4 hard boiled eggs, peeled

Pre-heat the oven to 160C/gas mark 3. Cut the pork belly into 4 even-sized pieces and score the rind a few times with a sharp knife and season. Heat the oil in a frying pan and colour the pieces of pork belly on all sides, then transfer to an oven-proof dish or a casserole with a tight-fitting lid. Fry the garlic and ginger in the same frying pan on a low heat for 2-3 minutes then add the rice wine, sugar, soy and enough water to just cover the pork, bring to the boil and pour over the pork. Cover and cook for about 2 hours, until the pork is soft and tender but not falling apart. Add the potatoes and eggs, cover and cook for another 30-40 minutes. Serve with rice.

Pheasant curry

Serves 4

I was inWaitrose recently and came across boned pheasant thighs – perfect for a gamey curry, as the breasts would be too dry and the drumsticks pretty inedible due to their needle-like bones.

20 or so pheasant thighs

4 onions, peeled and sliced

2 medium green chillies, deseeded and sliced

1tbsp ghee

tbsp tomato purée

1 litre chicken stock; a good cube will do

1tbsp chopped coriander leaves

For the marinade

6 cloves of garlic, peeled and crushed

50g root ginger, scraped and finely grated

A good pinch of saffron

200g thick yoghurt

4 cloves

For the spice mix

1tsp black peppercorns

The seeds from 12 cardamom pods

A small piece of cinnamon or cassia stick

1tsp cumin seeds

1tsp fennel seeds

1tsp ground turmeric

To garnish

2tsp melon seeds

1tbsp peeled pistachio nuts

2 shallots, peeled and thinly sliced

Mix all of the ingredients together for the marinade then mix with the pheasant thighs, cover and marinade for an hour.

Meanwhile put all of the ingredients for the spice mix in a cast-iron frying pan and heat them over a medium heat for about 3-4 minutes, turning them regularly with a spoon until they are lightly browned. Transfer to a mortar and pestle and coarsely grind the spices.

Melt the ghee in a thick-bottomed pan and gently cook the onions and chillies on a low heat with a lid on for 5-6 minutes, stirring every so often until soft. Add the spices, tomato purée and chicken stock, bring to the boil and simmer for 10 minutes. Add the pheasant and the marinade, cover and simmer gently for about 45 minutes, topping up with a little water if necessary. Take a ladle of the sauce and blend in a liquidiser until smooth and return to the pan. The pheasant should be tender now and the sauce quite thick; if not continue simmering. Stir in the coriander and transfer to a serving dish.

To serve, mix the melon seeds, pistachios and shallots together and scatter on top. Serve with basmati rice.

Mushroom hot-pot with tofu

Serves 4

This is perfect for veggies or as a side dish.

There are many types of cultivated Asian mushrooms on the market these days, both dried and fresh. I always like to keep a little dried selection in my larder such as black and cauliflower fungus and shiitake. Most Asian supermarkets also sell fresh shiitake and inoki, shimeji, etc. You can even add a few seasonal wild ones.

1 onion, peeled, halved and finely chopped

4 cloves of garlic, peeled and crushed

100g root ginger, peeled and finely chopped

1tbsp sesame oil

150-200g fresh shiitake/black fungus or 100g dried (soaked overnight); cut them in half if using large black fungus

4tbsp light soy sauce

1 litre vegetable stock

2-3tsp cornflour

250-300g other Asian mushrooms such as shimeghi, inoki, cauliflower fungus, etc

150-200g tofu, cut into rough 1cm cubes

A few sprigs of coriander

Gently cook the onion, garlic and ginger in the sesame oil for 2-3 minutes until soft. Add the shiitake, black fungus, soy and vegetable stock, bring to the boil and simmer gently for 30-40 minutes until the shiitake are tender. Dilute the cornflour in a little water and stir into the stock. Add the other mushrooms and simmer for 10-15 minutes, topping up with water if necessary. Ladle into warmed bowls and arrange the tofu and coriander on top.

Hui beef stew with chickpeas

Serves 4

Hui is the name given in China to the people of Han Chinese ethnicity who are Muslim. Hui cuisine has strong central-Asian flavours, hence the Sichuan pepper I've used here – add more if you wish. You can make this with lamb or beef, but pick the cuts that take the longest time to cook: ox cheeks, shin, flank, etc.

200g cooked chick peas

3tbsp peanut or vegetable oil

1-1.5kg oxtail, cut into pieces, excess fat removed

5 medium onions, roughly chopped

2 star anise

1tsp Sichuan peppercorns, ground coarsely

2 medium red chillies

2 litres beef stock

4 spring onions, sliced on the angle

2tbsp chopped coriander

Pre-heat the oven to 220C/gas mark 7. Season the oxtail and roast in the oven for about 20-25 minutes until nicely coloured. Meanwhile, heat the vegetable oil in a heavy-based saucepan and gently cook the onions for 5-6 minutes until soft. Add the star anise, Sichuan peppercorns, chilli and stock and season lightly. Add the oxtail and bring to the boil. Cover with a lid and simmer gently for 1-2 hours, skimming regularly and topping up with water if necessary. It's not essential to put an exact time on slow-cooked dishes but check the meat after 1 hours, then add the chick peas and continue simmering until the meat is tender, but not falling off the bone. To serve, add the spring onions and coriander, simmer for a couple of minutes and serve. Serve with rice, noodles or Chinese greens.