Claypot Goat Meat with Beancurd Stick

Ingredients
1 lb goat meat - chopped
2 pcs beancurd stick - break into large pcs, soak till soft and drain
1 carrot - peeled and chopped into big chunks  
3 cloves unpeeled garlic
few slices of ginger
1 tbsp rice wine
2 stalks green onion
cornstarch solution
3 - 4 cups water
1 tbsp cooking oil

 Sauce
2 tbsp Che Ho sauce 柱侯酱
1 tbsp oyster sauce 蚝酱
1 tsp dark soy sauce
1 tbsp rice wine 

Herbs
8 gm chuan xiong 川芎
8 gm chen pi 陳皮
6 gm shou di huang 熟地黃 
10 gm dang gui 当归

6 gm gui pi 桂皮  
4 gm xiao hui xiang 小茴香
2 pcs chao guo 草果 - mashed
8 pcs red date 红枣
4 pcs black date 黑枣
1 tbsp gou ji 枸杞
3 tbsp jin zhen cai 金针菜  

Method

1. Parboil the goat meat in a pot of boiling water with rice wine and green onion for a few minutes. Drain and set aside.  
2.  Heat up oil in the pot.  Fry the ginger slices and garlic till lightly aromatic.  Add goat meat and sauce and do a quick stir fry over high heat for 1 - 2 minutes.  Remove and set aside.
3. Place all the herbs, except red dates, black dates and gou ji in a disposable cloth bag and tie it up.
4. Heat up 3 cups of water in a claypot.  Place the goat meat, cloth bag herbs, red dates, black dates and gou ji in the pot.  Add the goat meat and bring to a boil again.
5. Cover and simmer over low heat for 1 hour.  Add beancurd stick and carrot and continue to simmer for about 20 minutes or till meat and vegetables are tender. Add more water if it is too dry.
6. Stir in some cornstarch solution to slightly thicken it.