Pat the 600g beef cubes dry and season evenly with salt, black pepper, and 2 teaspoons five-spice powder.
Add the seasoned beef, 3 diced onions, 1 teaspoon ginger, 1 teaspoon pul beaver, 3 cloves finely chopped garlic, 3 tablespoons dark soy sauce, and 400ml meat or vegetable broth to a slow cooker. Stir to combine.
Cook on high for 4 hours until the meat is very tender.
Mix 4 teaspoons cornstarch with a small amount of water to form a soft paste. Stir in 2 tablespoons liquid honey.
Stir the cornstarch mixture into the slow cooker and cook for 15 minutes until the sauce is glossy and lightly thickened.
OPTIONAL FOR DEEPER FLAVOR: After step 1, instead of going directly to step 2, heat 2 tablespoons oil in a large frying pan over high heat. Fry the seasoned beef cubes for 8 minutes until almost cooked. Add the onions and fry for 8 minutes until golden brown. Add the ginger and pul beaver and fry for 2 minutes until fragrant. Add the garlic and fry for 1-2 minutes, stirring to prevent burning. Transfer all to the slow cooker, then add the soy sauce and broth before proceeding to step 3.
STOVETOP METHOD: For cooking on the stovetop instead of a slow cooker, use the optional searing method in step 6, then simmer in a covered heavy pot for 2 to 3 hours until the meat is very tender, using slightly more broth to compensate for evaporation.
TIME VARIATION: If using 2cm cube goulash meat instead of roast beef, reduce the cooking time from 4 hours to 3 hours.