Ingredients
- Spice Paste:
- 5 shallots, halved
- 5 stalks lemongrass, bottom thirds only, peeled
- 5 cloves garlic
- 1 (1 inch) piece fresh ginger root
- 1 (1 inch) piece galangal
- 5 dried red chile peppers, or more to taste
- 3 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 2 tablespoons curry powder (Optional)
- 2 pounds beef stew meat, cut into 1-inch pieces
- 1 cup coconut milk
- 1 tablespoon vinegar
- 2 teaspoons brown sugar
- salt to taste
Why You'll Love Making This
Cooking Techniques
- Cook the stew slowly over low heat to make the beef tender and let the sauce reduce properly.
- Stir occasionally to prevent the sauce from sticking to the bottom of the pot.
Directions
Tos the shallots, lemongrass, garlic, ginger, galangal, and chile peppers into a food processor and pulse them until you get a rough paste. Heat some vegetable oil in a large pot over medium heat, then add the spice paste. Cook it, stirring often, until it starts to sizzle and smells amazing—this usually takes about 3 to 5 minutes. Sprinkle in the curry powder and give it another minute to toast and release its aroma. Next, add the beef and stir well to coat all the pieces in those spices; let it cook for about 3 minutes. Pour in the coconut milk, cover the pot, and let everything simmer gently until the beef is tender, which should take around 30 minutes. Once the meat is soft, stir in the vinegar, sugar, and salt. Keep the pot covered and let the stew cook down until the sauce thickens up nicely, about another 30 minutes.
