This is one of my favourite beef stew of all time. The rich and fragrant tomato and curry gravy with tender beef brisket and soft tendon makes it the perfect dipping sauce for a crispy Vietnamese baguette, or as a soup eaten with vermicelli noodles. For a tasty change with the leftovers the next day, pull out a sheet of puff pastry from your freezer and treat yourself to the most tasty meat pie in the world.
Difficulty: Medium
Time: 20min prep, 2hrs cooking
Serves: 4
Ingredients
- 1 kg stewing beef*
- 1/2 cup flour
- 1 tbsp annatto seeds**
- 2 tbsp oil
- 2 stalks lemon grass bruised
- 5cm thick ginger sliced
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 3 star anise
- 1 bay leaf
- 2 tsp Chinese five spice
- 2 tsp madras curry powder
- 2 tbsp fish sauce
- 140g tomato paste
- 2 carrots cut into bite-size pieces
- 2 potatoes cut into bite-size pieces
- 1 cup shallots peeled or 1 brown onion cut into chunks
- salt
To serve
- Thai basil leaves
- lemon wedges
- cooked rice vermicelli or Vietnamese baguette
* I used 1/2kg beef brisket and 1/2kg beef tendon. You can use any cuts of beef good for stewing, or try making it with oxtail.
** These are small seeds that releases a lovely red colour and aroma when heated in oil. They can be found in the larger Asian groceries.
Method
1. Add the annatto seeds to the oil in a large stewing pot and cook over medium heat to release its colour and aroma for approx. 5min or until the oil had turned red.
2. Coat the beef brisket thoroughly with flour, dusting off excess and sear in hot oil until golden brown. Take it out of the pot and set aside.
3. Add ginger, onion, lemon grass, bay leaf, cinnamon stick and star anise to the pot, mix well and cook for 3min until the fragrance is released. Add the curry power and five spice and cook for another 2min. Add the carrots and potatoes, mix well and cook over medium heat for a further 5min***.
5. Return the beef brisket and the tendon to the pot. Add fish sauce, tomato paste, salt, and remaining flour to the pot, mix well and add enough hot water to cover the beef and the vegetables.
6. Reduce to low heat and gently simmer over 2hrs until the meat is nice and soft. This dish can be made the night prior as with any stews, the flavour develops overnight.
7. Serve the stew hot as a gravy with cooked vermicelli noodles, or with Vietnamese baguette. Garnish with Thai basil and lemon wedges.
*** I love my carrots and potatoes soft. If you like yours with a bit of bite however, add it after one hour of stewing the meat.
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