Malaysian Beef Curry

If you don't have a slow cooker, use a covered Dutch oven; cook the curry in a 325ºF oven until the beef is tender, about 2 hours, adding 1/2 cup water if the stew is dry. The spice paste can be made up to a week ahead of cooking.

Ingredients

For 4 Person(s)

Ingredients For Spice Paste

8 Large Dried New Mexico Chiles
4 Stalks Fresh Lemongrass
1/2 Cup Chopped Shallots
6 Garlic Cloves, Peeled
2 Teaspoons Ground Coriander
1 1/2 Teaspoons Ground Cumin
1/2 Teaspoon Ground Ginger
3 Tablespoons Fish Sauce

Ingredients For Stew

3 Pounds Boneless Beef Chuck Roast, Trimmed, Cut into 1 1/2-inch Cubes
1 14-Ounce Can Coconut Milk
8 Kaffir Lime Leaves
2 Whole Star Anise
1 Cinnamon Stick
1 Tablespoon Tamarind Concentrate
Chopped Fresh Cilantro

Buy ingredients for this Recipe

Method for Malaysian Beef Curry

Method - Spice Paste

Cover chiles with very hot water and soak until soft, about 45 minutes. Drain. Stem, seed, and chop chiles. Cut off bottom 4 inches from lemongrass stalks; chop and transfer to processor (reserve tops of stalks for stew). Add shallots, garlic, coriander, cumin, ginger, and 1 teaspoon ground black pepper; process until finely ground. Add 1/2 cup water, chiles, fish sauce, and sugar; process to paste. DO AHEAD Can be made 1 week ahead. Transfer to bowl. Cover; chill.

Method - Stew

Smash reserved tops of lemongrass from spice paste with mallet or rolling pin. Bend in half; bundle with kitchen twine. Mix beef and spice paste in slow cooker. Stir in lemongrass bundles, coconut milk, lime leaves, star anise, cinnamon, and tamarind. Press meat down to completely submerge. Cook stew on low heat until meat is very tender, 41/2 to 5 hours. Tilt pot and spoon off excess fat from surface of stew. Remove lemongrass bundles, lime leaves, star anise, and cinnamon stick. Transfer stew to bowl. Sprinkle cilantro over and serve with steamed rice.