Vietnamese Beef Stew

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Ingredients

Beef and Marinade

  • 900 g 2lb braising steak (chuck steak) cut into cubes
  • 1 tsp Chinese five spice powder
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1 tsp ground pepper
  • 2 lemongrass stalks outer leaves removed, finely chopped
  • 3 large garlic cloves minced
  • 3 tbsp soy sauce
  • 1 tsp fish sauce optional
  • 1 tbsp brown sugar or palm sugar

For the Stew

  • 2 tbsp vegetable oil to sear beef
  • 4 banana shallots peeled and roughly chopped
  • 2 green chillies de seeded and finely chopped
  • 4 large tomatoes chopped
  • 2 tbsp tomato paste
  • 4 carrots peeled and chopped
  • 1 cinnamon stick
  • 2 star anise
  • 2 kaffir lime leaves fresh or dried
  • 625 ml | 2 ½ cups hot beef stock
  • 450 g | 1lb butternut squash peeled and cubed
  • 1 tbsp cornflour /cornstarch diluted in 1 tbsp cold water, to thicken
  • Thai basil chopped to garnish
  • salt and pepper to season if needed

Instructions

  • Combine the beef, lemongrass, garlic, soy sauce, fish sauce, Chinese Spice, sugar, salt and pepper in a bowl and mix well. Leave to marinate for an hour.
  • Preheat the oven to 160C (325F) and have all your vegetables prepared.
  • Put the oil in the casserole and heat over medium high heat. Sear the beef, in batches if necessary, until nicely browned.
  • Add a splash of hot stock to deglaze the pan, scraping any browned bits with a wooden spoon.
  • Add the shallots and chillies and stir for a couple of minutes.
  • Add the tomato paste, tomatoes, carrots, cinnamon stick, star anise, kaffir lime leaves and stock and bring slowly to a rolling simmer.
  • Cover the casserole and transfer to the oven. Cook for an hour.
  • Take the casserole dish out of the oven – careful it will be very hot! – and stir in the butternut squash.
  • Return to the oven and cook for a further 45 minutes to 1 hour until meat is very tender.
  • Stir the cornflour slurry into the stew and simmer for a couple of minutes on the hob to thicken the gravy.
  • Remove and discard the cinnamon stick, star anise and kaffir lime leaves.
  • Add some chopped basil leaves, check the seasoning and serve with crusty bread, or over rice..

Slow Cooker instructions

  • Marinate and brown the beef as instructed above then transfer to your slow cooker.
  • Add all the remaining ingredients and stir to combine. Cook on LOW for 7-8 hours or on HIGH for 4-5 hours.
  • Add the cornflour slurry and cook on HIGH, uncovered, until the gravy thickens.
  • Remove and discard the cinnamon stick, star anise and kaffir lime leaves.
  • Add some chopped basil leaves, check the seasoning and serve with crusty bread, or over rice.

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