Skip to main content
Epicurious
Bon Appétit

Curried Beef Stew

By Andy Ricker

3.3

(6)

Image may contain Bowl Food Dish Meal Curry Soup Bowl Stew Plant and Burger
Curried Beef StewPeden + Munk

All Thai curries start with a handful of aromatic ingredients (chiles, galangal, lemongrass, turmeric, etc.) pounded into a paste with a granite mortar and pestle. The paste is then stirred into soups or stews (often with coconut milk) or used as the basis of sautéed dishes. Use a mini-processor to make the curry paste if you'd like, although this incendiary stew will take on a deeper flavor if you use a granite mortar and pestle.

Recipe information

  • Yield

    Makes 4 servings

Ingredients

Curry paste:

6 dried puya or 3 dried guajillo chiles, stemmed, seeded
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1 lemongrass stalk, bottom 4" only, tough outer layer removed, cut into 1" pieces
2 tablespoons sliced peeled fresh galangal
2 tablespoons sliced peeled fresh turmeric
1/2 cup chopped shallots
1/4 cup halved garlic cloves
1 tablespoon Thai shrimp paste

Stew:

2 pounds trimmed beef chuck, cut into 1 1/2"-2" cubes
3 tablespoons soy sauce, preferably Thai thin soy sauce (such as Healthy Boy)
2 tablespoons ground dried Thai chiles
9 cups beef broth, preferably low-salt
1 cup halved shallots
3 medium carrots, peeled, halved lengthwise, cut crosswise into 1/4 inch thick half-moons (about 1 cup)
6 fresh or frozen makrut lime leaves
Chopped fresh cilantro
Thinly sliced Thai basil

Preparation

  1. For curry paste:

    Step 1

    In a mortar, pound chiles and salt with a pestle until pulverized, about 5 minutes. Add ingredients one by one in order listed, fully pulverizing each before adding the next, about 15 minutes total. DO AHEAD: Can be made 1 week ahead; cover and chill.

  2. For stew:

    Step 2

    Combine curry paste, beef, soy sauce, and ground dried chiles in a pot; stir to evenly coat beef. Cook, stirring occasionally, over medium heat for 5 minutes. Add broth and bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer, stirring occasionally, until beef is tender but not falling apart, 2-2 1/2 hours.

    Step 3

    Stir in shallots, carrots, and lime leaves. Simmer until vegetables are just tender, about 10 minutes. If broth is too salty, add water a few tablespoonfuls at a time.

    Step 4

    Garnish with cilantro and basil.

TagsStewSoup/StewThaiSoutheast AsianAsianBeef ChuckBeefMeatLemongrassHerbs & SpicesGuajillo ChileChileVegetableGalangalMainDinnerNut FreeDairy FreeMake AheadSimmerFood ProcessorBon Appétit

See Related Recipes and Cooking Tips

Read More
The Most-Saved Recipes in the Epicurious App This Week
Like “absolutely decadent” chocolate pudding and fattoush salad.
The Only Frittata Recipe You’ll Ever Need
Keep this easy frittata recipe on hand for quick breakfasts, impressive brunches, and fridge clean-out meals.
Apple-Walnut Charoset
A warmly spiced Ashkenazi charoset, perfect for your Passover seder—or spooned over yogurt the next morning.
Caramelized Onion Pasta
Turn humble onions into this thrifty yet luxe pasta dinner.
One-Pot Chicken Thighs With Cilantro Rice and Beans
This one-pot dinner cooks chicken thighs directly on top of a bed of flavorful cilantro rice studded with black beans for a complete dinner.
The Most-Saved Recipes in the Epicurious App in March
Like lemony risotto and tandoori-style cauliflower.
13 Types of Nuts and How to Cook With Them
Filberts, goobers, scaly bark nuts: Explore the world beyond almonds in this guide.
How to Thaw Fish Fast
The most efficient method takes less than an hour, but you might not even need it.