Meat Recipes - Beef Stew with Star Anise Recipe

Ingredients

• 500g/1 1/4lb lean beef, cut into bite size cubes

• 15ml/1 tbsp ground turmeric

• 30ml/2 tbsp sesame or vegetable oil

• 3 shallots, chopped

• 3 garlic cloves, chopped

• 2 fresh red chilies, seeded and chopped

• 2 lemon grass stalks, cut into several pieces and bruised

• 15ml/1 tbsp curry powder

• 4 star anise, roasted and ground to a powder

• 700ml/scant 1 1/4 pints hot beef or chicken stock, or boiling water

• 45ml/3 tbsp fish sauce

• 30ml/2 tbsp soy sauce

• 15ml/1 tbsp raw cane sugar

• 1 bunch fresh basil, stalks removed

• salt and ground black pepper

• 1 onion, halved and finely slice, and chopped

• fresh coriander (cilantro) leaves, to garnish

• steamed fragrant rice, or chunks of baguette, to serve

Serves 4-6

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Method:

1. Toss the beef in the ground turmeric and set aside. Heat a wok or heavy pan and add the oil. Stir in the shallots, garlic  chilies and lemon grass, and cook until they become fragrant.

2. Add the curry powder, all but 10ml/2 tsp of the roasted  star anise, and the beef Brown the beef, then pour in the stock or water, fish sauce, soy sauce and sugar.

3. Stir and bring to the boil. Reduce the heat and cook gently for about 40 minutes, or until the meat is tender and the liquid has reduced.

4. Season to taste with salt and pepper, stir in the reserved roasted star anise, and add the basil.

5. Transfer the stew to a serving dish and garnish with the sliced onion and coriander Serve with steamed rice, or chunks of baguette.

Note: This stew is prized as a breakfast dish, and on chilly mornings people often queue up for a bowl of it on their way to work. Traditionally, it has an orange hue from the oil in which annatto seeds have been fried, but here the color comes from turmeric.