With fall harvest in full swing here in the Midwest, it’s a time of cooler temperatures and a change of seasons. Fall ushers in a new rotation in some kitchens throughout the country. One of our favorite times of year is when the stock pots and dutch ovens come out of hiding to envelope the kitchen in savory smells and flavors of stews and soups. If you’re looking for a good variety of ethnic dishes from around the world, our friend Russ Crandall, is an excellent resource. Russ delivers a knock out with this Asian inspired Curried Beef Stew. Make sure you start with grass-fed, grass-finished stew beef to make the most of this nutritious, hearty stew.
The great thing about soups and stews is that if there are leftovers, it’s almost always better the next day once the flavors have intermingled. Enjoy!
Recipe Author: Russ Crandall, The Domestic Man
USWM Shopping List: 100% Grass-fed Stew Beef or Chuck Roast, Beef Broth, Ghee
Photo Credit: Russ Crandall/The Domestic Man
Ingredients
Curry Paste:
1 red bell pepper, stem and seeds removed, coarsely chopped
4 cloves garlic
4 shallots, coarsely chopped
1″ ginger, sliced (or 1/2 tsp ground ginger)
2 tbsp mild curry powder
1 tbsp fish sauce
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
10 macadamia nuts (cashews okay)
1/2 cup beef broth
spicy peppers (bird’s eye, jalapeno, serrano, etc) to taste (optional)
2 tbsp coconut oil, ghee, or olive oil
2-3 lbs chuck roast, boneless short ribs, or stew meat, cut into 1.5″ chunks
kosher salt and black pepper to taste
2 bay leaves
1 cinnamon stick
1 can coconut milk
1 red bell pepper, stem and seeds removed, sliced
1 large handful (about 40z) fresh spinach
Instructions For Curried Beef Stew
- Combine the curry paste ingredients in a blender or food processor and blend until smooth, then set aside. As written, this recipe will not be spicy; to add some kick, add spicy peppers or replace the mild curry powder with a spicier version.
- In a dutch oven or deep skillet, warm the oil over medium-high heat. Pat the chuck roast dry with some paper towels, then generously season with salt and pepper. Brown the beef, in batches if needed to avoid overcrowding the skillet, turning the beef every few minutes. This is your only chance to add an appealing texture to the beef, and you want to create a deep brown crust on each side; take your time! As you finish browning each piece of beef, set them aside on a plate.
- Once you have browned all of the beef, reduce the skillet heat to medium. If you’re running out of oil, throw in another tbsp. Add the curry paste to the skillet, and cook it until fragrant, about 3 minutes. Stir in the bay leaves, cinnamon stick, and coconut milk; once the ingredients are well-combined, return the beef pieces and any accumulated juices. Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer until the beef is tender, about 2 hours.
- Once the beef is tender, stir in the sliced bell pepper. Cook until bright red and tender, about 2 minutes, then add in the spinach. Stir together until the spinach is bright green and wilted, about 1 minute. Add salt and pepper to taste, then serve with white rice or enjoy as-is.
Notes:
** Electric pressure cooker (Instant Pot) instructions: for step #1, only use 1/4 cup beef broth. For step #2, brown the beef in the pressure cooker using its “Sauté” setting, and use that same setting to cook the curry paste in step #3; at the end of step #3, set the pressure cooker to the “Meat/Stew” setting for 40 minutes. Allow the pressure cooker to depressurize naturally for 15 minutes, then force-depressurize and proceed to step #4.
** Oven instructions: at the end of step #4, place the dutch oven in a pre-heated 275F oven and continue the recipe as written; finish with the bell pepper and spinach while on the stovetop.
Meet The Chef
A big US Wellness thank you goes out to Russ Crandall, The Domestic Man. At his blog, you’ll find gluten-free and Paleo-friendly recipes. His recipes focus on classic, traditional, and international dishes from a historical, linguistic, and cultural perspective.
Russ released his debut cookbook, The Ancestral Table: Paleo Recipes for a Traditional Lifestyle, in February 2014, and his second cookbook, The New York Times-bestselling Paleo Takeout: Restaurant Favorites without the Junk, in June 2015.
