Elephant Walk Sweet Beef Stew (Khar Saiko Kroeung)

Ingredients

• 2 lbs boneless top round beef, cut into 1 1/2-inch cubes
• 1/2 cup peeled thinly sliced gingerroot (about 2 ounces)

Paste

• 3 dried New Mexico chiles, soaked, seeded and deveined
• 3 garlic cloves, coarsely chopped
• 1 large shallot, coarsely chopped
• 1/2 cup water

Stew

• 5 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 3 tablespoons sugar
• 2 tablespoons fish sauce
• 1 tablespoon mushroom soy sauce
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon fresh ground pepper
• 1 cup chicken broth
• 1 cup green coconut juice
• 1/4 cup tamarind juice
• fresh cilantro stem, for garnish
• cucumber, slices

Directions

1. 1

   Put the beef in a medium bowl. Grind the ginger slices with a mortar and pestle, adding them a few at a time until you have extracted most of the juice, or use a mini-chop to make a wet paste. Squeeze the juice from the fibers (you should have 1 1/2 to 2 tablespoons) and stir it into the beef; discard the ginger solids. Let the beef marinate for at least 10 minutes.

2. 2

   Meanwhile, make the paste: Blend all the ingredients in a blender until smooth, 2 to 3 minutes.

3. 3

   Heat the oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Add the paste and cook, stirring occasionally, until the flavors are released, about 2 minutes. Stir in the beef, sugar, fish sauce, soy sauce, salt, pepper and broth. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat to low and simmer, partially covered, until the liquid is reduced by half, about 40 minutes.

4. 4

   Add the coconut and tamarind juices and cook for another 20 minutes. If the sauce is too thin at this point, increase the heat and reduce further; the sauce should be fairly thick.

5. 5

   Garnish with cilantro sprigs and serve with cucumber slices and rice.