Aromatic and Spicy Beef Stew (Thit Bo Kho)

Ingredients

• 3 1/2 lbs stewing beef
• 2 onions
• 5 garlic cloves
• 12 shallots or pickling onions
• 1 stick lemongrass
• 7 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 6 tablespoons yellow bean sauce
• 1 teaspoon chili powder
• 4 star anise
• 1/2 stick cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon black peppercorns
• 2 tablespoons sugar

Directions

1. 1

   Cut the beef into 1in cubes and set aside.

2. 2

   Peel and finely chop the onions and garlic. Peel the shallots, but leave whole.

3. 3

   Cut the lemon grass into 1in sections, from the bottom to about 1in from the top; cut off and discard the straw like top. Crush each section lightly with a mallet or other heavy object.

4. 4

   Heat 3 tablespoons of the oil in a non-stick frying pan over a medium-high heat.

5. 5

   Add the onions, garlic and shallots, and stir-fry for 2 minutes. Add the lemon grass and continue to fry, stirring, until the onions are lightly browned. Turn off the heat.

6. 6

   Take the shallots out of the pan and set aside.

7. 7

   Heat the remaining 4 tablespoons oil in a large, wide, preferably non-stick pan over a high heat. When hot, quickly fry the meat cubes in batches, turning to brown them all over. Remove with a slotted spoon. Brown all the meat in this way.

8. 8

   Return all the meat to the large pan. Add 4 cups water and the garlic mixture. Coarsely chop the beans in the yellow bean sauce (if not already crushed) and add them too.

9. 9

   Also put in the chili powder, star anise, cinnamon, peppercorns and sugar. Bring to the boil, then cover, lower the heat and simmer gently for 1¼ hours.

10. 10

    Add the reserved shallots, cover again, and simmer for a further 15 minutes.

11. 11

    Remove the lid, increase the heat to medium and cook for a further 15 minutes or until the sauce has thickened a little and the meat is tender. Skim the fat off the top of the stew before serving.