Vietnamese Beef Stew

Vietnamese Beef Stew

PREP TIME

10 minutes

COOK TIME

90 minutes

YIELDS

4-6

Ingredients

  • 700g gravy/stewing beef. 4cm cubes
  • 3 tbsp tomato paste
  • 3 cloves garlic, chopped
  • large thumb ginger, thinly sliced
  • 2 stems lemongrass, bruised and cut into 3cm pieces
  • 2 tsp The Spice People’s Chinese Five Spice Powder
  • 2 The Spice People’s Whole Star Anise
  • 2 The Spice People’s Bay Leaves
  • 1 stick The Spice People’s Cinnamon Sticks
  • 1 litre beef or chicken stock
  • 2 tbsp fish sauce
  • 1 tbsp brown sugar
  • 3-4 large carrots
  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 1/2 cup coriander leaves, to serve
  • 1 cup bean shoots, to serve
  • crusty bahn mi-style baguette, to serve

Memories

This Vietnamese Beef Stew is a wholesome, fragrant dish that nourishes from the inside out. Infused with Chinese Five Spice, it combines the warmth of clove and Sichuan pepper which help tenderise the beef with the subtle sweetness of star anise for a beautifully balanced flavour.

Slow-cooked to perfection, this stew captures the essence of Vietnamese comfort cooking: a delicate harmony of sweet, salty, spicy, and tangy notes. It’s the perfect dish to restore, refresh, and bring a little aromatic calm to your week.

Directions

  1. Heat a large casserole pot over high heat and add a good drizzle of olive oil before adding the beef and browning off. You may have to do this in batches.
  2. Once the meat is browned off add the tomato paste and chopped garlic and continue cooking for 2-3 minutes.
  3. Add the remaining ingredients to the pot except for the carrots. Bring the pot to the boil and reduce the heat to a gentle simmer and place the lid on the pot. Cook for 70 minutes or until the beef is meltingly tender.
  4. Meanwhile peel and cut your carrots into large chunks. Once the meat is tender add these to the pot. Cook for another 20 minutes, and when the carrots are cooked through and just tender serve the stew.

    Garnish with coriander, bean shoots, and crusty white baguettes.