This recipe was originally published in the award-winning cookbook The World Central Kitchen Cookbook: Feeding Humanity, Feeding Hope by José Andrés and World Central Kitchen with Sam Chapple-Sokol (Clarkson Potter, 2023). Reprinted here with permission.
You can purchase The World Central Kitchen Cookbook here [1]
Ingredients:
Spice Paste:
- 4 dried árbol or Sichuan chiles, stemmed
- 2 large fresh cayenne chiles or other medium-hot fresh red chiles, chopped (seeded for less heat)
- 1 large shallot, roughly chopped
- 6 garlic cloves, roughly chopped
- 2-inch piece fresh turmeric, peeled, or 2 teaspoons ground turmeric
- ¼ cup macadamia nuts
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
Stew:
- 2 tablespoons neutral oil
- 2 tablespoons dark brown sugar, plus more to taste
- 2 lemongrass stalks, bruised and tied in a knot
- 2-to-3-inch piece galangal, bruised
- 4 makrut lime leaves
- 2 bay leaves
- 2 cinnamon sticks
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt, plus more to taste
- 1 teaspoon ground coriander
- 2 pounds brisket or stew beef, cut into 1 ½ -to 2-inch cubes
- 1 (13.5 oz) can full-fat coconut milk
- Steamed long-grain white rice, for serving
- Sambal (optional), for serving
Method:
- Make the spice paste: Bring a small saucepan of water to a boil. Add the dried chiles and boil until plump and soft, 2 to 3 minutes. Drain and add to a mortar (or blender/small food processor). Add the fresh chiles, shallot, garlic, turmeric, macadamias, and salt. Use a pestle to grind and mash (or process in the blender) until you have a thick orange paste.
- Make the stew: In a wok or large skillet, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Add the spice paste and sauté, stirring frequently, until fragrant, 4 to 5 minutes. Add the brown sugar, lemongrass, galangal, lime leaves, bay leaves, cinnamon, salt, and coriander and mix well.
- Add the beef, stirring to coat the meat with the spice paste. Cook over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, until the chunks have browned a bit, about 5 minutes. Add 2 cups water and bring to a boil. Add the coconut milk, reduce to a simmer, stir well, cover, and simmer the meat for 1 hour, stirring every 15 to 20 minutes.
- After 1 hour, uncover and cook until the sauce is beautifully thick and the meat is starting to fall apart, another 45 minutes. Taste it a few times throughout and adjust the flavor by adding salt or brown sugar as needed.
- Once the sauce is thick, increase the heat to medium high and cook, stirring constantly, until the meat has absorbed almost all the sauce and the oil starts to separate out, which will vary based on your pan size but will likely be after 10 to 20 minutes. At this point, the beef will begin to caramelize and get an even deeper golden brown as it “fries” in the oil–this is a good thing. Once you’re at this step, let it caramelize for 10 to 15 minutes, continuing to stir until the meat can easily be shredded with a fork.
- Remove the lemongrass, galangal, lime leaves, baby leaves, and cinnamon sticks and serve warm with a side of rice. Accompany with sambal, if desired.