Food Friday : Beef & Root Curry Stew

When a new Caribbean restaurant opened recently in Somerville, visions of spicy, curry stew immediately leapt into my head. Perhaps it was the abundance of good stewing vegetables I had on hand or the fact I was looking for a creative use of the beef I was getting from my CSA or the onset of cool weather causing a craving for something warming and spicy, but after the idea popped into my head, I couldn’t shake the craving for a spicy, curried, beef and winter vegetable stew.

Unfortunately, my cravings were not answered by the restaurant’s menu. While they offered plenty of hardy, spicy, warming items, there wasn’t a curried beef stew. That discovery made me question why I mentally connected Caribbean with curried beef stew, but it did not curb my craving. So, as I had all of the ingredients on hand to build a pretty exceptional spicy curry beef stew, I figured the best way to satiate my craving was to make it myself.

Admittedly, my vision of curry stew centered on goat meat and not beef. But, I had fallen into a rut with cooking up the beef portion of my CSA share. The fall back option is nearly always searing steaks in my cast iron pan. Yeah, that is an awesome way to eat a nice, grass-fed steak from a local farm, but it can be monotonous to always have well-crusted,juicy, medium-rare, marbled, bone-in, top-round steak. Sure, it might sound like a terrible waste of a beautiful steak to stew it. Maybe the off-the-shelf, corn-fed, searing steak never makes for good stew. But the steaks I get from John Crow Farm have a nice fat content, good marbleization and that strong grass-fed, gamey flavor to stand up and shine in a stew.

So, curry stew with beef it would be.

As it turns out, there are references to curried beef stew associated with many regions of the world. I found Thai recipes that incorporate coconut milk and fish sauce. Hawaiian recipes with soy sauce and evaporated milk. Yogurt and garam masala appear in Indian versions. Jamaica leaves out the mellowing creamy element and highlights the heat with ample use of habanero and other chilis. African versions seem hearty with minimal spices, but incorporating peanuts/groundnut and raisins. And, finally, those good old southerners. . . the southern U.S., that is, have also co-opted curry stew as their own ‘traditional’ and ‘authentic’ southern-style dish. These dishes seem include combinations and variations of all of the above and, typically, some form of bacon or sausage is included. Can’t argue with that.

Given all the variations and combination, I felt good about rummaging through the cupboards to throw together my own version of a curry beef stew. I stuck with seasonal vegetables from the root cellar and spices I had on hand. I used a thick cut, grass-fed butt steak this time, but lamb or goat make good substitutes This recipe is, by no means, meant to be strictly interpreted. It is bold. It is flavorful. I is spicy. It is hot. It is earthy. It is hearty. Use what’s available and adjust the flavors to your liking. Consider the flavors of the root vegetables and squash when selecting spices.

Beef & Root Curry Stew

Ingredients

12-16 oz. stewing beef, cut in 1-inch chunks
1 C. all purpose flour (enough to coat the beef)
1/4 C. vegetable oil
2 oz. slab bacon, cut in thick matchsticks (course chopped slices may be used)
1 lg. onion, course dice
2 C. seasonal root vegetables (sweet potato, waxy potato, rutabaga, turnips, carrot, parsnip, celeriac)
2 C. winter squash (butternut, hubbard, acorn, delicata, pumpkin)
2 C. tomatoes, rough chop (substitute one 24 oz can of stewed tomatoes, chopped or hand crushed with liquid)
2 jalapeños, fine chop
4 C. beef stock (substitute chicken)
1/2 C. cider vinegar
1/4 C. tomato paste
1/2 C. brown sugar
2T ground cumin
2T ground cayenne (adjust as preferred)
2T smoked ground paprika
2t ground cinnamon
2T ground black pepper
1/2t ground nutmeg
1t ground tumeric
1T dry Thyme
Pinch ground cloves
Pince ground ginger
Salt and Pepper

1. Prepare the beef – Dry the beef. Cut into chunks. Season the flour with salt and pepper. Toss beef chunks in the flour until well coated. Set aside.

2. Prepare oil – Heat oil in the bottom of a dutch oven of stew pot. Add the bacon and cook until the fat has dissolved or rendered.

3. Sear the beef – Add the prepared beef to the oil and cook until a nice brown outer crust has formed. Stir occasionally to prevent burning.

4. Sweat the onions – There should be sufficient oil in the pan to coat the onions. If not, a
Use additional oil as needed. Add the onions and a healthy pinch of Reduce the heat to a simmer and cook the onions until tender – about 10 minutes. Stir occasionally to prevent burning.

5. Brown Vegetables – Add the root vegetables and squash to the pot and turn up heat. Add oil as needed to ensure the vegetables remain coated. Stir frequently. Cook until the vegetables are lightly browned.

6. Simmer in tomato juice – Add the tomatoes and jalapeños. Bring to a light boil then reduce the heat to a simmer. Simmer for 10 minutes covered.

7. Add liquid and spices – Uncover and stir to ensure contents are not sticking to the pot. Add the stock, vinegar, tomato paste and sugar. Bring to a boil.

8. Spice it up – Add spices a bit at a time along with salt. Taste the mixture as you go and add more apices as desired. When desired flavor is reached, reduce heat to a low simmer and cover.

9. Cook – Simmer stew for at least an hour and up to 12. Stir occasionally and adjust seasoning.

10. Serve – Serve alone or over rice or any starch. Add a spoonful of sour cream for creaminess.