Thai Beef Stew (Stovetop or Slow Cooker)
Cook this bold Thai Beef Stew in the slow cooker or on the stove. It’s a dump-and-go recipe. Add all the ingredients to a pot and come back in 4 to 8 hours!
Servings: 4 servings
Calories: 445kcal
Ingredients
Beef Stew
- 2 pounds beef stew meat cut into 2-inch chunks; see Note 1
- 1 onion chopped into wedges
- 1 small daikon radish cubed
- 1 head garlic smashed
- 1 2-inch piece fresh ginger root thinly sliced into coins
- 2 tablespoons oyster sauce
- 2 tablespoons light soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon dark soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon maggi sauce
- 1 tablespoon fish sauce *optional
- 2 tablespoons brown sugar
- 3 cups beef stock
Spice Bag
- 2 star anise
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 small cinnamon stick at most 2 inches
- 1 cardamom pod
- 1 teaspoon coriander
- ½ teaspoon black peppercorns
- ½ teaspoon white peppercorns
- ½ teaspoon five spice powder
For Serving
- Thai chili peppers
- Fresh cilantro and scallions
Instructions
- Add all the spices to a small muslin bag or tie them up in a few layers of cheesecloth. (We find that tea filter bags also work splendidly here.)
- Add all the beef stew ingredients to a slow cooker or stockpot in the order listed (2 pounds beef stew meat, 1 onion, 1 small daikon radish, 1 head garlic, 1 2-inch piece fresh ginger root, 2 tablespoons oyster sauce, 2 tablespoons light soy sauce, 1 tablespoon dark soy sauce, 1 tablespoon maggi sauce, 1 tablespoon fish sauce, and 2 tablespoons brown sugar). Cover with 3 cups beef stock. It’s okay if some of the daikon and onions stick out, as long as all the beef is covered.
- Push the bag of spices into the beef stock so that it’s fully submerged.
- Cover with a lid. Slow cook on low for 8 hours. If cooking on the stovetop, bring to a gentle boil then let it simmer on low heat for 3–4 hours.
- At the end of cooking, remove the lid and give the contents a stir. The beef should be fall-apart tender. Salt to taste (see Note 2) and remove the bag of spices.
- Serve over rice or noodles, with lots of fresh herbs.
Notes
- Beef Stew Meat: The best cut of beef to use is “beef digital muscle.” You can also find it under the names of “beef shank,” “beef shin,” or “beef heel muscle.” Find it at your local Asian supermarket. If you can’t find digital muscle, substitute with beef chuck or stew meat chunks.
- Salt: Depending on whether your beef stock was low-sodium, you might need to add more salt.
Nutrition
Calories: 445kcal | Carbohydrates: 25g | Protein: 57g | Fat: 12g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 5g | Cholesterol: 141mg | Sodium: 1940mg | Potassium: 1460mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 14g | Vitamin A: 14IU | Vitamin C: 23mg | Calcium: 137mg | Iron: 7mg