Coconut-Curry Beef

I grew up eating Japanese instant curry which is some potent stuff. It stains your utensils, smells up your entire house, and tastes... strong. I wasn't really a fan of the stuff. It wasn't until fairly recently that I discovered curry can be subtle and very delicious. Recently I tried a recipe for Coconut-Curry Beef and both Michael and I fell in love with the dish.


Goes great with rice, of course, but also great to eat with naan (Trader Joe has the best). It uses the slow cooker which makes this a very easy dish to prepare but the hours of waiting becomes excruciating once the smell starts to fill the air! Oh, when eating, be sure to pierce the tomatoes first other wise if you bite into it lava hot tomato gut will burst inside your mouth.

Coconut-Curry Beef
Yields: 6 (more like 4, actually)

2 TBSP vegetable oil
2 lbs beef chuck roast cut into 2-inch pieces
Salt
2 large onions,each cut into 8 wedges
4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
2 TBSP finely chopped fresh ginger (I just used ground since I already had that in my pantry)
1 12-oz can light coconut milk
2 TBSP packed light brown sugar
1 TBSP curry powder
1 tsp cayenne
1 pint cherry tomatoes

In a large skillet, warm oil over medium-high heat. Sprinkle beef with salt and brown on all sides, in batches if necessary, about 8 minutes total. Transfer to slow cooker along with onions, garlic and ginger.

Whisk together coconut milk, brown sugar, curry powder and cayenne and pour over meat. Cover and cook on low until meat is fork-tender, 4 to 5 hours. Stir in cherry tomatoes and let them warm and soften in stew for 15 minutes. Adjust seasonings and serve.