First off, beef stew doesn’t photograph well but it tastes really damn good.  Most Thai beef stew recipes have curry in them, but I kept the curry out of this one to bring out more of the lemon grass.  Lemon grass is super easy to cook with and you can find it in your grocery store where they keep fresh herbs refrigerated in the produce department.  To cook with it, just bend the stalk to bruise it or break open a little seam.  I used the crock pot on this one but you can cook it in a large sauce pot or in a dutch oven.

Simple Thai Beef Stew

3 pounds of beef stew meat

3 carrots, sliced in to 1” discs

4 celery stalks, sliced into 1” pieces

1 onion, sliced into 1” pieces

1 sweet potato, peeled and sliced into 1” pieces

2 teaspoons crushed red pepper flakes

6 pieces of lemon grass, cut into 1” pieces, bruised or split open with a knife

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon black pepper

1 teaspoon ginger powder

1 teaspoon garlic powder

1 cup beef stock

1 13.5 ounce can of coconut milk

1. Combine the vegetables and lemon grass in a large bowl.

2. Season the stew meat with all of the seasonings

3. Put half of the vegetables in a crock pot.  Layer the stew meat on top of the vegetables.  Add the rest of the vegetables on top of the meat.

4.  Pour in the coconut milk and beef stock.

5.  Cook on low for 6-8 hours, or high for 3-4 hours.