Name: Curried Beef Stew
Yield: 4 Servings
Ingredients: 6 dried puya or 3 dried guajillo chiles, stemmed, seeded; 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt; 1 lemongrass stalk, bottom 4' only, tough outer layer removed, cut into 1' pieces; 2 tablespoons sliced peeled fresh galangal; 2 tablespoons sliced peeled fresh turmeric; 1/2 cup chopped shallots; 1/4 cup halved garlic cloves; 1 tablespoon Thai shrimp paste; 2 pounds trimmed beef chuck, cut into 1 1/2'–2' cubes; 3 tablespoons soy sauce, preferably Thai thin soy sauce (such as Healthy Boy); 2 tablespoons ground dried Thai chiles; 9 cups beef broth, preferably low-salt; 1 cup halved shallots; 3 medium carrots, peeled, halved lengthwise, cut crosswise into 1/4'-thick half-moons (about 1 cup); 6 fresh or frozen kaffir lime leaves; Chopped fresh cilantro; Thinly sliced Thai basil

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Peden + Munk

All Thai curries start with a handful of aromatic ingredients (chiles, galangal, lemongrass, turmeric, etc.) pounded into a paste with a granite mortar and pestle. The paste is then stirred into soups or stews (often with coconut milk), or used as the basis of sautéed dishes. Use a mini-processor to make the curry paste if you'd like, although this incendiary stew will take on a deeper flavor if you can use a granite mortar and pestle.

Recipe notes