Beef Stew with Carrots

adapted from Apples for Jam by Tessa Kiros
serves 5

In a heated pan:

1. Add some oil
2. Brown chopped up chunks of topside beef
3. Sprinkle 2 pinches of salt
   
4. Brown 2 cloves minced garlic & 1/2 red onion, minced
5. Add 30g butter
6. Sprinkle 2 pinches dried mixed herbs
7. Add 2 generous dashes of Port wine
   
8. Add 1 can or 1/2 cup of pureed tinned tomatoes
9. Throw in 2 carrots, diced
10. Pour in 2 & 1/2 cups of hot water

Bring to a boil and then lower the fire to let it simmer, uncovered for 2 & 1/2 hours.

Beef Rendang

"...*point point*..*gasp*... POWER. ...*gasp*....."

- the boyfriend who loves spice -

Beef Rendang
makes for 6

• 1/2 bottle Patak's Vindaloo's Curry paste
• 210ml water
• shallots chopped
• garlic chopped
• onions chopped
• ginger grated with juice
• 1 tomato diced
• 3 strands long beans chopped at 45 degree angle
  
• 2 potatoes diced
• 650-700g (1.5pounds) top loin beef
• 1tsp oil
  
• corn starch, sugar, salt & pepper for marinate
  

Marinating the Raw Beef

Rub a pinch corn starch, sugar and salt & pepper well and evenly into the meat. Place the slab of meat between plastic sheets or simply put into plastic bag, and pound hard on it, shifting it, and pounding again. Remove from plastic and use blunt face of the knife to pound the meat in a criss-cross pattern. Then turn the knife on its side and slap meat as much as you want.

Cutting the Marinated Beef

Slice the beef at 50 degrees angle to create large med-thin slices of meat. It helps to use a sharp blade.

In the Pan

Heat the pan well, add the oil, less is best. When the oil is hot, throw in the chopped onions, shallots, garlic and ginger with the juice. Everything should brown nicely. Pour a bit of water into the pan enough to cover the chopped ingredients already browned, then add the sliced beef, stirring. Pour the rest of the water in, mixing, add the paste and stir in pan till bubbling. The gravy should cover the meat evenly. Throw in all other prepared ingredients and stir occasionally for 2 hours over slow fire.

Yum yum.