Lemongrass Coconut Braised Beef (Printer-friendly)

Tender beef slow-cooked with lemongrass, coconut milk, and mushrooms in a fragrant, hearty sauce.

# What you'll need:

→ Beef

01 - 2 lbs beef chuck, cut into 2-inch cubes
02 - 1 tsp kosher salt
03 - 1/2 tsp black pepper

→ Aromatics & Sauce

04 - 2 tbsp vegetable oil
05 - 2 stalks lemongrass, trimmed and lightly smashed
06 - 1 large onion, thinly sliced
07 - 5 cloves garlic, minced
08 - 2-inch piece fresh ginger, sliced
09 - 2 red chilies, sliced
10 - 1 tbsp fish sauce
11 - 1 tbsp brown sugar
12 - 1 can (14 oz) coconut milk
13 - 1 cup beef broth
14 - Zest and juice of 1 lime

→ Vegetables

15 - 10 oz cremini or shiitake mushrooms, quartered
16 - 2 carrots, cut into 1-inch pieces

→ Garnish

17 - Fresh cilantro, chopped
18 - Sliced scallions
19 - Lime wedges

# Method:

01 - Season beef cubes evenly with salt and pepper on all sides.
02 - Heat vegetable oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Working in batches to avoid overcrowding, sear the beef until browned on all sides, approximately 3-4 minutes per batch. Remove browned beef and set aside.
03 - In the same pot, add onion, lemongrass, garlic, ginger, and chilies. Sauté for 3-4 minutes until fragrant and onions are softened, stirring occasionally to prevent burning.
04 - Stir in fish sauce and brown sugar; cook for 1 minute to allow the sugar to dissolve and caramelize slightly.
05 - Return the beef to the pot. Add coconut milk, beef broth, and carrots. Bring to a gentle simmer, stirring to combine all ingredients.
06 - Reduce heat to low, cover, and braise for 1 hour. Maintain a gentle simmer throughout the cooking process.
07 - Add mushrooms, stir gently to incorporate, and continue to braise covered for another 1 to 1.5 hours, until beef is very tender and easily pierced with a fork.
08 - Remove and discard the lemongrass stalks. Stir in lime zest and juice. Taste and adjust seasoning with additional salt or fish sauce if needed.
09 - Serve hot over steamed jasmine rice or rice noodles, garnished generously with chopped cilantro, sliced scallions, and fresh lime wedges on the side.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • The beef becomes impossibly tender, almost falling apart at the mere suggestion of a fork
  • The sauce develops layers of flavor that taste like they simmered for twice as long
  • Mushrooms absorb all those aromatic juices and become little flavor bombs themselves
02 -
  • Resist the urge to rush the sear, those browned bits are what builds the deep flavor foundation
  • The sauce will seem thin at first but thickens beautifully as the beef releases its collagen
  • Fish sauce smells intense initially but mellows into something extraordinary and savory
03 -
  • Trim the woody bottoms off your lemongrass but keep enough length to easily fish them out later
  • If the sauce reduces too much, add more broth or water rather than more coconut milk to keep the balance

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