Japanese Beef Curry Recipe

Ingredients:

• 2 1/2 lbs stew meat
• 2 russet potatoes, (about 3 cups), peeled and chopped into 1 1/2-inch cubes
• 2 carrots, (about 3 cups), chopped into 1 1/2-inch pieces
• 1 onion, (about 2 cups), chopped into 1 1/2-inch pieces
• 2 (3.2 oz) boxes Japaneses curry mix

Directions:

1. Place meat in a large, heavy-bottom pot and cover with a couple inches of water. (See Cook’s Tips.) Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low. Skim off any impurities. Place a lid on the pot, leaving it slightly open. Allow to simmer for 3 hours or until meat is fork-tender.
2. Add potatoes, carrots, and onion. Increase heat to medium. Break curry cubes into pieces and add to pot. Stir until curry blocks melt. Taste and add water if necessary. Cook until vegetables are soft, about 20 minutes.
3. Pressure Cooker Version:
4. Place meat in cooker’s insert with 5 cups of water. Close the pressure valve and cook on high for 20 minutes. Allow steam to release naturally when it is done cooking. Remove debris from sides of pot using a paper towel.
5. Add potatoes, carrots, and onion. Break curry cubes into pieces and add to pot, making sure that they do not sink to the bottom, lest they burn. Return cover, close pressure valve, and cook on high for another 5 minutes. Once the steam has naturally released, open and gently stir everything together. Make sure the curry blocks have fully melted and that the sauce is smooth.
6. Cook’s Tips:
7. • Skip the sear. Stew meat is usually seared before adding liquid to add flavor. This can be done before step 1 for this recipe, but the curry is so flavorful that the return on the effort is minimal and, therefore, the extra step can be omitted.
8. • Make it in steps. Braise the stew meat ahead of time and store in the refrigerator once fully cooled. When ready to complete the curry, warm the beef in its broth and continue with step 2.
9. • Freeze it for later. Place curry, fully cooked and cooled, in a sealable bag and remove extra air. Lay flat on a tray in the freezer until frozen. Re-heat by placing bag in a pot of warm water.