So The Child is coming home for the holidays, and she has requested a few things for food. Salad (shocking), spice cake (not as shocking), and That Beef Stew Thing.

“That Beef Stew Thing” is what she has asked for since I casually tossed it together back in 2014, whenever she wants something hot and flavorful and slightly spicy but just generally warming.

It’s probably not the most traditional type of curry recipe, as it calls for a powdered mix, which seems like maybe sacrilegious, except I don’t know from curry, and when I made it was just trying to get my child to eat during a really tough year. I found the recipe on The Kitchn, linked above, and have made precious few adjustments or changes, mostly to the amount of beef, spice, or vegetables (sometimes I’ll only use sweet potatoes). Also, in my original post on this subject, I noted the conspicuous lack of salt. For God’s sake, salt your food.

Choose any curry you like. This also makes killer leftovers.

Finally, this is the posh version of That Beef Stew Thing because there was no stew beef or beef short ribs to be had in these COVID times. So I grabbed a pricey grass-fed steak and cut it into chunks, and ZOWIE. It’s good. If you’ve got the ducats for that, yay, you. Otherwise, this is equally delicious (if not more, honestly) with a lean cut of beef that needs a little time to get tender.

That Beef Stew Thing (originally called Korean Curry Rice)

2 tablespoons toasted sesame oil
1 pound boneless beef short ribs, cut into 1-inch cubes (or any kind of stew beef in cubes)
1 medium onion, diced
Curry powder (honestly, to taste, any kind you like)
2 medium carrots, peeled and cubed
2 small red or yellow potatoes, peeled and cubed
1/2 large sweet potato, peeled and cubed
3 cups stock (veg or chicken)
Salt and pepper (season properly or it won’t taste great)
Steamed rice for serving
Optional: Kimchi for serving

Method
Heat the sesame oil over medium-high heat in a large pot. Add the boneless beef short rib and diced onions, season with salt and pepper, and brown on all sides. Add curry powder and cook, stirring, until the spices begin to open up.

Add the carrots, potatoes, sweet potatoes, and stock and mix well. Bring to a boil and then turn down to a simmer, really a lazy slow one, until the beef is tender and the veg is cooked through (this is a good one for a tagine, perhaps, with enough stock, or a clay bean pot? Not sure but will definitely try the bean pot, as I have one.). If you like a thicker stew or want something more like a curry with sauce, make a slurry with 1 tablespoon of cornstarch and 1 tablespoon of the stew liquid. Mix completely, then add into the stew and stir through. This will thicken up nicely without any off flavor.

Serve over steamed rice with some kimchi on the side.