Sticky lemongrass beef

Name: Sticky lemongrass beef
Cook time: 2 h 30 min
Yield: 4-6
Cuisine: Asian
Ingredients: 2 tbsp olive oil; 750g chuck steak, cut into large bite-sized chunks; 8 garlic cloves, grated; large thumb-sized knob ginger, grated; 2 lemongrass stems*, white part only, grated

Katrina Meynink

July 11, 2023

Serve this sticky lemongrass beef with steamed rice and greens.Katrina Meynink

Time:2 hours +Serves:4-6

I can’t tell you how much I love this slow-cooked goodness. It’s the kind of meal that can get you through busy weeknights, and is equally respectable to serve if you have people over for dinner – it is often a go-to of mine in either scenario. The meat falls apart and the finish of the sauce is glossy, thick and in-your-face delicious.

Ingredients

2 tbsp olive oil
750g chuck steak, cut into large bite-sized chunks
8 garlic cloves, grated
large thumb-sized knob ginger, grated
2 lemongrass stems*, white part only, grated

For the braising liquid

½ cup soy sauce
½ cup dark sweet soy (kecap manis)
¼ cup oyster sauce
3 cups beef stock
¼ cup brown sugar

To serve

steamed coconut rice
1 bunch choy sum, steamed
lime juice (optional)

Method

Step 1
Add the olive oil to a large heavy-based pot. Once shimmering, add the beef and cook until browned all over. Add the garlic, ginger and lemongrass, and cook until fragrant.
Step 2
Add the braising ingredients to a bowl and stir to combine. Pour over the beef, turn the heat down to a gentle simmer, and cook for 3 hours, lid off, stirring every 30 minutes or so, until the beef is soft, and the sauce has thickened and is superbly glossy.
Step 3
To serve, scoop the lemongrass beef into bowls with some coconut rice and steamed choy sum. Top with a smattering of crispy fried shallots and chilli strands or chilli flakes. Squeeze over lime, optional.

*Note: Now, if you were to choose those tubes of lemongrass paste, I suggest you squeeze one into the pot in its entirety to achieve a similar lemongrass taste. I’ve been caught out without fresh lemongrass with this before, and while fresh is absolutely best, an entire tube of the stuff will suffice.