Coconut Beef Stew

These are a few of my favorite things:

1. Beef Stew
2. Coconut

(Does two count as a few? I can never remember.)

Anyway, imagine this.  You get a hankering for a nice, hot, comforting beef stew with all the wonderful ingredients: chunks of beef, pieces of carrot and potato, etc.  But instead of the usual beef broth or wine that you usually make beef stew with...you use coconut milk.  And you throw in a few spices that are usually not found in beef stew, like coconut and cumin.  And when the stew is done, all tender and with a hint of coconut taste after simmering for hours in the coconut milk, you sprinkle it with a little shredded coconut just for good measure.  Then you ladle it out into bowls and take your first bite, and you are transported into a land that is a confusingly wonderful mixture of tropical comfort food.  I promise you, this is one beef stew that you are going to remember lovingly for a good long time.

Which all goes to show you, you CAN teach an old dog new tricks.

Sorry.  Any excuse to put a puppy picture up.

Anyway...coconut beef stew.  Try it!

Coconut Beef Stew

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 2 onions, chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, chopped
• 2 tablespoons paprika
• 2 tablespoons cumin
• 1 tablespoons cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 4 tablespoons tomato paste
• 1 14oz can coconut milk
• 2 pounds beef chuck steak, cut into cubes
• 4 large Yukon gold potatoes, cut into chunks
• 2 cups carrots, cut into 1-2 inch pieces
• 1 cup flaked coconut
• 1/2 cup chopped parsley

1. Heat oven to 350.  Put oil in Dutch oven or other ovenproof pot over medium heat.  Cook onions for 5 minutes or until soft.  Add garlic and spices  and stir for one minute.  Stir in tomato paste and then coconut milk.  Bring to a boil and add beef.

2. Cover and transfer to oven,  Cook for 1 hour,  then remove from oven and add potatoes and carrots.  Cover and cook for an additional hour and 15 minutes.

3. Sprinkle each serving with flaked coconut and parsley and serve.

Click here for printable recipe