Chapel Hill Magazine March 2021 – The Entrepreneurs

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JOYO U S CO O K ING MORETON NE AL IS AN AUTHOR AND INTERIOR DESIGNER WHO LIVES IN CHAPEL HILL. SHE IS A LIFELONG FOODIE, HAVING CO-FOUNDED LA RÉSIDENCE IN 1976.

VIETNAMESE BEEF STEW

Beef stew is having a renaissance. NYT Cooking claims Anthony Bourdain’s boeuf bourguignon is the most requested recipe of the year. Ina Garten’s and Julia Child’s versions are almost as popular. There’s something comforting about beef stew that people (I’m speaking for carnivores here) crave under our present uncomfortable circumstances. Boeuf bourguignon may be the king of stews, but I’ve rarely encountered any beef stew I didn’t enjoy eating and cooking – braising a gelatinous cut of beef for hours is almost impossible to mess up. During the past year, my repertoire expanded after discovering “Glorious Stew,” written (and illustrated!) in 1969 by a severely unsung author, Dorothy Ivens. There’s little information available about the life of my new favorite food writer, besides a list of her other five cookbooks. I find it curious that her husband and collaborator, wine writer William Massee, gets all the Google attention. Hopefully someone is writing a biography of this talented woman whose wit and exuberance radiate from her books. I’d love to know more about her. Dorothy escorts her readers on a tour of classic stews from around the globe. Each recipe includes a short history of the dish, what to serve before and after it, and even wine pairings. Recipes are thorough yet succinct, unlike the pages-long instructions of her peer, Julia Child. Brilliantly, the book is divided into two sections – browned and the less laborintensive unbrowned – stews of all kinds, from ratatouille to tripe, but the beef stews steal the show. Browned beef stews include boeuf bourguignon, Flemish carbonnade, Hungarian goulash, stifado (a Greek stew flavored with cinnamon and allspice) and chili con carne. Unbrowned stews are represented by pot-au-feu, daube a la Provencale, collops (an English stew with anchovies and capers), Viennese goulash, a Russian beef borscht and a Chinese “Five Fragrances Beef.”

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chapelhillmagazine.com

March 2021

PHOTO BY JAMES STEFIUK

STEWING IN ISOLATION

This month’s recipe is actually not from Dorothy’s book. Vietnamese beef stew, though a close relative of her “Five Fragrances Beef,” is in a category of its own, a hybrid of French and Vietnamese cooking styles and ingredients, most not available in 1969. The hardest part of making this unbrowned stew is collecting the essential components. Lemongrass can now be found at most grocery stores in Chapel Hill, even Food Lion; star anise is available at The Fresh Market and at the superb Li Ming’s Global Market off Durham-Chapel Hill Boulevard in Durham. I imagine Dorothy would recommend serving this unusual stew with a nice pinot noir, a mixed green salad dressed with a simple vinaigrette, a crunchy baguette and, for dessert, lemon curd ice cream. When we can have dinner parties again, that’s what I’ll serve.

2 Tbsp. canola oil 1 large onion, halved and thinly sliced 2 Tbsp. grated fresh ginger 2 Tbsp. grated fresh garlic 2 Tbsp. tomato paste 1½ ½ Tbsp. chile-garlic sauce (such as Sriracha), plus more if needed 2 tsp. brown sugar 4 stalks fresh lemongrass, trimmed and smashed 2½ ½ - 3 lbs. boneless beef chuck roast, trimmed and cut into 1½-inch chunks 2 cups beef broth 3 cups coconut water or plain water (more if needed) 4 star anise pods 2 cinnamon sticks 1 bay leaf 6 medium carrots, peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces 2 Tbsp. fish sauce 2 Tbsp. lime juice Salt and black pepper, to taste Rice or rice noodles, cooked just before serving Chopped scallions Chopped cilantro, mint and/or basil

In a large Dutch oven over mediumhigh, heat the oil. Add onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until lightly browned. Add ginger and garlic, then cook, stirring frequently, until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add the tomato paste, chile-garlic sauce, brown sugar, lemongrass and beef, then stir to coat. Add broth, water, star anise, cinnamon and bay leaf. Bring to a boil over medium-high, give the stew a couple of stirs, then reduce to low. Cover and simmer for 2 hours or more, until the meat is quite tender. Remove and discard the lemongrass, star anise, bay leaf and cinnamon sticks. Stir the carrots into the stew and return to a simmer over medium. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the carrots are tender, about 15 minutes or so. Add more water if needed to dilute the sauce. It should be a bit soupy. Stir in the fish sauce and lime juice. Taste and season with additional chile-garlic sauce (if desired), salt and pepper. Spoon rice or noodles into serving bowls, ladle the stew on top, and sprinkle with plenty of chopped scallions and fresh herbs. CHM


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