Five-Spice Beef Stew
- 20m Prep Time
- 2h Cook Time
- 2h Ready In
A hearty beef stew with five-spice powder, root vegetables, and spinach, simmered until tender. Finished with fish sauce and lime juice for a savory, tangy kick.
Ingredients
- 454 g boneless beef bottom round trimmed and cut into 2-inch chunks
- Kosher salt and pepper
- 29.6 ml canola oil divided
- 473 ml low-sodium beef broth divided
- 2 medium shallots quartered
- 2 small cloves garlic peeled and finely chopped
- 1 piece ginger peeled and finely chopped
- 2.46 ml five-spice powder
- 2 star anise pods
- 1 small cinnamon stick
- 14.8 ml tomato paste
- 170 g small carrots peeled and chopped
- 170 g small parsnips peeled and chopped
- 1 small purple-topped turnip chopped
- 237 ml canned crushed tomatoes
- 0.5 large bunch spinach thick stems discarded
- 14.8 ml fish sauce
- 7.39 ml lime juice
- Fresh cilantro
- thinly sliced red chile
Nutrition (per serving, estimated)
Estimated based off 13 of 20 identified ingredients (per 100 g food data, scaled by amount).
Vitamins & minerals
- Calcium: 225 mg
- Iron: 2.97 mg
- Magnesium: 66.8 mg
- Phosphorus: 207 mg
- Potassium: 1226 mg
- Zinc: 1.57 mg
Let's Prepare
Collect
Gather these ingredients — no prep needed yet.
- Kosher salt and pepper
- 2.46 ml five-spice powder
- 2 star anise pods
- 1 small cinnamon stick
- 14.8 ml tomato paste
- 237 ml canned crushed tomatoes
- 14.8 ml fish sauce
- 7.39 ml lime juice
- Fresh cilantro
- thinly sliced red chile
Prepare
- 454 g boneless beef bottom round, trimmed and cut into 2-inch chunks
- 29.6 ml canola oil, divided
- 473 ml low-sodium beef broth, divided
- Quarter 2 medium shallots
- 2 small cloves garlic, peeled and finely chopped
- 1 piece ginger, peeled and finely chopped
- 170 g small carrots, peeled and chopped
- 170 g small parsnips, peeled and chopped
- Chop 1 small purple-topped turnip
- 0.5 large bunch spinach, thick stems discarded
Let's Cook
-
Step 1.
Preheat the oven to 325°F. Season the beef chunks with ¼ teaspoon each salt and pepper. Heat 1 tablespoon canola oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the beef and cook, turning occasionally, until browned on all sides, 6 to 8 minutes. Transfer the browned beef to a bowl.
-
Step 2.
Pour ¼ cup of the beef broth into the pot and scrape up any browned bits from the bottom with a wooden spoon, cooking for 1 minute. Pour the juices into the bowl with the beef.
-
Step 3.
Reduce the heat to medium and add the remaining 1 tablespoon oil to the pot. Add the quartered shallots and cook, stirring occasionally, until golden brown, 3 to 4 minutes. Add the chopped garlic, ginger, five-spice powder, star anise pods, and cinnamon stick; cook, stirring constantly, for 2 minutes until fragrant.
-
Step 4.
Stir in the tomato paste and cook for 1 minute. Return the beef and accumulated juices to the pot. Add the chopped carrots, parsnips, turnip, crushed tomatoes, and the remaining 1¾ cups beef broth. Bring the stew to a boil over high heat, then cover the pot with a lid and transfer to the preheated oven. Bake until the beef is very tender, 1½ to 2 hours.
-
Step 5.
Remove the pot from the oven. Discard the star anise pods and cinnamon stick. Stir in the spinach, fish sauce, and lime juice until the spinach wilts. Serve the stew topped with fresh cilantro and thinly sliced red chile.