Thai Braised Beef with Coconut Milk

Taste of Thai is a brand of oriental food products found in many large markets.  They are a bit on the pricey side, but the products are fairly authentic and of high quality.  The original recipe for this dish was found on their web site.  After making a few changes I produced this version and it is fantastic.  The whole house was filled with the wonderful aroma of Thai curry as it cooked in the oven.  Fabulous!

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.

Trim fat from beef, as any fat remaining will be rendered into the broth when the meat is braised. Cut beef into 2-inch pieces and place in a bowl.

Combine salt, coriander, cumin, turmeric and black pepper in a small bowl.  Sprinkle over the meat and toss to coat.  Set aside while prepping the remaining ingredients.

Heat 1 teaspoon oil in a large Dutch oven, or heavy skillet with a cover, over medium-high heat. Add beef; cook 5 minutes, browning on all sides. Remove from pan.

Heat 1 teaspoon oil in pan. Add onion, carrot, bell pepper, ginger, and garlic; sauté 8 to 10 minutes until softened.

Stir in broth, scraping pan to loosen browned bits. Return beef to pan. Add coconut milk, Kaffir lime leaves, chiles, lime zest and bay leaves. Bring to a boil. Cover and bake in oven for 2 hours.

Remove beef from pan using a slotted spoon; shred with 2 forks, set aside.

Bring vegetable mixture to a boil over medium-high heat. Make a slurry from the water and cornstarch and add to pan. Simmer until thickened (use additional slurry if a thicker consistency is desired.)  Discard bay leaves and lime leaves.  Return shredded beef to the pan and mix to combine with the veggies.

Serve beef and vegetable mixture over noodles.  Garnish with parsley.