Slow Cooker Caribbean Coconut Beef Curry
I have spent some time in the islands over the past 40 years. Part of it wearing a Navy uniform and the rest wearing the tourist uniform (flowered shirts, shorts, flip flops and of course the regulation red sunburned glow). During my working career, whenever something went right and I needed to celebrate, I found myself a Caribbean island. Now admittedly, most of my island meals were seafood but sometimes I would sneak some chicken, pork or beef in as well.
Ingredients:
2 lbs stew beef cut into bite sized pieces (< 2 inch chunks)
1 tsp Tajin spice
1 tsp allspice
1 Tbs minced ginger
2 Tbs oil
2 Tbs unsalted butter
1/3 cup Key Lime Juice
1 medium onion diced
1 small Pablano pepper, diced
2 Tbs minced garlic
1 tsp dried thyme
1 tsp smoked paprika
2 13.5- ounce cans unsweetened coconut milk
3 Tbs curry spice/powder
1-2 cup water (adjust to the desired consistency, less = gravy like/more = soupy )
2 bay leaves
1Tbs tomato paste
1 scotch bonnet pepper, washed, de-seeded and chopped fine or 1 Tbs hot sauce
2 lbs potatoes or more peeled cut in medium pieces (Yukon Gold)
2 carrots, peeled and rough chopped
1 cup sliced mushrooms
Cilantro, chopped for garnish
Directions:
- Season beef well with salt, Tajin and allspice. Heat oil in a skillet on medium-high heat Working in batches, brown the beef on all sides and place in slow cooker.
- Drain skillet except for approximately 1Tbs of liquid. Reduce heat to medium. Add butter, onions, Pablano, garlic, thyme, scotch bonnet pepper or hot sauce and ginger. Scraping the brown bits from the pan, cook till onions are clear, ~5 minutes
- Stir in curry powder, cook for about 5 minute until it starts to stick to the pan. Add coconut milk, water, bay leaves, paprika and tomato paste and cook for ~ 2 minutes
- Add Key Lime juice, potatoes, and skillet mixture to slow cooke.
- Set slow cooker to high and cook for 2 1/4 hours.
- Add carrots and mushrooms to crock pot and cook for ~ 45 minutes more or less until the carrots are softened enough.
- Remove the bay leaves and serve in bowls as a stew or over rice as a curry depending upon the consistency you chose to make.