Spicy Beef Stew (Bo Kho) - cooking recipe

Ingredients

6 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons annatto seeds
2 lbs top round beef, cut into large cubes
1 large onion, finely chopped
6 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 tablespoon salt
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1 tablespoon curry powder
1 cup beer (optional)
1 stalk lemongrass, finely chopped
2 pieces star anise
1 cinnamon stick
1 cup thickly chopped carrot
GARNISH
1 cup mint leaves or 1 cup basil leaves
2 red chilies, sliced
salt
pepper
lime

Preparation

Heat half of the oil with annatto seeds and stir quickly until the oil takes on the redish-brown color of the seeds.
Set aside, strain and remove the seeds.
Marinate the beef cubes with onion, half the garlic, salt, sugar and half of the annatto seed oil mixture for 45 minutes.
Heat the remaining annatto seed oil and cook the remaining garlic until soft.
Add curry powder, beer and marinade and it`s ingredients.
Braise the beef, adding a little water, lemongrass, star anise and cinnamon.
Cook at 350 degree in oven for 1 hour then and add carrots.
Cook for 1 more hour.
Simmer 5 more minutes.
Garnish and serve over white rice is how I served it. The juices got absorbed into the rice.