Northern Thai Stewed Beef

Amounts and times written inside the steps are for the original quantity.

Make the paste

1. 01
   Combine the lemongrass and salt in a granite mortar and pound until you have a fairly smooth, slightly fibrous paste, about 2 minutes. Add the galangal and pound, occasionally stopping to scrape down the sides of the mortar, until you have a fairly smooth paste, about 2 minutes. Do the same with the turmeric. Drain the chiles well, wrap them in paper towels, and gently squeeze them dry. Add them to the mortar and pound them, then the garlic, and then the shallots, fully pounding each ingredient before moving on to the next. Finally, pound in the shrimp paste until it's fully incorporated, about 1 minute.
2. 02
   You'll have about 1 cup of paste. You can use it right away, or store the paste in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 1 week or in the freezer for up to 6 months.

Cook the soup

1. 01
   Combine all of the paste, soy sauce, and chile powder in a medium pot along with the 8 cups of water and stir well. (Add a tablespoon or two of the water to the mortar and stir to get as much of the paste as you can into the pot.)
2. 02
   Set the pot over high heat and bring the liquid to a strong simmer. Add the beef, let the liquid return to a full simmer, then cover the pot and immediately reduce the heat to maintain a gentle but steady simmer. Cook for 1 hour, then stir in the onions, and keep cooking, covered, until the beef is tender but not falling apart and the broth has thickened slightly, about 1 to 1 1/2 hours more.
3. 03
   Season to taste with salt. Tear the lime leaves and add them to the pot along with the black pepper. Turn off the heat and let the dish cool slightly. Right before you serve it, sprinkle on the herbs and green onions.

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