Slowcooker lemongrass beef with noodles

A lot of food in the slowcooker tastes the same.  It kind of ends up stewy and wet and not too flavourful.  I totally agree though, it's very convenient to come home to a cooked dinner with tender meat and a nice sauce.

But, it's time to bash down some slow cooker myths.  You can cook more than a stew.  You don't need packet mixes.  You can cook something that won't have that slowcooker "sogginess" about it.

This is a recipe that you wouldn't believe was done in the slowcooker, except for that fact that you can't get flavour this yummy without extended low and slow temperatures. So I present to you: my latest slowcooker victory...

And BTW: those aren't all noodles in the picture- there's zoodles and carrot noodles as well, because that is how we roll!

Slowcooker lemongrass beef with noodles
Ingredients
beef
3 stalks lemongrass, ends removed and hard layers pulled off, chopped
2.5 cm piece of ginger, peeled and chopped roughly
1 onion, chopped roughly
zest of one lime
juice of one lime
1 small red chilli
1 kg beef chuck, diced
1/2 cup sweet soy sauce
1 tbsp fish sauce
4 cups water
1 cinnamon stick
3 start anise
1/2 bunch coriander, chopped
3 spring onions, sliced 
noodles
1 carrot, julienned or spiralised
1 zucchini, julienned or spiralised
1 packet bifun noodles, boiled and cooled

Method
Combine the lime zest and juice, onion, chilli, lemongrass and ginger in a food processor.  Blend until it forms a paste.
In a frypan over high heat sear the beef cubes until browned.Set aside.
Add the paste to the frypan and fry for about 6-10 minutes or until the lemongrass is soft.
Add the beef back into the pan with any juices and coat in the paste.
Pour the sweet soy and fish sauce over the beef add the star anise and cinnamon, heat for one minute then remove all to the slow cooker.
Add 4 cups of water and put a teatowel under the slowcooker lid.
Cook on low for 9 hours.
Boil the noodles according to the packet instructions (mine said 5 minutes). Add the zoodles and carrot noodles.
Scoop the beef from the sauce and add to the noodle and zoodle mix.
Add the coriander and spring onions. Add enough sauce to your taste.
Stir and serve!

Serves 2 adults and 2 kids.