In the cold climate of Hebra and Tabantha, hearty stews have long been a way of life. Game meats and root vegetables were simmered together into filling, warming meals that could sustain the people through the region’s harsh winters.
That tradition began to change when Goron Spice made its way into the western reaches of the kingdom through trade. Its bold flavors and lingering heat brought new possibilities to the cooks of Hebra and Tabantha, who began incorporating the spice into the goat butter and Tabantha wheat flour roux traditionally used to thicken their stews.
The addition transformed the dish. The Goron Spice spread evenly through the roux, deepening its flavor as it carried its warmth throughout the stew. Once stirred into the broth, the spiced roux thickened it into a rich sauce that clung to the meat and vegetables, turning the humble stew of Hebra into something altogether new: a spicy, warming curry.
The curry quickly became a beloved regional dish, and as its popularity grew, cooks developed their own variations using poultry, vegetables, and other ingredients. Eventually, the dish spread eastward across Hyrule, where the warm, richly spiced curry of Hebra and Tabantha became a favorite throughout the kingdom.
"The heat from the spice allows you to enjoy the large portion of the meat's savoriness."
Since the Goron curries are inspired by Japanese curries, we’ll be taking a similar approach to a Japanese curry for this dish (as we did with the other Goron curries so far). We’ll be using chuck roast (or chuck steak) for the meat. After making the Goron spice roux, we’ll stew the meat using a pressure cooker. Once the meat cubes are cooked through and softened in the pressure cooker, we’ll add the remaining ingredients, including the spice roux, in layers to build the curry. The meat curry is very hearty and satisfying. A bowl of this may actually satisfy me and warm me up enough to enjoy a day in the Hebra mountains… maybe…
Ingredients
Curry Roux
3 tbsp butter
4 tbsp all purpose flour
2-3 tbsp Goron Spice
Curry
2-3 cups Japanese rice
1½ lbs chuck roast
2 carrots, peeled and chopped
1½ lbs chuck roast
2 carrots, peeled and chopped
1 potato, peeled and chopped
1 small onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp ginger, grated
4 cups of beef stock
1 tbsp Fuji apple, peeled and grated
1 tbsp soy sauce
1 small onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp ginger, grated
4 cups of beef stock
1 tbsp Fuji apple, peeled and grated
1 tbsp soy sauce
½ tbsp honey (optional)
Handful of parsley, chopped
Salt and pepper
Vegetable or olive oil
Handful of parsley, chopped
Salt and pepper
Vegetable or olive oil
Prepare the Japanese white rice according to the directions on the package.
To make the roux, melt the butter in a pan over low heat. When the butter has melted, add the flour and stir to combine and create a loose paste. Continue to cook the flour mixture, stirring regularly to prevent burning. Cook for roughly 5-8 minutes (or as long as needed) until the mixture turns a light brown. At this time add the Goron spice and stir to combine. Cook for 30 seconds and then remove the roux from the pan to a bowl.
Season both sides of the Chuck roast with salt and pepper. Cut the chuck roast into 2 inch pieces.
Set a Pressure cooker over medium heat. Once warm, add a tablespoon or two of oil. Add the Chuck roast chunks and braise for 2-3 minutes per side, until pieces are fully browned. Sear the beef in batches to avoid crowding the pot. Reserve the beef chunks on a plate or in a bowl while you braise the remaining batches of beef.
Once all of the beef is braised and removed from the pressure cooker, add the onion. You can add another tablespoon of oil if needed as well. Sauté for 3-5 minutes until soft and translucent. Add the garlic and ginger, and sauté for one minute, until fragrant.
Return the meat to the pressure cooker and add the beef broth. Scrape up any brown bits on the bottom of the pot. Secure the pressure cooker lid and set it ready to cook. Turn the heat up to high while the pressure cooker builds pressure. Once it comes to pressure, turn the heat down to low and allow to pressure cook for 20 minutes.
After 20 minutes, turn off the heat and release the pressure. Once the pressure is released and you can remove the lid, remove it, and turn the heat back on to medium heat.
Add the carrots and potatoes and bring the stew to a boil. Once boiling, reduce to simmer, and add the apple. Allow the stew to simmer for about 10 minutes or until carrots soften.
Once the carrots soften, add your curry roux to a small bowl and whisk it with a ladle of the warm broth from the pot. Whisk until smooth (add another ladle of warm broth if needed). Remove the pot from the heat and stir the roux mixture into the curry. Stir until it is completely blended. Add the soy sauce and stir to incorporate. If you are adding honey, stir it into the curry here. Return the pot to the heat, and allow to simmer for 5-8 minutes more until the curry has thickened. If it is getting too thick, add a little more broth or water to thin. Salt to taste if needed.
When thickened and finished, remove from heat and serve. Serve the curry in a bowl beside the rice, each on half of the bowl. Garnish the rice with chopped parsley.
Learn more about the Meat Curry dish from The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild at Zelda Dungeon.