Lightly pat the beef cubes dry with a clean paper towel then toss in the flour, coating each cube. Dust off the excess and season with salt and freshly ground pepper.

In a heavy bottomed pan with a lid or a dutch oven, heat a generous amount of oil over medium high heat. When the oil is hot, sear the beef cubes on all sides until deeply golden. Remove from the pan and set aside.

Add the ginger slices, shallot, garlic, and lemongrass and cook, stirring, until the shallot and garlic are soft, but not brown, about 1-2 minutes. Add in the the onions, carrots, and potatoes. Stir in the tomato paste and beef stock. Add the beef back into the pan and bring to a gentle simmer over medium high heat.

While the stew is coming to a simmer, wrap the star anise, fennel, cloves, bay leaf, and cinnamon stick in cheese cloth or place in a large tea bag for easy removal later. Add it to the stew.

When the stew comes to a boil, turn the heat as low as possible – you want the barest simmer – and cover partway, leaving a bit of the pan uncovered to let out steam. Simmer for 2 hours, stirring occasionally and adding a touch of water as needed.

After 2 hours test the meat, it should be tender and delicious, but not at all falling apart. Season with fish sauce and sugar to taste. Enjoy!

Optional: Vietnamese beef stew is rarely thickened, but if you like your stew on the slightly thicker side, make a roux from 2 tablespoons of butter and 2 tablespoons of flour. Melt the butter in a small pot over medium heat. Whisk in the flour and cook, whisking until brown and rich. After seasoning the stew, whisk the roux into the stew and bring it to a simmer.