Ox cheek massaman curry
This is a wonderfully fragrant slow-cooked Thai-style massaman beef curry. If ox cheek is not available, you can use braising steak or brisket instead.
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp sunflower oil
- 2 × 400ml tins coconut milk
- 100g/3½oz massaman curry paste
- 750g/1lb10oz ox cheek or braising steak, cut into bite-sized pieces
- 3 tbsp smooth peanut butter
- 150ml/¼ pint chicken stock
- 250g/9oz baby new potatoes, scrubbed and halved
- 1 red onion, thickly sliced
- 1 fresh red chilli, seeds removed and sliced
- 4 fresh lime leaves
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 3 cardamom pods
- 2 tbsp tamarind paste
- 2 tbsp palm sugar or soft brown sugar
- 1 tbsp fish sauce, plus extra to taste
- 2 limes, juice of 1 and 1 cut into wedges to serve
- 3 tbsp chopped roasted peanuts, to garnish
- small handful of Thai basil leaves, to garnish
- cooked white rice, to serve
Method
Preheat the oven to 160C/140C Fan/Gas 3.
Heat the oil in a large, lidded, flameproof casserole over a medium–high heat. Once hot, add 4 tablespoons of the cream from the coconut milk and all of the curry paste. Fry for 2–4 minutes, stirring frequently, until aromatic. Add the ox cheek, stirring frequently, and fry for another 4 minutes, or until browned on all sides.
Add the remaining coconut milk, peanut butter, stock, potatoes, onion, most of the chilli, lime leaves, cinnamon, cardamom, tamarind, sugar, fish sauce and most of the lime juice. Bring to the boil and simmer for 2 minutes, then remove from the heat.
Cover with the lid and transfer to the oven to cook for 2½–3 hours, or until the meat is meltingly tender.
Taste and, if necessary, adjust the seasoning with more fish sauce and lime juice.
Garnish the curry with the remaining sliced chilli, peanuts and Thai basil and serve immediately, with the rice and lime wedges on the side.
