Red Thai Curry Beef

Quick shot of my bowl

It was another rainy day and I wanted to make something hearty. I didn't want anything tomato based. I wanted something saucy. And I didn't really know what I was going to make until I took the meat out of the fridge. And even then, I had an idea of what I was going to make, but not exactly how I was going to make it.

This is not exactly a textbook Thai Red Curry, but it borrows the flavours that make this dish work. I made some substitutions based on what I had on hand (read: what I could use in a pinch instead of searching while my daughter grows increasingly impatient) and the results turned out so yummy with a great texture, that honestly, there isn't a thing I would change.

Shot of the pot right before we dished in.

Red Thai Beef Curry

Stewing Beef		1 lb
Onions		5 med, chopped
Garlic		1/2 head, minced
Ginger		2 tbsp, minced
Lemongrass		1 stalk, finely sliced
Thai Chillis		5 whole peppers
Non-Fat Sour Cream		1/4 cup
Non-Fat Yoghurt		1/2 cup
Crab Paste		2 tbsp (ground)
Tamarind Paste		4 tbsp (1/6 pkg)
Tomato Paste		2 tbsp
Fish Sauce		1/4 cup
Khaffir Lime Leaves		5 leaves
Curry Powder		2 tbsp
Coriander		1 tsp (ground)
Black Pepper		1 tbsp (optional)
Canola Oil		4 tbsp

Preparation:

1. Wash beef and cut into 1" cubes
2. Pour canola oil into pot on med-high heat
3. Saute onions and garlic until translucent
4. Add ginger and lemongrass and saute until barely beginning to brown
5. Add tomato paste, crab paste, curry powder and coriander
6. Cook out all moisture until the paste begins to fry
7. Add beef and stir to coat and then leave to brown
8. Juices will release. It will seem like a lot of liquid, but rest assured, it will all evaporate. It will take a long time and require occasional stirring, but do not skip this step and do not continue before the meat itself begins to fry after all the liquid has disappeared. Doing so will result in a bland, one note dish. This is the step that separates the 'holy-crap-this-is-amazing' from 'it's-nice'.
9. When the meat has caramelized, add lime leafs, chillies and enough just-boiled water to cover and stir.
10. In a separate bowl, add tamarind paste and pour enough boiling water over to cover. Use a fork to quickly and vigorously mash the paste until all the pulp has been removed from the seeds and the skins. If you use 'sweet-tamarind', you will get a crappy taste. What you're looking for here is the intense sour of tamarind paste. Do not substitute this. Once you've mashed the paste, your water will become a pulp. Strain this through a fine meshed sieve directly into the pot.
11. Add fish sauce to the pot.
12. Stir and let boil for ten minutes.
13. Add yogurt and sour cream and stir to completely incorporate. The yogurt may appear a little grainy - that's okay. It will completely dissolve by the time the dish has finished cooking.
14. Reduce heat to low and cover for fifteen minutes. Turn off heat and remain covered until ready to serve over steamed rice.