Name: Massaman Beef Curry
Prep time: 25 min
Cook time: 125 min
Total time: 150 min
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: Thai
Ingredients: 85 g unsalted peanuts; 400 ml coconut milk (1 can; skim off the thick cream from the top); 4 tbsp massaman curry paste; 600 g braising beef (shoulder or shin), in large chunks; 450 g waxy potatoes (cut into 2.5 cm pieces); 1 onion, cut into thin wedges; 4 makrut (kaffir) lime leaves; 1 cinnamon stick; 1 star anise; 1 tbsp tamarind paste; 1 tbsp palm sugar or light cane sugar; 1 tbsp fish sauce; 200 ml water; 1 red chilli, deseeded, in fine rings (to serve); 300 g jasmine rice (to serve)

Preparation

Preheat the oven to 200 °C (conventional). Roast the peanuts on a baking tray for 5 minutes until golden brown, leave to cool and chop roughly. Turn the oven down to 180 °C (conventional).
Heat 2 tbsp of the coconut milk (ideally from the thick cream) in a lidded casserole, fry the curry paste in it for 1 minute, add the beef and brown all over until well coated in paste.
Add the remaining coconut milk, water, potatoes, onion, lime leaves, cinnamon stick, star anise, tamarind, sugar, fish sauce and most of the peanuts and bring to the boil.
Cover and braise in the oven for 2 hours until the meat is tender.
Season the curry with fish sauce (salty), tamarind (sour) and sugar (sweet); it should be mainly sweet and sour. If it is too thick, add a little water. Cook the rice according to the packet instructions.
Serve the curry over the rice and scatter with the remaining peanuts and the chilli.

Drink with it

White wine · excellent match
Gewürztraminer or Riesling Spätlese, off-dry, cool
Residual sugar and aromatic spice meet the cinnamon, star anise and coconut, while the acidity keeps the tamarind fresh and cuts the coconut fat.
Which wine pairs with food? A simple approach to choosing
Red wine · excellent match
Fruity Grenache or Zinfandel with little tannin, lightly chilled
Ripe dark fruit and soft tannins suit the braised beef and the sweet spice note; a lot of tannin would taste harsh next to the chilli.
Pale lager · good match
Thai lager, ice cold
Fizz and a slim body refresh after coconut milk and peanuts and leave room for the spices.
Pils or Helles: What's the Difference?
Aged rum · good match
Aged rum on ice
Caramel and vanilla from the cask pick up the palm sugar and cinnamon; the ice tames the alcohol, which would otherwise accentuate the chilli.
Drinking rum neat: how to get to know a bottling
Fortified wine · good match
Amontillado, dry, lightly chilled
The nutty tones of the sherry answer the peanut and coconut, and its fine acidity answers the tamarind.
Port wine: understanding Ruby, Tawny, and Vintage

Preparation

Preheat the oven to 200 °C (conventional). Roast the peanuts on a baking tray for 5 minutes until golden brown, leave to cool and chop roughly. Turn the oven down to 180 °C (conventional).
Heat 2 tbsp of the coconut milk (ideally from the thick cream) in a lidded casserole, fry the curry paste in it for 1 minute, add the beef and brown all over until well coated in paste.
Add the remaining coconut milk, water, potatoes, onion, lime leaves, cinnamon stick, star anise, tamarind, sugar, fish sauce and most of the peanuts and bring to the boil.
Cover and braise in the oven for 2 hours until the meat is tender.
Season the curry with fish sauce (salty), tamarind (sour) and sugar (sweet); it should be mainly sweet and sour. If it is too thick, add a little water. Cook the rice according to the packet instructions.
Serve the curry over the rice and scatter with the remaining peanuts and the chilli.

Drink with it

White wine · excellent match
Gewürztraminer or Riesling Spätlese, off-dry, cool
Residual sugar and aromatic spice meet the cinnamon, star anise and coconut, while the acidity keeps the tamarind fresh and cuts the coconut fat.
Which wine pairs with food? A simple approach to choosing
Red wine · excellent match
Fruity Grenache or Zinfandel with little tannin, lightly chilled
Ripe dark fruit and soft tannins suit the braised beef and the sweet spice note; a lot of tannin would taste harsh next to the chilli.
Pale lager · good match
Thai lager, ice cold
Fizz and a slim body refresh after coconut milk and peanuts and leave room for the spices.
Pils or Helles: What's the Difference?
Aged rum · good match
Aged rum on ice
Caramel and vanilla from the cask pick up the palm sugar and cinnamon; the ice tames the alcohol, which would otherwise accentuate the chilli.
Drinking rum neat: how to get to know a bottling
Fortified wine · good match
Amontillado, dry, lightly chilled
The nutty tones of the sherry answer the peanut and coconut, and its fine acidity answers the tamarind.
Port wine: understanding Ruby, Tawny, and Vintage

Massaman Beef Curry

Preparation

Drink with it

Gewürztraminer or Riesling Spätlese, off-dry, cool

Fruity Grenache or Zinfandel with little tannin, lightly chilled

Thai lager, ice cold

Aged rum on ice

Amontillado, dry, lightly chilled

This pairs well too.

Calf's liver Berlin style (Kalbsleber Berliner Art)

Bacon-Wrapped Pork Fillet with Mushroom Sauce and Spätzle

Chicken Marsala

Cioppino

Massaman Beef Curry

Preparation

Drink with it

Gewürztraminer or Riesling Spätlese, off-dry, cool

Fruity Grenache or Zinfandel with little tannin, lightly chilled

Thai lager, ice cold

Aged rum on ice

Amontillado, dry, lightly chilled

This pairs well too.

Calf's liver Berlin style (Kalbsleber Berliner Art)

Bacon-Wrapped Pork Fillet with Mushroom Sauce and Spätzle

Chicken Marsala

Cioppino