Thai Beef Massaman Curry

Introduction:

Created for us by food blogger Simply Food by Mandy, this Thai Beef Massaman Curry is a fantastically flavour-packed curry that requires little prep and can even be left to simmer away in the slow cooker for the day! What could be more simple than that?! Mandy has used Ox Cheek in this recipe, but you could use beef chunks, stewing steak or even beef shin if you preferred.

Ingredients:

• 600 g Beef Cheek
• 400 g Baby Potatoes, halved
• 400ml Coconut Milk
• 400 g Beef Stock
• 3 Onions, sliced
• 4 Garlic Cloves, crushed
• 2 Thai Chillies, chopped
• 1 tbsp Ginger, chopped
• 4 Kaffir Lime Leaves, finely chopped
• 2 tsp Flour
• 1 Blade Lemongrass, chopped as finely as possible
• Fresh Coriander, to serve
• 2 tbsp Shop-bought Massaman paste – OR use the ingredients below to make your own!
• 5 Dried Red Chillies
• 2 tsp Ground Coriander
• 2 tsp Ground Cumin
• 1 tsp Cinnamon
• 4 Garlic Cloves
• 1 tsp Black Pepper
• 2 Shallots
• 1 tsp Shrimp Paste
• 1 Blade Lemongrass, chopped
• 1 TThumb-sized piece of Ginger, chopped
• 1 tsp Fish Sauce

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 140°C.
2. Put all of the ingredients for the Massaman paste into a food blender and blitz the ingredients together. Loosen with a little coconut milk if the paste is too thick. Set aside.
3. Heat a little oil in a heavy-based saucepan, and then add the whole ox cheeks. Season the cheeks with salt & pepper and cook on a high heat until they are browned on both sides. Remove them from the pan and put on a plate to one side, or place in a slow cooker, making sure the heat is off.
4. In the pan containing the juices from the meat add the onion and cook over a medium heat until soft and golden. Add the garlic, chillies, ginger and lime leaves and cook for 2 minutes. Add the flour and then stir the mix. Add the Massaman paste and stir again.
5. Add the beef stock to the mix and stir to incorporate.
6. Return the beef to the stock mix, or (if you’re using a slow cooker) pour the stock mix very carefully over the top of the beef cheeks.
7. Bring the saucepan to a simmer and then move the pot into the oven for 4 hours. If you’re using a slow cooker, turn the heat onto a medium heat and leave for 4 hours, or place on a low heat and leave for longer.
8. Remove the pot from the oven and pull or cut the meat into chunks. Add the potatoes and coconut milk to the mix and place the pan back into the over for a further hour.

Top Tip

Enjoy a bit scoop of Thai Beef Massaman Curry alongside Basmati rice, a squeeze of fresh lime and a handful of coriander.

You can find out more about Simply Food By Mandy by visiting her Instagram or popping onto her website!