Thai-Style Beef Curry

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            FOOD FUNNY
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Thanks to "Torchlakecosier" for this true food funny:

Another one involving my son Chris, this time aged 10 or so. He
spent the night with a friend whose mother was German-Swiss.
When he came home he asked me if I could please get Mrs. D's
recipe for muesli (this was before it came as a pre-made cereal).
So a couple of weeks later I told him I had seen Mrs. D and gotten
the recipe -- when did he want to have it? "Oh, I don't. It was
awful. I just wanted you to have the recipe so you wouldn't make
it by mistake." Ever since then, when someone asks me for one
of my recipes, I wonder why.

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            TODAY'S RECIPE
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Among the things I like about one-dish meals is that they tend
towards hearty fare, they're typically easy to put together and cook,
they make excellent leftovers, and cleanup is usually simplified.
With all those things in mind, here is our lineup of One-Dish Meals:

(Recipes in brackets are in the PLUS Edition only.)

Monday's Entree
Thai-Style Beef Curry
[Braised Lamb with Barley]

Tuesday's Entree
Chicken and Winter Vegetable Casserole
[Chicken with Chickpeas and Almonds]

Wednesday's Entree
Roast Leg of Lamb with Beans and Green Peppercorns
[Pork and Rice Casserole]

Thursday's Entree
Sausage and Potato Casserole
[Chicken Piri-Piri]

Friday's Entree
Moroccan-Style Fish with Spinach
[Seafood Pie]

Use any type of prepared curry you like in this recipe. I am
particularly fond of the red and green Thai curry pastes that are
found in most supermarkets these days, but you could also use
the old-fashioned curry powder that's available everywhere.

Thai-Style Beef Curry

2 Tbs (30 ml) vegetable oil
2 Tbs (30 ml) curry paste or powder
1 lb (450 g) beef stew meat, trimmed of excess fat
and cut into 1-inch (3 cm) pieces
2 bay (laurel) leaves
1 1/2 cups (375 ml) coconut milk
1 1/2 cups (375 ml) beef stock
3 Tbs (45 ml) Asian fish sauce (nam pla, nuoc mam)
2 Tbs (30 ml) lime or lemon juice
1 Tbs (15 ml) sugar
1 lb (450 g) new potatoes, halved
1/4 lb (110 g) pearl onions, peeled
1/4 lb (110 g) green beans (haricots), halved
1 red bell pepper (capsicum) cored, seeded, and cut
into thin strips
1 cup (250 ml) unsalted roasted peanuts, coarsely
chopped, plus additional for garnish (optional)

Heat the oil in a large pot over moderate heat and saute the curry
paste for about 30 seconds. Add the beef and saute until the beef
is lightly browned and coated with the curry mixture. Add the bay
leaves, coconut milk, and beef broth and bring to a boil. Simmer
covered until the beef is tender, about 1 hour. Add the onions and
potatoes and cook covered for 10 minutes. Add the green beans,
bell pepper, and peanuts and simmer covered for 10 more minutes.
Serve the meat and vegetables along with the broth, garnished with
chopped peanuts if desired. Serves 4 to 6.
Received on Mon Feb 6 12:18:31 2006