Panang Curry with Beef
Tender slices of sirloin simmer in a rich, lightly sweet panang sauce built on coconut cream, fragrant curry paste, ground peanuts and kaffir lime leaves. It's ready in under an hour in a single skillet and is thick enough to spoon over jasmine rice.
- Prep
- 15 min
- Cook
- 16 min
- Wait
- 15 min
- Total
- 46 min
- Makes
- 4 servings (about 4 cups curry, plus rice)
Steps
Before you start
- Have the jasmine rice cooked and keeping warm before you begin; the curry comes together quickly once the beef goes in.
- Do not shake the can of coconut milk. You need the thick cream on top separated from the thinner milk below to fry the curry paste properly.
- Chill the beef in the freezer for 15 minutes so it firms up enough to slice thinly and evenly.
- Panang paste brands vary a lot in saltiness and heat. Start with the amount given and adjust the fish sauce at the end.
Chill and slice beef
- Place the trimmed sirloin on a plate and freeze for 15 minutes, until the outside is firm but the center still gives slightly when pressed.
- Using a sharp knife, slice against the grain into ¼-inch (6 mm) thick strips about 2 inches (5 cm) long.
- Set aside in a bowl.
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Ready when: Beef feels firm on the outside with a slight give in the center
Tip: Do not freeze solid. Partially frozen meat is easy to slice, but fully frozen meat will be hard to cut and cook unevenly.
Prep the aromatics
- Remove the tough center vein from each lime leaf.
- Tear 4 leaves in half and cut the other 2 into very thin slivers for garnish.
- Seed and slice the bell pepper into ½-inch (1.25 cm) strips.
- Grind 2 tablespoons of peanuts to a coarse powder in a mortar or small food processor, and roughly chop the remaining 2 tablespoons for garnish.
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Ready when: Ground peanuts look like coarse sand with a few small pieces
Tip: Pulse the peanuts in short bursts. Over-processing turns them into peanut butter.
Fry the curry paste
- Without shaking the can, open the coconut milk and spoon the thick cream from the top, about ½ cup (120 ml), into a cold 12-inch (30 cm) skillet.
- Reserve the thinner milk left in the can.
- Add the oil and set over medium heat.
- When the cream starts to bubble, stir in the panang paste, breaking it up with a wooden spoon.
- Cook, stirring constantly, for 3 to 4 minutes.
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Ready when: The paste smells toasty and fragrant, and reddish oil separates and pools at the edges of the cream
Tip: If the cream is too thin to separate into a layer, use 3 tablespoons of the coconut milk and cook a minute longer to reduce it. Lower the heat if the paste starts to scorch.
Build the sauce
- Pour in the remaining coconut milk from the can and the beef stock.
- Add the fish sauce, palm sugar, ground peanuts and the 4 torn lime leaves.
- Stir well, bring to a gentle simmer, then reduce the heat to medium-low.
- Simmer uncovered for 5 to 6 minutes, stirring occasionally.
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Ready when: The sauce is slightly thickened and coats the back of a spoon, and a line drawn through it holds for a second
Tip: Keep it at a gentle simmer. A hard boil can cause the coconut milk to split and turn greasy.
Cook the beef
- Add the sliced beef to the skillet and stir to separate the strips so each is submerged in the sauce.
- Cook at a gentle simmer for 2 to 3 minutes, stirring once or twice.
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Ready when: The beef is no longer pink on the outside and reads 145°F (63°C) on an instant-read thermometer for medium
Tip: Thin strips overcook quickly and turn tough. Pull the skillet off the heat as soon as they are just cooked through.
Add the pepper
- Stir in the bell pepper strips and simmer for 2 minutes, just until they soften slightly but still have some bite.
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Ready when: Pepper strips are bright, glossy and crisp-tender when pierced with a fork
Taste and adjust
- Remove the skillet from the heat.
- Taste the sauce and add another teaspoon of fish sauce if it needs more salt, or a pinch more sugar if it tastes sharp.
- Fold in the Thai basil leaves, if using, and let them wilt for 30 seconds from the residual heat.
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Ready when: Sauce tastes balanced: salty, mildly sweet and rich, with a gentle heat
Tip: Add fish sauce a little at a time. Some panang pastes are already quite salty.
Serve
- Divide the hot jasmine rice among 4 shallow bowls.
- Ladle the curry over or alongside the rice.
- Top with the slivered lime leaves and chopped peanuts, and serve right away.
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Tip: The torn lime leaves in the sauce are for flavor only. Ask diners to leave them on the side of the bowl.
Good to know
Tips
- Slice the beef against the grain and keep the strips thin so they stay tender in the short cooking time.
- Frying the paste in the coconut cream until the oil separates is the key to a deep, rounded flavor. Do not skip this step.
- For a spicier curry, add 1 to 2 sliced red Thai chiles with the bell pepper, or stir in an extra teaspoon of paste in step 3.
- Canned coconut milk varies in thickness. If the finished sauce is too thin, simmer it for 2 minutes before adding the beef, or use a splash less stock.
Make ahead
"The sauce (through step 4) can be made up to 2 days ahead and refrigerated. Reheat it to a gentle simmer, then add the beef and pepper and finish as written. You can also slice the beef and pepper a day ahead and keep them covered in the fridge."
Storage & reheating
"Room temperature: up to 2 hours. Fridge: store the curry in an airtight container for up to 3 days. Freezer: up to 2 months, though the beef will be a little softer and the sauce may look slightly separated. Reheat gently in a skillet or saucepan over medium-low heat, stirring in a splash of water or stock, until steaming hot. Avoid boiling."
Substitutions
- kaffir lime leaves → Zest of 1 lime, added in step 4. Gives a similar citrusy aroma, though it lacks the unique floral flavor of the leaves. Add the lime juice at the end only if needed.
- palm sugar or light brown sugar → Light brown sugar. Use the same amount. The flavor is slightly less caramel-like but works well.
- beef sirloin steak → Boneless chicken thighs or flank steak. Slice chicken thinly and cook until it reaches 165°F (74°C), about 5 to 6 minutes. Flank steak is sliced the same way as sirloin.
- fish sauce → Light soy sauce. Use the same amount for a less funky flavor, or tamari for a gluten-free option. It's not suitable for strict vegetarian use unless the beef is also left out.
