Slow-Braised Beef Massaman Curry

Name: Slow-Braised Beef Massaman Curry
Prep time: 25 min
Cook time: 3 h 15 min
Total time: 3 h 40 min
Yield: 6 servings
Cuisine: Thai
Ingredients: 2½ lb (1130 g) boneless beef chuck, trimmed of large hard fat, cut into 1½-inch (4 cm) cubes, patted dry; 1 tsp (6 g) fine sea salt; 2 tbsp (30 ml) neutral oil (such as avocado or vegetable); 2 cans (13.5 oz each) (800 ml) full-fat coconut milk, unshaken, at room temperature; 4 tbsp (60 g) massaman curry paste; 1½ cups (360 ml) low-sodium beef stock or water; 1 stick (3-inch) (7 cm) cinnamon stick; 2 pods (2 g) whole star anise; 4 pods (1 g) green cardamom pods, lightly crushed; 3 leaves (1 g) dried bay leaves; 2 tbsp (30 g) tamarind paste (seedless pulp or concentrate); 2 tbsp (30 ml) fish sauce; 2 tbsp (25 g) palm sugar or light brown sugar, finely chopped or packed; 6 small (about 7 oz) (200 g) shallots, peeled and halved lengthwise, root end left on; 1¼ lb (570 g) Yukon Gold or other waxy potatoes, peeled, cut into 1½-inch (4 cm) chunks; ¾ cup (100 g) unsalted roasted peanuts; 1 large (about 2 oz) (60 g) lime, half squeezed for juice (about 1 tbsp), half cut into wedges; ¼ cup (10 g) fresh cilantro, leaves and tender stems, roughly chopped (optional); 2 cups (uncooked) (370 g) jasmine rice, cooked according to package directions (optional)

From the MyKitchenBank Kitchen

Chunks of beef chuck braise gently in the oven in a fragrant coconut sauce of massaman paste, cinnamon, star anise and tamarind until spoon-tender. Potatoes, shallots and roasted peanuts finish in the pot for a rich, mildly spiced, sweet-sour curry.

Prep: 25 min
Cook: 3 hr 15 min
Wait: 25 min
Total: 4 hr 5 min
Makes: About 8 cups curry (6 generous servings)

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Ingredients

6 servings

For the curry
2½ lb (1130 g) boneless beef chuck, trimmed of large hard fat, cut into 1½-inch (4 cm) cubes, patted dry
1 tsp (6 g) fine sea salt
2 tbsp (30 ml) neutral oil (such as avocado or vegetable)
2 cans (13.5 oz each) (800 ml) full-fat coconut milk, unshaken, at room temperature
4 tbsp (60 g) massaman curry paste
1½ cups (360 ml) low-sodium beef stock or water
1 stick (3-inch) (7 cm) cinnamon stick
2 pods (2 g) whole star anise
4 pods (1 g) green cardamom pods, lightly crushed
3 leaves (1 g) dried bay leaves
2 tbsp (30 g) tamarind paste (seedless pulp or concentrate)
2 tbsp (30 ml) fish sauce
2 tbsp (25 g) palm sugar or light brown sugar, finely chopped or packed
Added later
6 small (about 7 oz) (200 g) shallots, peeled and halved lengthwise, root end left on
1¼ lb (570 g) Yukon Gold or other waxy potatoes, peeled, cut into 1½-inch (4 cm) chunks
¾ cup (100 g) unsalted roasted peanuts
To finish
1 large (about 2 oz) (60 g) lime, half squeezed for juice (about 1 tbsp), half cut into wedges
¼ cup (10 g) fresh cilantro, leaves and tender stems, roughly chopped (optional)
To serve
2 cups (uncooked) (370 g) jasmine rice, cooked according to package directions (optional)

Equipment (6)

5½- to 6-quart (5–6 L) Dutch oven or heavy ovenproof pot with lid
Small dry skillet (8-inch / 20 cm) for toasting peanuts
Large plate or rimmed tray for the seared beef
Wooden spoon
Instant-read thermometer
Ladle or large spoon for skimming oil

Steps

Before you start

Do not shake the coconut milk cans before opening; you need the thick cream on top separated from the thin milk below.
Cut the beef into large 1½-inch (4 cm) cubes. Smaller pieces dry out during the long braise.
Set a rack in the lower third of the oven. The Dutch oven needs room with the lid on.
Massaman pastes vary a lot in saltiness and heat. Start with the amount given and adjust at the end.
Plan on about 4 hours start to finish, though only about 1 hour is hands-on.

1
Season the beefOven 300°F / 150°C
- Pat the beef cubes very dry with paper towels.
- Toss in a bowl with the salt.
- Let the beef sit at room temperature for 15 minutes while you prepare everything else.
- Position a rack in the lower third of the oven and heat to 300°F (150°C).
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Ready when: Surface of the beef looks dry and matte, not wet
Tip: Wet beef will not brown. Dry it thoroughly.
2
Toast the peanuts
- Set the dry skillet over medium heat.
- Add the peanuts and toast, shaking the pan often, for 4–5 minutes.
- Tip onto a plate to stop cooking.
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Ready when: Peanuts smell nutty and are a deeper golden color with light brown spots
Tip: Peanuts burn quickly once they smell toasty. Remove them from the pan right away.
3
Sear the beef
- Heat the oil in the Dutch oven over medium-high heat until it shimmers.
- Add half the beef in a single layer with space between pieces.
- Sear without moving for 2–3 minutes, then turn and brown the other sides, about 6 minutes total.
- Move to a plate and repeat with the remaining beef.
- Lower the heat to medium.
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Ready when: Beef is deeply browned on most sides and releases easily from the pot
Tip: Crowding the pot makes the beef steam and turn gray. Cook in two batches.
4
Fry the paste
- Carefully open the coconut milk cans without shaking.
- Spoon the thick cream from the top of both cans (about 1 cup / 240 ml) into the pot, keeping the thin milk in the cans.
- Cook over medium heat, stirring, for 3 minutes until bubbling and the oil starts to separate.
- Add the massaman paste and fry, stirring constantly, for 3 minutes.
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Ready when: Paste darkens a shade, smells very fragrant, and a reddish-brown oil shimmers on the surface
Tip: If your cans have no thick cream layer, use ½ cup (120 ml) of the milk and cook 2 minutes longer to reduce it.
5
Build the braise
- Pour in the remaining thin coconut milk and the beef stock, scraping up browned bits from the bottom.
- Stir in the tamarind, fish sauce, palm sugar, cinnamon stick, star anise, cardamom and bay leaves.
- Return the beef and any juices on the plate to the pot.
- Bring to a gentle simmer over medium heat, about 5 minutes, stirring to dissolve the sugar and tamarind.
- The liquid should come about three-quarters of the way up the beef.
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Ready when: Small bubbles break at the edges and the sauce is smooth and uniform in color
Tip: Do not boil hard, which can make coconut milk split and turn greasy.
6
Braise in the ovenOven 300°F / 150°C
- Cover the pot and transfer to the 300°F (150°C) oven.
- Braise for 2 hours, stirring once halfway through.
- The sauce should barely bubble around the edges.
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Ready when: A beef cube is nearly tender when pierced with a fork but still holds its shape
Tip: If the sauce is bubbling vigorously, lower the oven to 275°F (135°C).
7
Add vegetables and peanutsOven 300°F / 150°C
- Remove the pot from the oven.
- Stir in the potatoes, shallots and half of the toasted peanuts (about ⅓ cup / 50 g).
- Push the vegetables down so they are mostly submerged.
- Cover and return to the 300°F (150°C) oven for 40 minutes.
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Ready when: A knife slides into the potato with no resistance and beef shreds easily with a fork; beef reads about 200°F (93°C)
Tip: Cut the potatoes no smaller than 1½ inches (4 cm) or they will dissolve into the sauce.
8
Skim and season
- Remove the pot from the oven and lift out the cinnamon stick, star anise, cardamom and bay leaves.
- Tilt the pot and spoon off most of the reddish oil on the surface.
- Stir in the lime juice.
- Taste and adjust: add more fish sauce for salt, a little more sugar for sweetness, or a splash of tamarind for tang.
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Ready when: Sauce coats the back of a spoon and tastes balanced between salty, sweet and sour
Tip: Curry tastes even better after resting. Keep it covered while it sits.
9
Serve
- Cook the jasmine rice according to package directions while the curry rests, if serving.
- Ladle the curry into warm bowls over the rice.
- Scatter with the remaining toasted peanuts and the cilantro, and serve with lime wedges.
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Ready when: Curry is steaming hot throughout

Good to know

Tips

Use full-fat coconut milk. Light versions are thin and can split during the long braise.
Chuck is ideal because it is marbled with collagen. Lean cuts like sirloin turn dry and stringy.
If the sauce is too thin at the end, simmer uncovered on the stove over medium heat for 5–10 minutes. If too thick, loosen with a few tablespoons of hot water.
Taste the paste before using it. If your brand is mild, add 1 extra tablespoon; if hot, stick to 3 tablespoons.

Make ahead

Make the curry through step 8 up to 3 days ahead and refrigerate in the pot. The flavor improves overnight. Cool for no more than 1 hour at room temperature before chilling. Reheat gently on the stove over medium-low heat until steaming. Add the garnish peanuts and cilantro just before serving.

Storage & reheating

Room temperature: up to 2 hours. Refrigerator: airtight container up to 4 days. Freezer: up to 3 months, though potatoes soften slightly after freezing. Thaw overnight in the fridge. Reheat in a covered pot over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, adding a splash of water or stock if it has thickened, until steaming hot (165°F / 74°C).

Substitutions

boneless beef chuck → bone-in beef short ribs or boneless lamb shoulder. Short ribs need the same cook time; lamb shoulder may be tender about 20 minutes sooner, so check at 1 hour 45 minutes.
tamarind paste (seedless pulp or concentrate) → 2 tbsp fresh lime juice plus 1 tsp extra sugar. Less deep and fruity, but gives the needed sour balance. Add at the end rather than at the start.
fish sauce → light soy sauce. Use 2 tbsp for a similar level of salt; the flavor is less funky, so taste before adding more.
unsalted roasted peanuts → toasted cashews. Similar richness; add them in the same places.