Beef Panang Curry

Method

1. 01

   Slice beef against the grain

   Chill beef 20 minutes until firm, then slice 5 mm across clearly visible fibres. Pat dry and separate slices so they cook evenly; keep refrigerated while preparing the curry.

   

2. 02

   Fry Panang paste in coconut cream

   Spoon 180 ml thick coconut cream into a wide pan and simmer over medium heat 5–7 minutes until glossy. Add curry paste and fry 4 minutes until intensely aromatic and small red oil beads appear.

   

3. 03

   Thicken with ground peanuts

   Stir in ground peanuts and 60 ml of the remaining coconut milk. Cook over medium-low for 2 minutes until smooth and nutty; scrape constantly because ground peanuts catch easily.

   

4. 04

   Build a reduced curry sauce

   Add remaining 260 ml coconut milk, stock, fish sauce, palm sugar, and half the lime-leaf shreds. Simmer uncovered 8–10 minutes until reduced by roughly one quarter and thick enough to coat a spoon.

   

5. 05

   Poach beef briefly

   Lower heat to medium-low and add beef slices one by one. Stir gently for 3–5 minutes until no raw red surfaces remain and the thickest slice reaches at least 63°C; do not boil hard or the lean beef will toughen.

   

6. 06

   Balance and add basil

   Taste the reduced sauce and add up to 10 ml fish sauce only if needed. Turn off heat, fold in basil and half the chile for 20 seconds, then rest uncovered 3 minutes so the sauce remains thick.

   

7. 07

   Finish with lime-leaf threads

   Divide among four shallow bowls, spooning sauce over equal beef portions. Scatter remaining lime-leaf shreds and chile, then serve with hot jasmine rice; Panang should sit as a thick curry, not a bowl of soup.