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Coconut Beef Curry

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There's a time for a 20-ingredient, four-hour curry, and it's not 5 p.m. on Tuesday. This shortcut version yields a hearty crowd-pleaser.

Recipe information

  • Total Time

    1 hour 45 minutes

  • Yield

    Serves 4

Ingredients

1

1/2 pounds beef chuck, cut into 1 1/2-inch pieces

Kosher salt

2

tablespoons vegetable oil

2

tablespoons unsalted butter

1

/2 large white onion, thinly sliced

4

garlic cloves, finely chopped

1

tablespoon finely chopped peeled ginger

3

tablespoons curry powder, preferably Indian

2

bay leaves

2

(13.5-ounce) cans unsweetened coconut milk

2

pounds Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled, cut into 2-inch pieces

Steamed jasmine rice, cilantro, thinly sliced Fresno chile, and lime wedges (for serving)

Need to make a substitution?

Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Season beef generously with salt. Heat oil in a large heavy pot over medium-high. Working in batches, cook beef, turning occasionally, until deeply browned all over, 8–10 minutes. Transfer to a plate.

    Step 2

    Pour off all but 1 Tbsp. fat from pot. Reduce heat to medium; add butter, onion, garlic, and ginger and cook, stirring often and scraping up browned bits, until onion is translucent, about 5 minutes. Add curry; cook, stirring, until it starts to stick to pot, about 3 minutes. Stir in bay leaves, coconut milk, and 1 cup water. Return beef to pot. Season with salt and bring to a simmer. Cook, partially covered, until beef is just fork-tender, 30–35 minutes.

    Step 3

    Add potatoes, bring to a simmer, and cook uncovered, stirring occasionally, until beef and potatoes are very tender, 25–35 minutes. Thin with water if needed; season with salt. Serve over rice, topped with cilantro, chile, and lime wedges.