Quarantinechef: Burma Superstar's Beef and Potato Curry

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WINTER IS COMING in quarantineland (and specifically Colorado). Time to ignore the dread and warm up with an amazing beef and potato curry from the BURMA SUPERSTAR cookbook.

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Quarantine is weird. On one hand, I really do feel hashtag blessed because I’ve had a lot of time to myself to contemplate what’s important, dig into feelings I usually leave buried, lean into discomfort, etc. On the other hand, this is a fucking ridiculously terrible year and I’m lonely and there seems to be no escape (hashtag not blessed). BUT I do love that I’ve had more time to cook and experiment with new recipes and techniques, and for the new autumn season, as the leaves fall and darkness descends and the apocalypse looms, I’m going deep on new recipes.

First up: BURMA SUPERSTAR’S beef and potato curry (order cookbook from bookshop.org). It takes forever and is definitely a weekend dish purely because of time invested. But it’s also really simple to pull together and all the ingredients can be found at a major supermarket. In the aftertimes, if we survive, I can see making this for a dinner party - it takes a long, slow simmer, which is perfect for giving yourself time to enjoy the arrival of your guests.

INGREDIENTS:

  • 2.5 lbs beef (I used chuck roast; any stew meat works)

  • 1 tbsp paprika (plain, not smoked)

  • 1/2 tsp turmeric

  • 2 tsp salt

  • 1/3 c canola oil

  • 1 oz ginger

  • 2 stalks lemongrass

  • 2.5 c finely diced yellow onion

  • 1/3 c minced garlic

  • 2-3 thai chiles (thinly sliced) or 2 small dried chiles (I used the dried chiles)

  • 2 bay leaves

  • 2 tbsp fish sauce (I use Red Boat)

  • 4 c water

  • 1 tbsp Madras curry powder

  • 3/4 tsp garam masala

  • 1 lb yukon potatoes (I used about five small/medium, bc I like potatoes)

  • spoonful of greek yogurt (optional)

  • cilantro and lime wedges for garnish (optional)

INSTRUCTIONS:

Step 1: Cut 2.5lb of beef into 1/2 - 1” cubes, trimming sinew/fat as needed. Toss beef into a bowl with 1tbsp paprika, 1/2tsp turmeric, and 2tsp salt. Let sit on the counter while you’re prepping the rest of the curry, or refrigerate overnight (note: I prepped the beef ~9am, refrigerated it, and then cooked the curry later the same day, and it was pretty perfect).

Step 2: Dice 2.5 c yellow onion (this was a little more than 1 large yellow onion). I used a knife, but it took awhile and I would be tempted to try my food processor next time.

Step 3: Mince 1/3 c garlic. This was almost two full heads, which was pretty time consuming. Again, I might be tempted to try a food processor next time.

Step 4: Prep your lemongrass and ginger: peel 1 oz of ginger and slice lengthwise into slabs. Cut 2 lemongrass stalks in 2” chunks.

Step 4: Heat 1/3 c canola oil in a 6qt pot over medium-high heat (I used my trusty and well-beloved 5.5qt Le Creuset dutch oven (note: ‘trusty and well-beloved’ is how the Queen described Kate Middleton in the consent to her marriage to Prince William, and I think my Le Creuset is every bit as wonderful and stylish and dependable as Kate)).

Step 5: toss slabs of ginger into the oil and cook for 2min, until light brown on the edges

Step 6: add lemongrass and cook for an additional 2min (note: I don’t know if I did something wrong, but the lemongrass splattered like crazy in the hot oil - be careful)

Step 7: add yellow onion, cook for another 4min - stir a lot to avoid sticking

Step 8: add 1/3c garlic (that’s a lot of garlic!), 2 dried chiles, 2 bay leaves, and lower heat to medium-low. Cook for 10min (and keep stirring regularly - the garlic has a tendency to stick)

Step 9: add the beef + 2tbsp fish sauce and stir to combine. Add 4c water. Bring back to a boil, then lower to a simmer and simmer for 1.5 hrs.

Step 10: after 1.5hrs, chop the potatoes into 1/2” cubes and add to the stew. Add 1tbsp madras curry powder + 3/4 tsp garam masala. Cook for ~20-30min until potatoes are tender.

Step 11: if possible, let sit off heat for 20min to let flavors meld.

Step 12: when ready to serve, bring back to a simmer, add a spoonful of greek yogurt, and correct seasonings (note: I didn’t have to change anything). Serve with cilantro and lime to garnish.

PRODUCTION NOTES:

PREP WORK: ymmv, but I like to prep everything in advance. You might save time if you think you can pull everything off without doing mise en place first, but you need to be fast with a knife. With the speed that the ginger and lemongrass cook at, though, I think you at least need the onion chopped before you start, and the garlic takes a lot more time than you think it will. The potatoes should obviously wait until you’re about to put them in.

SOURCING: I think I’ve seen all of these ingredients at most Whole Foods. Just watch out on the paprika front - a lot of paprika is smoked, but it has a totally different profile from unsmoked paprika

SERVING: I ate this just as it was (like a stew) and it was perfect, but a bit of flatbread or some rice wouldn’t be amiss depending on how much you want carbs. This serves at least 4, maybe more.