Fragrant South Indian Beef Curry

Since starting this blog at the beginning of the year I have come to the conclusion that most recipes need the "three times at bat" rule.  The big exception to that was the Chile Spiced Skirt Steak Taco Recipe.  That won me and my family over on the first try and we keep going back to it time and again.  Since not every recipe is going to be that captivating here is my plan:

• First try:  Follow the recipe as closely as possible omitting or substituting only absolutely when necessary to stick with our dietary restrictions.  (Coconut Oil for Canola Oil is a good example)
• Second Round:  This is where I either liked the recipe and try it again to make sure you followed it correctly or I  mix it up to make improvements.
• Round Three:  Is where I either experiment with sides or re-try my round two improvements.

The Fragrant South Indian Beef Curry recipe required all three rounds, even though I changed very little. (As noted, I switched out the steamed rice and used Quinoa and, of course, went with the healthier Coconut Oil)  The reasons for all three rounds:  I can't decide if I like this dish or not.  I clearly don't dislike it since I made it three times but I'm also on the fence about liking the very strong "fragrant" flavors.  Star anise is a very new ingredient for me and wow, does it pack some seriously strong, perfume-y flavor.  Should I eat it or dab it behind my ears?

Either way, the dish does smell amazing while cooking!  If you give it a try I would love comments back to see what you think.

Curry with a side of steamed brocolli

Fragrant South Indian Beef Curry

2 tablespoons canola oil Coconut Oil

1 medium onion, thinly sliced

12 fresh curry leaves or 2 bay leaves

6 garlic cloves, grated

4 teaspoons finely grated peeled fresh ginger

1 tablespoon tomato paste dissolved in 1/2 cup of water

2 teaspoons ground coriander

1 teaspoon garam masala

1 teaspoon cayenne

1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric

4 small dried hot chiles

4 star anise pods

Two 3-inch cinnamon sticks

1 3/4 pounds boneless beef short ribs, cut into 3/4-inch pieces

Salt

In a medium enameled cast-iron casserole, heat the oil until shimmering. Add the onion and curry leaves and cook over moderate heat until lightly browned, about 7 minutes. Add the garlic and ginger and cook until fragrant, 1 minute. Stir in the dissolved tomato paste along with the coriander, garam masala, cayenne, turmeric, dried chiles, star anise and cinnamon sticks. Add the ribs, season with salt and stir until coated with spices. Cover partially and cook over very low heat until the meat is tender, about 1 hour and 30 minutes. Spoon off as much fat as possible and discard the star anise, cinnamon sticks and bay leaves, if using.

MAKE AHEAD

The beef curry can be refrigerated overnight.

SERVE WITHSteamed rice. Quinoa

SUGGESTED PAIRING

Spiced, dark-berried red. We went with our usual Rex Goliath Malbec.  Its heavy, fruity flavor worked well with the hot, spicy, perfume-y beef and this curry dish needs a wine that can stand up to its bold flavor.

Food & Wine Annual Cookbook 2013, page 212

Poached Eggs in Red Wine Sauce

I'm not sure this dish was intended as a breakfast dish, but at our house, why not.

As mentioned below, I used a Malbec for the sauce.  Specifically Rex Goliath 47 lb Rooster Malbec.  We just discovered this crazy reasonable red (Malbec is new to Rex) and really enjoyed the deep, berry flavors. This wine really holds up well and worked very well in the sauce.

This recipe kept me sticking pretty close the original.  The usual coconut oil and almond flour were the substitutions.  I did cut back on the amount of oil.  They had me using it to fry bacon.  Seriously? Who cooks greasy bacon in oil?  Unnecessary. Done.  The other change was not one of choice but rather availability.  Apparently in my area the frozen pearl onion is a rare as a big foot sighting.

In any event, the dish was fabulous!  I love being able to use fresh herbs from the garden.  The wine sauce itself has this great depth and is almost addicting. (My husband and I were trying to find other things we could put it on.)  The separately cooked  eggs, veggies and bacon were so flavorful and I liked being able to distinguish each individual flavor.  It made each bite was a real treat.

Bacon, sauce in a pan and the onions and mushrooms.

Poached Eggs in Red Wine Sauce
One 750-milliliter bottle Pinot Noir (told ya there would be more wine!)  I used a Malbec as that is what I had on hand.

1 small onion, thinly sliced

1 medium carrot, thinly sliced

3 thyme sprigs

1 parsley sprig

1 bay leaf

1 garlic clove

4 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened coconut oil

1 tablespoon all-purpose almond flour

Kosher salt

Freshly ground pepper

1/2 pound white mushrooms, quartered

2 thick slices of bacon, cut crosswise 1/2 inch thick

3/4 cup frozen pearl onions (4 ounces), thawed and patted dry (I opted for Florida Sweet onion chopped into large chunks due to two factors:  Availability of the FL onion and lack of availability of the pearl)*

8 large eggs

Four 1/2-inch-thick slices of rustic country bread, halved crosswise and toasted  Quinoa or Gluten Free Toast

Chervil sprigs or chopped parsley, for garnish

In a medium saucepan, combine the wine with the onion, carrot, thyme, parsley, bay leaf and garlic and bring to a boil. Simmer over moderately high heat until reduced by half, 12 to 15 minutes. Strain the wine through a fine sieve and return it to the saucepan; discard the vegetables and herbs.

In a small bowl, blend 2 tablespoons of the coconut oil with the flour to form a paste. Bring the wine sauce to a boil and whisk in the flour paste. Simmer over moderate heat, whisking, until thickened, 2 minutes. Season the sauce with salt and pepper and keep warm.

In a large skillet, melt 2 tablespoons of the coconut oil. Add the mushrooms and season with salt and pepper. Cook over moderately high heat, stirring occasionally, until tender and browned, about 7 minutes; transfer to a large plate. In the same skillet, melt the remaining 1 tablespoon of coconut oil. Add the bacon and cook over moderately high heat, turning once, until browned but not crisp, about 3 minutes; transfer to the plate.(I eliminated the oil here since we are cooking bacon.  Lets not go crazy with the oil, people)  Add the pearl onions to the skillet and season with salt and pepper. Cook over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until tender and golden, about 5 minutes; transfer to the plate. Keep warm.

Bring a large, deep skillet of water to a simmer over moderate heat. Crack the eggs into a small bowl, one at a time, and carefully slide into the simmering water. Poach the eggs over moderate heat until the whites are set but the yolks are still slightly runny, about 4 minutes. Transfer the poached eggs to paper towels to drain.

We placed a serving of warm quiona on plates, set the eggs on top and spoon the red wine sauce over the eggs. Scatter the mushrooms, bacon and pearl onions around the plate, garnish with chervil sprigs and serve right away.  Next round I'm trying this dish on Sami's Gluten Free Flax & Millet bread.

Clearly I need to work on my food styling but I'm trying!

MAKE AHEAD: The red wine sauce can be refrigerated overnight. Reheat gently, adding a few tablespoons of water if it's too thick.
 *(Side note.  Always check your freezer to see if your husband graciously went out and bought the pearl onions you couldn't find.  Nothing like finding the bag days after I finished the recipe trial)