Thai Beef Curry and Unforgettable Meals

Cooking for my family can be a challenge.

My daughter and husband?

Meat and potatoes all the way.

My son?

Oh wow.  He's pretty much the pickiest eater on the face of the planet and there are almost no meals I can make for the rest of the family that he will eat along with us.

Then there's me.

I was a vegetarian for six or-so years.  I eat meat now...in very, very small quantities.

I like weird foods.  Or last least a variety of ethnic foods and more "new American" fare.

If it's different and full of flavor I'm drawn to it like a moth to a flame.

I had a birthday last month (hello late thirties!) and I took full advantage of the situation by dragging my husband to an Ethiopian restaurant for lunch as I knew it was probably my only chance to try it out without a huge amount of pushback from my husband.  For dinner?  Sushi!

It was a good day.  :-)

I definitely gravitate toward variety and flavor- and I'm so confused by the rest of my family's general resistance to it.  Their loss!

A couple of days ago I came across a recipe for Thai Beef Curry.  The "Thai" and "curry" parts screamed my name and the "beef" part gave me hope that my husband and daughter would dig it too.

Oh-em-gee.

For real.

This stuff is insane the flavor of that sauce?  It's INCREDIBLE!!

The beef?  Cut in thin strips with veggies so I loved it too.

Want to know a secret?

I ate pretty much all of it.

I mean...we all had some.

But I ate the rest over the next couple of days all by myself.

No regrets.

That sauce is everything.

I served it over white rice but this would be delicious with naan as well.  I'm totally smitten!

Thai Beef Curry

Modified slightly from Allrecipes.com

1 Tbsp peanut oil

1/2 yellow onion, sliced thinly

1 red bell pepper, sliced into 1/4-inch strips

1 (14 oz) can coconut milk

3 Tbsp lime juice

2 Tbsp fish sauce

2 Tbsp red curry paste, or more to taste

1 Tbsp roasted chili paste, or more to taste

1 Tbsp white sugar

1 Tbsp soy sauce

2 Tbsp peanut sauce

1 tsp Worcestershire sauce

1/4 tsp ground turmeric

1/8 tsp garlic salt, or more to taste

1/8 tsp curry powder, or more to taste

1/8 tsp garam masala, or more to taste

1 1/2 pounds sirloin steak, cut into strips

2 Tbsp corn starch

2 Tbsp cold water

1/3 cup peanuts, chopped

1. Heat peanut oil over medium heat in a large wok until it sizzles. Add onion and bell peppers. Stir-fry until tender, 5 to 7 minutes Transfer to a bowl.

2. Pour coconut milk into the wok. Reduce heat to low and simmer 3 to 5 minutes. Add lime juice, fish sauce, curry paste, roasted chili paste, sugar, soy sauce, peanut sauce, Worcestershire, turmeric, garlic salt, curry powder, and garam masala. Stir to combine and adjust to taste.

3. Increase heat to medium; stir steak strips and bell pepper-onion mixture into the wok and bring to a boil.  Mix together corn starch and cold water and stir into boiling sauce.  Cook until mixture has thickened and reduced and steak is firm and hot in the center, about 10 minutes. Remove from heat and top with peanuts.  Serve over white rice or with naan.