Thai · main

Thai Panang Beef Curry

Thai Panang Beef Curry reads umami 8.6, richness 7.3 and salinity 5.4 on Palate's 0–10 flavor X-ray — a Thai main, about 2 hr 9 min. Measured from the recipe itself: ingredients and technique.

The flavor X-ray — six axes, 0–10

The measured notes (of 18)

Umami 8.6 · Richness 7.3 · Salinity 5.4 · Funk & Ferment 5.2 · Citrus 4.7 · Sourness 4.2 · Marine & Briny 4.2 · Herbaceous 3.5 · Nutty 3.3 · Sweetness 2.9 · Warm Spice 2.7 · Heat 2.1 · Fruity 1.4 · Earthy 1.4 · Floral 1.3 · Bitterness 0.8

What's in it (13)

Time & effort: about 2 hr 9 min (2 hr 6 min active) · effort: involved

Nutrition (per 100 g, engine-estimated): 221.4 kcal, 11 g protein, 18.3 g fat, 6 g carbs

Dietary: Contains meat · Contains dairy — engine-derived; double-check anything allergy-critical.

How it's cooked (10 steps)

  1. Pat the beef cubes dry and season all over with the salt.
  2. Heat 2 tablespoons of the oil in a Dutch oven or heavy pot over high heat. Working in two batches so the pan stays hot, sear the beef until deeply browned on all sides, 7-8 minutes per batch; transfer to a plate.
  3. Wipe out the pot and set over medium heat with the remaining 1 tablespoon oil. Without shaking the coconut milk cans, spoon in just the thick cream from the top of both cans (about 1/2 cup total) and cook, stirring occasionally, until it sputters and a thin layer of orange oil pools around the edges, 4-5 minutes.
  4. Add the curry paste and ground coriander to the cracked cream and fry, stirring constantly, until darker in color and very fragrant, 2-3 minutes.
  5. Stir in the peanut butter and cook, stirring, until melted and fully worked into the paste, about 1 minute.
  6. Return the beef and any collected juices to the pot along with the remaining coconut milk, fish sauce, and brown sugar; stir to combine.
  7. Bring to a bare simmer, then partially cover and cook over low heat, stirring occasionally, until the beef is fork-tender, 1 1/2 to 2 hours.
  8. Stir in the bell pepper and simmer uncovered until just tender with a little bite, 5-6 minutes.
  9. Remove from the heat and stir in the lime zest, lime juice, and half the basil; taste and add more salt if needed.
  10. Spoon over rice and top with the remaining basil and the sliced chile.

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Every number above is Palate's engine-measured estimate, computed from this recipe's ingredients and techniques — not human-tasted ratings or reviews.