Short Rib Massaman Curry

Michelin-starred Chef Pim Techamuanvivit of Kin Khao and Nari in San Francisco shared this fragrant and delicious recipe with us for a Thai-style Massaman Curry. She notes that depending on the fattiness of your short ribs and your coconut milk, you may end up with a thick layer of bright red oil in the pot after you finish cooking. That's not a bad thing! You can scoop out some of the oil and reserve it for other use. It's a delicious, mildly spiced chili oil that will add a ton of flavor to your next batch of stir fries or noodle soups. 

Spice Bag

2-inch piece cinnamon stick

1 teaspoon coriander seeds

1 teaspoon cumin seeds

1 blade of mace

2 cloves

1 star anise

3 cardamom pods

Massaman Curry Short Ribs

Canola or vegetable oil

4 pounds bone-in short ribs

6 ounces Massaman curry paste

1 large can coconut milk (about 32 ounces, not low-fat)

3 tablespoons tamarind concentrate

2 tablespoons palm sugar 

1/4 cup fish sauce 

Water

6-8 small onions or large shallots

Jasmine rice, cooked

Crispy onions or shallots

For the spice bag:

Toast all the spices until fragrant, then wrap and tie tightly in a couple layers of cheesecloth.

For the short ribs:

Preheat oven to 250°F.

Start by browning the short ribs. Heat a Deep Oven with just a splash of oil over medium heat. When the pot is hot, place the short ribs in the pot (don't crowd it, you can do this in a couple of batches). Sear each side until golden brown. If the bottom of the pot starts to get too dark, add a few drops of water. Set the browned short ribs aside on a plate.

Now you bloom the curry paste. Scoop out a couple of spoonfuls of the creamy part of the coconut milk and add to the pot. (If your coconut milk doesn't separate, just add a few tablespoons of the milk). Add the curry paste and stir briskly to deglaze the brown bits on the bottom of the pot. Add a few more spoonfuls of the creamy part of the coconut milk and continue to stir. You want to do this until the curry paste is fragrant and you see a layer of oil separating from the mixture in the pot. Add a little bit more of the coconut milk and stir, wait until the oil appears again before adding the rest. Once all the coconut milk is added to the pot, toss in the spice bag.

Add the tamarind, palm sugar, and fish sauce. Stir to blend. Add the short ribs and enough water just to barely cover the short ribs. Bring the pot to a simmer. Then put the pot in the preheated oven and cook, uncovered, for 3 hours. Add the peeled onions or shallots about halfway through the cooking.

Taste the curry sauce after you remove the pot from the oven. Add more palm sugar, tamarind, or fish sauce to taste. Serve with jasmine rice, and garnish with crispy fried shallots or onions if desired.