East Indian Beef Curry

A slow-braised beef short rib curry built around East Indian bottle masala, beef stock and coconut milk. The ribs are braised gently in stock and red wine first, with the coconut milk added only towards the end so its flavour remains distinct rather than disappearing into the long cook.

Ingredients

For the beef

• 1 kg beef short ribs, either:

  • 1 whole short-rib slab

  • 2–3 large bone-in short ribs

  • 1 kg individual English-cut short ribs

• 1½ tsp salt

• ½ tsp turmeric

• 1 tbsp ginger-garlic paste

• 1 tbsp coconut vinegar

For the curry

• 2 tbsp beef tallow or neutral oil

• 250 g onions, thinly sliced

• 2 tbsp ginger-garlic-cumin paste

• 3 tbsp East Indian bottle masala

• 250 ml red wine

• 400 ml beef stock, plus more if required

• 2 green chillies, slit

• 250 ml coconut milk

• 1 tsp jaggery

• 1 tbsp coconut vinegar, plus more to taste

• Salt, as required

Optional

• 300 g potatoes, peeled and cut into large chunks

• ½ tbsp bottle masala, for finishing

• 1–2 tsp additional vinegar, for finishing

Method

Marinate the beef
Rub the short ribs thoroughly with the salt, turmeric, ginger-garlic paste and vinegar.
Cover and refrigerate for at least 4 hours, preferably overnight.
Remove the beef from the refrigerator about 30 minutes before cooking.

Brown the short ribs
Preheat the oven to 150°C.
Heat the oil in a heavy ovenproof casserole over medium-high heat.
Sear the short ribs thoroughly on all accessible sides. If using a whole slab, pay particular attention to the meat side. Let it develop a proper dark brown crust rather than simply colouring the surface.
Remove the beef and set aside.

Build the masala
Reduce the heat to medium and add the sliced onions to the same casserole. Cook for 12–15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until deeply golden.
Add the ginger-garlic-cumin paste and cook for another minute.
Reduce the heat and add 2½–3 tbsp bottle masala. Fry for about 2 minutes, adding small splashes of water if necessary to prevent the spices from scorching.
Pour in the red wine, scraping the bottom of the casserole to release everything stuck to it. Bring to a brisk simmer and reduce the wine by approximately half.

Braise the beef
Add 400 ml beef stock and the slit green chillies.
Return the short ribs to the casserole. The braising liquid should come approximately halfway up the meat. Add another splash of stock or water if necessary, but don't submerge the beef completely.
Cover tightly and transfer to the oven.
Braise at 150°C for approximately 3 hours, checking after about 2½ hours.
If using potatoes, add them after the beef has been cooking for approximately 2 hours.

Add the coconut milk
Once the beef is nearly tender, stir 250 ml coconut milk, 1 tsp jaggery and 1 tbsp vinegar into the braising liquid.
Be gentle if you're cooking a whole slab. By this point the meat should be tender enough that rough handling can pull it away from the bones.
Return the casserole to the oven uncovered at 160°C for another 30–40 minutes.
The short ribs are ready when a skewer or thin knife pushed into the thickest part of the meat meets very little resistance.
If they're still resistant, continue cooking in 15–20 minute increments.

Reduce and finish
Carefully transfer the short ribs and potatoes to a plate.
Place the casserole over medium-low heat and gently simmer the gravy until it reaches the consistency you want. It should be substantial enough to coat the beef while remaining unmistakably a curry rather than reducing into a dry roast.
Taste and adjust the salt, acidity and sweetness.
For a slightly sharper, more aromatic finish, add:

• ½ tbsp bottle masala

• 1–2 tsp vinegar, or to taste

Simmer gently for another 3–4 minutes.
Avoid a furious boil once the coconut milk has been added.
Return the beef and potatoes to the gravy and spoon the sauce generously over them. Rest for 10 minutes before serving.

A note on the cut
A whole short-rib slab gives the most dramatic result and holds together particularly well through the long braise. Large individual bone-in ribs work almost identically and are easier to serve. Smaller English-cut ribs will cook somewhat faster, so begin checking them around the 2½-hour mark.
For this particular preparation, I would keep the ribs bone-in. The long braise is exactly where short ribs earn their keep.