Curries make everything better, as far as I’m concerned. Until I met Heather, I hadn’t really given much thought to curry, as I was pretty satisfied with pizza, Chinese, sushi, and “healthy” whole wheat wraps from the local sandwich shop. One of the first things she cooked for me was her peanut butter curry. The concept scared me, but it was actually delicious. Since that meal, which was on our third or fourth date, we’ve had a great time experimenting with more flavorful dishes, even going so far as making a curry dish with bison.

This is a really hearty curry that has a nice heat to pair with the winter weather, although I’d eat this year round. Beef chuck is one of the less expensive cuts at our market, and it was great to use it in something that wasn’t another slow cooker pot roast. This takes about an hour to make, but boy is it worth it.

Ingredients

2.5 lbs beef chuck

1 medium white onion

2 Tbsp curry powder

3 cloves garlic

1/2″ piece of ginger, peeled

2 C whole fat coconut milk

1 tsp salt

2 Tbsp chili sauce

Method

Cut beef chuck, or purchase precut, into 1″ cubes. Place in a dutch oven or crockpot that has a lid.

In your food processor, or ninja, place your onion (quartered), garlic, and ginger and pulse until it forms a paste.

Simmer the paste over medium heat in a saucepan for about 3 minutes, or until the onions start to become translucent and fragrant.

Add coconut milk and simmer for 8 minutes.

Pour mixture over beef, and add the curry powder, salt, and chili sauce. Mix thoroughly and then simmer covered for 20 minutes.

Uncover, mix again, and simmer for another 20 minutes on medium-low to reduce the curry and fully cook the beef.

Serve on its own, or on a bed of cauliflower rice.