Slow-Simmered European-Style Beef Curry

Method

1. Cut the beef into 4 cm chunks, pat dry with kitchen paper, season with the salt and pepper and dust lightly with flour. Thinly slice the onion, finely chop the garlic and ginger, and grate the carrot and apple on a box grater.

   Add in this stepBeef brisket (or shin) 300 gSalt (for seasoning the beef) 1.6 gBlack pepper 1 pinchFlour (for dusting) 1½ tspOnion 300 gGarlic cloves 2Fresh ginger 10 gCarrot 100 gApple (unpeeled) ½

2. Heat half the oil in a frying pan over medium-high heat and brown the beef in 1 batch(es) for 6 min in total. Leave space between pieces and don't move them until each side has a deep brown crust, then lift them out. Do not wash the pan.

   Add in this stepCooking oil ¾ tbsp

   medium-high heat

3. Put the remaining oil, the onion and a pinch of salt in a 20 cm pot over medium heat. Once the onion softens, turn down to medium-low heat and cook for 18 min in total; if it catches on the bottom, add 1 tbsp water and scrape. When the onion is jammy and dark amber, stir in the garlic, ginger and tomato paste and cook 1 minute more.

   Add in this stepCooking oil ¾ tbspSalt (for seasoning the beef) 0.2 gTomato paste 1 tbsp

   medium heat→medium-low heat

4. Pour the red wine into the beef pan, scrape up the brown bits with a wooden spoon, let it reduce by half and tip it into the pot. Add the beef, carrot, apple, stock and bay leaves, bring to a boil over high heat, skim, then turn down to low heat and simmer with the lid ajar for 1 h, until the beef splits easily with a chopstick. Top up with a little water if it reduces too much.

   Add in this stepRed wine 60 mlBeef stock (or stock cube dissolved in water) 700 mlBay leaves 1

   high heat→low heat

5. Melt the roux butter in a 18 cm frying pan, add the flour and stir constantly over medium-low heat for 7 min, until it is a deeper chestnut brown than the basic version and smells of toasted nuts. Turn off the heat and stir in the curry powder, cumin and coriander, letting the residual heat toast them for 30 seconds.

   Add in this stepButter (for the roux) 30 gAll-purpose flour (for the roux) 30 gCurry powder 1½ tbspGround cumin ½ tspGround coriander ½ tsp

   medium-low heat

6. Remove the bay leaves and turn off the heat under the pot. Whisk the broth into the roux a little at a time until smooth, then pour it into the pot. Add the honey, Worcestershire and soy sauce and simmer over low heat for 10 min, stirring the bottom, until the sauce coats the back of a spoon thickly.

   Add in this stepHoney 1 tspWorcestershire sauce 2 tspSoy sauce 1 tsp

   low heat

7. Turn off the heat, stir in the garam masala and the finishing butter for gloss, and adjust the salt. Serve over rice with plenty of sauce.

   Add in this stepGaram masala ½ tspButter (to finish) 10 gSalt (for seasoning the beef) 0.2 gHot cooked short-grain rice 400 g