Category: Beef and Lamb

Sri Lankan Lamb (or Mutton) Curry

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The flight from San Francisco to Toronto is only four hours but each time we land, I’m hungry. I’m dreaming of curry, you see. (Doesn’t everyone?)

My mother-in-law always has a meal for us when we arrive in the evening — we can hardly wait to put away our luggage before sitting down for a meal of parripu, rice, and always some sort of curry. Sometimes fish, sometimes mutton, sometimes lamb. I love them all and as I learn to cook Sri Lankan food, lamb curry has become one of my go-tos, albeit with a few Iranian touches. I cook my basmati rice Persian-style and serve the curry with tahdig and vinegary torshi on the side.

I cannot overemphasize how worth it is to make your own curry powder here. It only takes a few minutes and the flavor is superior to store-bought. Marinate your meat overnight, cook the next day, and voila. This fiery curry tastes even better the next day. You can follow this same recipe and use mutton instead of lamb, if you prefer.

Sri Lankan lamb curry

Ingredients:

2 pounds lamb or mutton, cut into 1-inch cubes
3 tablespoons roasted curry powder
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon paprika
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
2 tablespoons oil
1 onion, chopped
2-inch piece ginger, minced
2 green chiles, sliced
2-inch stalk lemongrass
2-inch cinnamon stick
1 or 2 sprigs curry leaves
1 1/2 cups water
1 1/2 cups coconut milk
1 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 tablespoons tomato paste

1. Lightly prick meat with a fork to tenderize.

2. Slightly toast the curry powder in a pan for 3 minutes, until fragrant but not burning. Remove from heat and mix with meat, cayenne powder, paprika, and vinegar and marinate for at least 4 hours or preferably overnight.

3. Heat oil in a large pot. Saute onions, garlic, ginger, chiles, lemongrass, cinnamon stick, and curry leaves until onions are translucent.

4. Add marinated meat and saute for a few minutes until browned.

5. Add water and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer, cover, and cook for about 30 minutes.

6. Add coconut milk, salt, and tomato paste and simmer over low heat, uncovered, for an additional 30 minutes. Serve warm with rice.

Lahmajoun (Armenian and Turkish Meat Flatbreads)

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Turn on the news these days and all you’ll hear of Turkey and the neighboring region are stories of violence and chaos. But I know a very different Turkey, one bursting at the seams with friendly faces, proud and cosmopolitan Istanbulus, and most memorably, delicious scents wafting from what seemed like every storefront.

Nearly nine years ago, I visited Istanbul. The city is dotted with vendors selling fried fish sandwiches, molasses-dipped and sesame-crusted bread, stuffed mussels, and of course, lahmajoun. Lahmajoun is like pizza’s long-lost Middle Eastern cousin. Oven-baked flatbread is topped with meat, tomatoes, and an array of spices to create a dish beloved in Armenian and Turkish communities around the world.

Traditionally, the flatbread is handmade, but this version substitutes pita bread for an easy-to-make weeknight version. The results are just as delicious. I love to serve this with pickled vegetables and thick yogurt dusted with Iranian-style dried mint. One bite and I’m transported back to Istanbul’s Spice Bazaar in Eminonu. I yearn to visit Istanbul again, and until then, I have lahmajoun.

Lahmajoun

Ingredients:

4 pita breads
1/2 pound ground beef
1/2 yellow onion, grated
1/2 red bell pepper, minced
2 teaspoons tomato paste
2 tablespoons chopped pistachios
3 tablespoons chopped parsley
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
1/4 teaspoon allspice
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/4 teaspoon salt

1. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Arrange the pita breads on a foil–lined baking sheet.

2. In a large bowl, combine the ground beef, onion, bell pepper, tomato paste, pistachios, parsley, cumin, oregano, allspice, garlic and salt. Spread the meat mixture on the pitas in an even layer. Bake for about 8 minutes, until the meat is browned in spots and cooked through. Serve warm.

Beef and Asparagus Stir-Fry with Noodle Pancake

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I’ve been making this dish since I was a teenager. I can’t even remember the source anymore, and over the years, it’s changed from the original recipe to something entirely anew. But it remains one of my favorite things to cook and eat. The Hong Kong-style crispy noodles soak up the spicy, savory sauce oh so wonderfully. The meat is tender. The vegetables are crisp. This dish, my friends, hits all the right notes.

It may take a while to cook, but the results are well worth it. The leftovers won’t last nearly as long as you think they will. Consider yourself warned.

Beef and asparagus stir-fry with noodle pancake

1 tablespoon Chinese rice wine
1 tablespoon soy sauce
3 teaspoons cornstarch
1 teaspoon garlic
1 teaspoon ginger
1 lb sirloin beef or flank steak, sliced thin
1/4 cup chicken broth
2 tablespoons oyster sauce
1 teaspoon chili-garlic sauce
2 teaspoons cornstarch
1/8 teaspoon pepper
1/8 teaspoon sesame oil
8 ounces fresh thin Chinese egg noodles
1/2 onion, thinly sliced
1 pound asparagus, trimmed and cut into 1 inch pieces

1. Marinade beef: stir rice wine, soy, 1 1/2 teaspoons cornstarch, garlic and ginger in a large bowl. Add beef to marinade.

2. In a separate bowl, mix chicken broth, oyster sauce, chili garlic sauce, remaining 1 1/2 teaspoons cornstarch, pepper and sesame oil together. Set aside.

3. Cook noodles in large pot, according to directions. Drain, rinse under cold water, drain again.

4. Heat nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add 1 tablespoon of oil and coat. Spread noodles evenly and cook, pressing lightly from time to time to form a cake, until bottom is golden brown, about 5 minutes. Turn cake over. Drizzle one tablespoon oil on bottom and cook other side, about 5 minutes. Transfer to plate.

5. Heat wok over high heat and add remaining tablespoon of oil. Add meat and stir fry until cooked through and no longer pink. Remove from wok. Add onion to wok and stir fry for two minutes. Add asparagus and cook for four minutes.

6. Return meat to wok, pour in sauce and bring to boil. Cook until slightly thickened, about two minutes. Spoon over noodle pancake and serve.

Dry-Fried Mongolian Beef

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I’m going to tell you a story about Mongolian beef: ever since I was ten years old, my family has been going to a Chinese restaurant in Sonoma County that makes the greatest Mongolian beef I’ve ever tasted. Scratch that, it’s one of the best dishes I’ve ever tasted. For over twenty years, it’s ranked among my top three favorite dishes of all time. Naturally, I’ve tried to guess the recipe for this Mongolian beef in an effort to replicate the results at home.

I’ve tried. And I’ve tried. And then I’ve tried at home. I’ve probably attempted fifteen different versions. I just can’t get it right. This version, adapted from an old Martin Yan recipe, is almost right. The original recipe employs lamb but beef works just as well. Curiously enough, this version includes leeks. Don’t omit them, as they’re key in building up a sweet onion flavor.

More than twenty years later, I still haven’t gotten that nostalgic dish 100% right, but until I do, this is the next best thing.

Mongolian lamb

Ingredients:

4 tablespoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon Chinese rice wine
2 teaspoons cornstarch
1 pound boneless sirloin beef, thinly sliced across the grain
1 tablespoon hoisin sauce
1 tablespoon rice vinegar
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 1/2 tablespoons minced garlic
12 dried red chiles
2 small leeks, cleaned, sliced into 3-inch long pieces and sliced lengthwise into long, thin shreds
1/2 white onion, thinly sliced
3 green onions, cut into 2-inch pieces

1. To make the marinade, combine 2 tablespoons soy sauce, rice wine, and cornstarch in a bowl and mix well. Add the beef and stir to coat evenly. Let marinade for at least 20 minutes.

2. To make the sauce, combine the hoisin sauce, rice vinegar, and remaining 2 tablespoons soy sauce in a bowl and mix well.

3. Place a wok over high heat until hot. Add 1 tablespoon of the oil, swirling to coat the sides. Add the beef and stir-fry until no longer pink, about 3 minutes. Remove the meat to a plate and set aside.

4. Return the wok to high heat and add the remaining 1 tablespoon of oil. Add the garlic and chiles and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 10 seconds. Add the leeks and onion and stir-fry until the leeks are wilted, about 1 minute. Return the meat to a pan. Add the sauce and toss to coat. Transfer to a serving plate and serve warm.

Japchae

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Japchae was the first Korean dish I tasted when I first tried the cuisine years ago as a teenager. It became one of my favorites but I rarely order it at a restaurant anymore because I’ve learned to cook it at home.

These results are restaurant quality and totally worth the payoff. Don’t substitute these sweet potato noodles — they’re worth seeking out for their chewy, slippery texture that soaks up all the flavor. Best of all, japchae reheats well and tastes just as good the next day.

Ingredients:

  • 3 tablespoons avocado oil
  • 1 cup julienned carrots
  • Salt and pepper to taste
  • 2 cups thinly sliced onions
  • 1 cup julienned red bell pepper
  • 1 cup julienned button mushrooms
  • 1 cup julienned filet mignon
  • 1 clove garlic, minced
  • 1/2 cup soy sauce
  • 1/3 cup sugar
  • 1 pound dried dangmyeon (Korean sweet potato starch noodles), cooked according to package directions
  • 2 tablespoons sesame oil
  • 2 tablespoons thinly sliced green onions, for garnish
  • 1 tablespoons toasted sesame seeds, for garnish

Directions:

  1. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add carrots, season with salt and pepper, and cook, stirring, until half-tender, about 3 minutes. Transfer to a large bowl. Repeat with 1 tablespoon oil, onions, peppers, and mushrooms and add to bowl.
  2. Wipe skillet clean; heat remaining oil. Add steak and garlic and cook until browned, about 4 minutes. Add soy sauce and sugar and cook until sugar dissolves. Pour over vegetables in a bowl, add noodles and sesame oil, and toss. Garnish with green onions and sesame seeds.