Red curry of beef tail and eggplant

Ingredients

• 1.2 kg beef tail (oxtail), cut into pieces through the tail joints
• Salt
• Rice bran oil, for drizzling
• 1 brown onion, thinly sliced
• 1 medium carrot, roughly chopped
• 4 tbsp prepared red curry paste (see below)
• 400 ml coconut milk
• 1 lemongrass stalk
• 5 makrut lime leaves
• 3 long Japanese eggplant, cut into 2 cm rounds
• Fish sauce, to taste
• 2 limes
• Coriander leaves, steamed jasmine rice, to serve

For the red curry paste (makes extra)

• 20 g whole dried chillies
• 100 g eschallots, roughly chopped
• 3 lemongrass stalks, outer leaves removed, roughly chopped
• 50 g galangal, roughly chopped
• 50 g garlic cloves, roughly chopped
• 15 g shrimp paste
• 10 long red chillies, deseeded for less heat, roughly chopped
• 1 lime, finely zested
• 5 g ground coriander
• 5 g ground turmeric powder
• 3 coriander roots, washed well

Resting time: 10 minutes

Instructions

1. To make the red curry paste, combine the ingredients in a mortar and pestle and pound to a paste. Alternatively, blitz in a food processor until it forms a paste texture.
2. Preheat the oven to 160˚ C.
3. Season the oxtail on all sides with salt. Heat a generous drizzle of rice bran oil in a large frying pan over high heat. Brown the oxtail on all sides in batches, removing to a plate.
4. Heat another drizzle of rice bran oil in a large, heavy-based saucepan over medium-high heat, then add the onion and carrot. Cook, stirring, for 3-4 minutes or until translucent. Reduce the heat to low, then add 4 tbsp prepared curry paste and fry until fragrant. Add the coconut milk, lemongrass, makrut lime leaves and eggplant to the pan, seasoning with a drizzle of fish sauce. Add the browned oxtail to the pan, ensuring the meat is covered with liquid, cover and bake for 3 ½ to 4 hours, or until the meat is falling off the bone. Add as splash of water to the pan if it looks dry.
5. Stir through a squeeze of lime juice and fish sauce to your taste. Sprinkle the curry with coriander leaves and serve with jasmine rice on the side.

Note

• You can use other cuts of protein for this recipe, although you may need to amend the times of cooking.
• This recipe can be made with a store-bought red curry paste.

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