QUICK BEEF & GREENS IN THAI CURRY

As the pre-Christmas rush sets in, here’s a quick meal using your favourite commercial Thai curry paste with Torello Farm’s grass fed beef stir fry strips and whatever greens are in the fridge. I had celery and lettuce. Other green substitute suggestions are listed below.  It’ll be on the table in 20 minutes.

serves  4-6 

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

500g grass fed beef stir-fry strips, pat meat with paper towel to remove excess moisture

1 young garlic, bulb cut into six wedges, green top sliced into 3cm lengths

3 celery stalks, thinly sliced on the diagonal 

1 iceberg lettuce, cut into 8 wedges

1 tablespoon green or red Thai curry paste, or add more to your liking

2½ tablespoons fish sauce

1 tablespoon brown sugar

1 tablespoon lemon juice

1 cup plucked basil, coriander or mint leaves

lemon wedges, to serve

Steamed brown rice, to serve

Heat a wok or large heavy based frying pan over a high heat for a minute. Add one tablespoon vegetable oil. Working in three batches, add the beef strips and cook, tossing until browned, about 2 minutes. Remove and set aside in a bowl. Repeat the cooking step twice more with the remaining beef. Add the remaining oil to wok or frying pan. Add the garlic and celery, cook, tossing for 2 minutes, or until starting to char slightly. Add the lettuce wedges and cook for a minute or until leaves just start to wilt. Stir in the curry paste and cook for 30 seconds until aromatic. Working quickly, return the beef to the wok or pan, sprinkle over the sugar and add fish sauce and lemon juice, tossing for 30 seconds to combine. Add the basil or choice of herb, 2 tablespoons water and quickly, but gently toss to coat ingredients. The water helps remove any sauce sticking to the base of the wok or pan. It maybe necessary to add another tablespoon of water.

Serve with rice and lemon wedges on the side. Scatter over the remaining herb.

Suggestions to substitute greens with: 

400g snow peas

2 bunches baby broccoli

3 bok choy, quartered lengthways

½ bunch spring onion, cut into 3 cm lengths

1 cos lettuce, cut into 4 wedges

½ wombok, sliced into 3cm wide strips

Recipe by Fiona Hammond Food, December 2021