Ingredients
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6 large short rib of beef, bone in with excess fat trimmed off
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1/4 cup grapeseed oil or 1/4 cup canola oil
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2 tablespoons ghee (or clarified butter)
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1 large onion, very finely chopped (approximately 1 cup)
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1 tablespoon finely chopped garlic, more to taste
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1/2 cup red wine
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4 cups vegetable stock or 4 cups chicken stock
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1 tablespoon cumin seed
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1 piece cinnamon bark (approximately 3 inches long)
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1/2 teaspoon ground fenugreek, more to taste
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1 tablespoon cumin powder, more to taste
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1/2 teaspoon turmeric
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1/2 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper
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1 tablespoon chili powder, more to taste (preferably Mexican)
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1 cup ground fresh tomato
Instructions
- In a large, heavy saucepan with fitted lid, melt the ghee on medium to high heat.
- Add the cooking oil and the cumin seeds.
- Let the seeds sizzle for 30 seconds.
- Smell the cinnamon bark before adding to the pot.
- If it's very strong, break the bark in ½ and only use half.
- If it's not strong enough, add ½ bark.
- Add the onions& sauté until the onions are medium brown in colour.
- Smell for the cinnamon throughout the cooking process.
- You should smell a mild cinnamon flavour instead of a strong one.
- If cinnamon is the only spice you smell, take out the bark and continue cooking the curry.
- Add the garlic and continue to sauté until garlic is golden brown and onions are a darker brown.
- The darker you sauté the onions without letting them burn, the richer the onion flavour will be in this dish.
- Temporarily lower the heat and add the tomatoes and all of the remaining spices.
- Once you stir the powdered spices in the tomatoes, increase the heat back to medium.
- Stir regularly and continue cooking the spices until the oil/ghee separates from the tomatoes.
- This will take about 10 to 15 minutes.
- If at any time the onions or tomato spice mixture begins to stick to the bottom of the pan or looks like it’s about to burn, either lower the heat or add 1 tablespoon of oil or ghee.
- Do not add water.
- This is meant to be a rich curry.
- Stir in the stock and red wine and bring to a boil.
- Reduce heat to low.
- Cover and simmer for 15 minutes or until the oil/ghee separates from the stock and rises to the top, stirring occasionally.
- Add the short ribs and stir well.
- Bring back to a boil.
- Reduce heat to low.
- Cover and simmer the short ribs until the meat completely separates from the bone.
- This will take approximately 4 hours and you will need to stir occasionally.