Jungle Curry of Salted Beef with Thai Basil and Green Peppercorns (Geng Bpaa bai Madan Neua Kem)

Madan leaves are sour, like sorrel.

Serves 2 or 3 (with rice and the other dishes such as Grilled Omelette (Kai Bpam) and Mixed Vegetable and Fruit Salad dressed with Tamarind, Palm Sugar and Sesame Seeds (Yam Pak)

For the grilled salted beef (neua kem yang)

100g boneless beef, ideally flank, rump cap or rib lip

1 tablespoon fish sauce

a pinch of salt

a pinch of caster sugar

a pinch of white pepper

For the red jungle paste

12 dried, long red chillies, seeded and soaked in water until soft, then squeezed dry

1 fresh, long red chilli – no need to remove seeds

a pinch of salt

a few Thai bird’s eye chillies/‘scuds’

1 stalk lemongrass

8 slices galangal, peeled

1 small piece kaffir lime zest, any bitter white pith removed

2 stalks grachai/wild ginger

2 red shallots, peeled

3 garlic cloves, peeled

1 coriander root, cleaned

½ teaspoon gapi/Thai shrimp paste

For the garlic paste

1 garlic clove, peeled

2 Thai bird’s eye chillies/‘scuds’

1g sea salt

a pinch of Thai basil buds

For the curry

2 tablespoons lard or vegetable oil

250ml chicken stock or water

2–3 kaffir lime leaves, torn

2 heaped tablespoons red jungle paste (see above)

1 teaspoon fish sauce

a pinch of caster sugar

1 cup madan leaves, shredded, or 2 tablespoons tamarind water or lime juice

3 large green chillies (20g), sliced lengthways

2 Thai bird’s eye chillies/‘scuds’

2 stalks grachai/wild ginger (10g), peeled and shredded

5 stalks fresh green peppercorns (20g)

1½ teaspoons fish sauce (10g)

a handful of Thai basil leaves (5g) (optional)

For the salted beef, cut the meat, along the grain, into long slices about 5mm thick (chilling it first will make slicing easier). Work the fish sauce, salt, sugar and pepper into the beef, then cover and set aside to marinate in the fridge for a few hours.

Lay the beef strips on a rack in a warm, airy place. Make sure the strips are sufficiently spaced so air can circulate around them. Leave to dry, turning them over at least once, for about 24 hours until quite firm and almost dried. If you have a food dehydrator, use it to dry the beef

Grill the beef, ideally over charcoal, turning several times, until thoroughly cooked and smoky. Bruise the beef with a pestle and mortar – this opens up the meat and softens the fibres. When somewhat cool, tear the beef along the grain into bite-sized pieces.

To make the red jungle paste, pound the ingredients, adding them one at a time in the order given, in the mortar and pestle to achieve quite a smooth paste. (If there is any paste left over it can be kept in the fridge for a week).

For the garlic paste, pound the ingredients together to make a somewhat coarse paste.

Now make the curry. Heat the lard or oil in a shallow pan or sauteuse (sauté pan) and fry the garlic paste until light golden. Moisten with the stock, then add the kaffir lime leaves and stir in the jungle paste. Simmer for a moment.

Add the beef and continue to simmer for a minute. Stir in the fish sauce and sugar and simmer for another minute or so.

Add the shredded madan leaves, large green chillies and scuds, grachai and green peppercorns. Season once again with fish sauce to taste. The curry should taste slightly salty, spicy and sour. Finish with Thai basil leaves. The curry will improve if it sits for several minutes before serving. Serve with jasmin rice.

Jungle Curry of Salted Beef with Thai Basil and Green Peppercorns (Geng Bpaa bai Madan Neua Kem)