Thai Red Curry Beef

Place the beef in a bowl. Sprinkle with the salt and pepper and toss to coat evenly. In a large fry pan over medium-high heat, warm the canola oil. Working in batches if necessary, sauté the beef until browned on all sides, about 5 minutes. Transfer to a bowl and set aside.

Add the onion and garlic to the pan and sauté over medium-high heat for 1 minute. Add the curry paste and stir until it is fragrant and coats the onion and garlic, about 30 seconds. Add the coconut milk and deglaze the pan, stirring and scraping up the browned bits from the pan bottom with a wooden spoon. Stir in the fish sauce, lime juice and brown sugar and bring to a boil.

Stovetop method: Transfer the beef to a large Dutch oven and add the coconut milk mixture. Partially cover the pot, set over low heat and cook until the beef is very tender and the sauce is thick but still fluid, about 2 hours. About 15 minutes before the beef is done, stir the bamboo shoots into the curry.

Slow-cooker method: Transfer the beef to a slow cooker and add the coconut milk mixture. Cover and cook according to the manufacturer's instructions until the beef is very tender and the sauce is thick but still fluid, about 3 hours on high or 6 hours on low. About 5 minutes before the beef is done, stir the bamboo shoots into the curry.

Spoon the curry onto warmed individual plates or into a large serving bowl. Garnish with the mint and serve immediately. Serves 6 to 8.

Adapted from Williams-Sonoma Essentials of Slow Cooking, by Melanie Barnard, Charles Pierce & Dennis Kelly (Oxmoor House, 2008).