Sri Lankan Beef Smore

Name: Sri Lankan Beef Smore
Yield: serves 4¿6
Ingredients: One 2 1/2-pound piece of beef (shoulder meat, tied as a roast, or a piece of chuck, or even brisket—any beef chunk suitable for braising); Salt; Freshly ground black pepper; 4 teaspoons whole coriander seeds; 1 teaspoon whole cumin seeds; 1 teaspoon whole fennel seeds; 1/4 teaspoon whole fenugreek seeds; 4 tablespoons olive or canola oil; One 2-inch cinnamon stick; 1 large onion, finely chopped; One 2-inch piece fresh ginger, peeled and finely grated; 4 cloves garlic, finely chopped; 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar; 1 1/2 cups beef or chicken stock; 1/2–1 teaspoon cayenne pepper; 1 cup coconut milk from a well-shaken can

December 9, 2011

This is a pot roast. It is a specialty of Sri Lanka’s Burgher community, which owes its origins to a happy mixture of European colonialists, mostly Dutch but some Portuguese and English as well, with the local population. Burgher cuisine is a glorious by-product of this union. Here, a simple pot roast has been made wonderfully Sri Lankan with the addition of roasted coriander, cumin, and fennel seeds—the main ingredients in Sri Lankan curry powders—and, of course, coconut milk. Some people add a little simple lime pickle, or tamarind water or vinegar, to give it a tart edge. I have used red wine vinegar. A few simple steps are required here: The spices need to be roasted and ground. Then, after the meat is browned, everything goes into a pot and is braised slowly in the oven. The meat is sliced, and some of its own sauce is ladled over the top. It may then be served with rice, noodles (Sri Lanka has exquisite rice noodles, so Thin Rice Noodles would work), or mashed potatoes, if you prefer.

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