Why This Recipe Works: For a panang curry that’s just as rich and flavorful as traditional versions but quicker to make, we used jarred red curry paste, which contains many of the same ingredients that go into panang paste. We doctored the paste with the distinct flavors of this dish: kaffir lime leaves, fish sauce, sugar, fresh chile, and peanuts. Following the typical method, we cooked the beef (we used thin-sliced boneless beef short ribs) separately in plain water until tender. Cooking the beef separately from the sauce ensured that its flavor didn’t overpower the other flavors in the dish. Once the beef was cooked (which can be done well in advance), we added it to the coconut milk–based sauce and simmered it briefly.

• 2 pounds boneless beef short ribs, trimmed
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 2—4 tablespoons Thai red curry paste
• 1 (14-ounce) can unsweetened coconut milk
• 4 teaspoons fish sauce
• 2 teaspoons sugar
• 1 Thai red chile, halved lengthwise (optional)
• 6 kaffir lime leaves, middle vein removed, sliced thin
• 1/3 cup unsalted dry-roasted peanuts, chopped fine

1. Cut each rib crosswise with grain into 3 equal pieces. Slice each piece against grain 1/4 inch thick. Place beef in large saucepan and add water to cover. Bring to boil over high heat. Cover, reduce heat to low, and cook until beef is fork-tender, 1 to 1 1/4 hours. Using slotted spoon, transfer beef to bowl; discard water. (Beef can refrigerated for up to 24 hours; when ready to use, add it to curry as directed in step 2.)
2. Heat oil in 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium heat until shimmering. Add 2 tablespoons curry paste and cook, stirring frequently, until paste is fragrant and darkens in color to brick red, 5 to 8 minutes. Add coconut milk, fish sauce, sugar, and chile, if using; stir to combine and dissolve sugar. Taste sauce and add up to 2 tablespoons more curry paste to achieve desired spiciness. Add beef, stir to coat with sauce, and bring to simmer.
3. Rapidly simmer, stirring occasionally, until sauce is thickened and reduced by half and coats beef, 12 to 15 minutes. (Sauce should be quite thick, and streaks of oil will appear. Sauce will continue to thicken as it cools.) Add kaffir lime leaves and simmer until fragrant, 1 to 2 minutes. Transfer to serving platter, sprinkle with peanuts, and serve.

1. Notes from the test kitchen:
2. Red curry pastes from different brands vary in spiciness, so start by adding 2 tablespoons and then taste the sauce and add up to 2 tablespoons more.
3. Kaffir lime leaves are well worth seeking out. If you can’t find them, substitute three 3-inch strips each of lemon zest and lime zest, adding them to the sauce with the beef in step 2 (remove the zest strips before serving).
4. Do not substitute light coconut milk.
5. Serve this rich dish with rice and vegetables.