Can I Use Lamb For The Massaman Beef Curry?

Asked by Corbo. Answered on 15th February 2023

Full question

I'd like to make the Massaman Beef Curry from Simply Nigella, but I’d quite like to use lamb instead of beef. So two questions. 1. If this is possible, what cut of lamb should I use? 2. Will this affect the cooking time? Thank you so much.

Massaman Beef Curry

By Nigella

Our answer

Nigella's Massaman Beef Curry (from SIMPLY NIGELLA) is inspired by the Thai beef and potato massaman curry. It is mildly spiced with a rich coconut gravy. Nigella uses beef shin, which is suitable for long, slow cooking.

You can probably use lamb and a tougher cut such as neck of lamb would be best for this curry as it is a good cut for long slow cooking. Lamb shoulder is also good for stews, but as it is quite a fatty cut of meat we suspect that, when combined with the coconut milk, the overall effect would be too greasy. Lamb leg is leaner and could also be another possibility. Trim off as much fat as possible from the lamb and cut into 4-5cm (1 1/2-2 inch) cubes. The cooking time should be around the same as the beef, but we suggest that you have a quick check for tenderness after 1 1/2 hours in the oven as lamb leg particularly may cook slightly more quickly. Before you reheat, you can spoon out any excess lamb fat from the surface of the stew.