A bowl of curried rice with Opa's cured smoked beef, shiitake mushrooms, sweet potato, peas, and almonds, with a spoon and fork on a wooden board.

Opa’s Cured Beef Jerky Curried Rice

Opa’s Smoked Meats • Small Batch. Craft Made. Texas-German tradition — since 1947

Opa's Cured Beef Jerky Curried Rice

Opa's Smoked Meats
Servings

4

Prep Time

15 minutes

Cook Time

30 minutes

Cuisine

Asian

Category

Main Course

Difficulty

Easy

Best For

Weeknight dinners

Proof that jerky can anchor a real dinner. Opa's Cured Peppered Smoked Beef, tender straight from the package, is folded into curried rice with shiitake mushrooms, sweet potato, peas, fresh ginger, and toasted almonds. It is savory and a little unexpected — the kind of pantry-smart dish that tastes like you planned it for days.
Opa's Cured Beef Jerky Curried Rice

Ingredients

  • 3 oz Opa's Cured Peppered Smoked Beef, cut into bite-size pieces
  • 1 cup long grain rice, rinsed and drained
  • 1-1/2 cups water, plus 1/2 cup for the mushrooms
  • 5 dried shiitake mushrooms
  • 1-1/2 tablespoons vegetable oil
  • 1 small onion, finely chopped
  • 1/2 small sweet potato, diced, or 1 medium carrot
  • 1/2 cup frozen peas
  • 1 inch fresh ginger, peeled and grated
  • 1-1/2 teaspoons curry powder
  • 1/2 cup toasted whole almonds
  • 1 tablespoon soy sauce
  • 1 scallion, thinly sliced
  • Salt to taste

Directions

  1. Cook the rice. In a saucepan, combine the rice with the 1-1/2 cups of water and bring to a boil. Cover and simmer for 12 minutes. Remove from heat and let stand 5 minutes, covered. Fluff and let cool completely.
  2. Prep the cured beef. Cut the Opa's Cured Peppered Smoked Beef into bite-size pieces — it's already tender, so there's nothing to soak.
  3. Soak the mushrooms. Bring 1/2 cup of water to a boil, place the dried shiitake mushrooms in a small bowl, and pour the boiling water over them. Let stand 10 minutes, then drain and chop, discarding the stems.
  4. Stir-fry and serve. Heat the oil in a large skillet, add the onion, sweet potato, and grated ginger, and cook over low heat until the onion softens, about 4 minutes. Stir in the curry powder, mushrooms, and almonds and stir-fry until heated. Add the rice, peas, cured beef, and soy sauce and stir-fry until heated through. Remove from heat, season with salt, stir in the scallions, and serve.

Frequently Asked Questions

  1. Do I need to soak Opa's cured beef?

    No. Opa's cured meats are more tender and higher in moisture than typical jerky, so they go straight in.

  2. Can I use fresh rice?

    Day-old or fully cooled rice works best. Warm, fresh rice turns sticky in the skillet.

  3. What can I use instead of shiitake?

    Any dried mushroom, or a cup of sliced fresh mushrooms sautéed with the onion.
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