Beef Rendang

• μερίδες: 10

Υλικά

Ingredients

1800 g beef short rib or brisket, cut into ~3-4 cm cubes

Cooking oil, for frying the paste

300 g water (300 ml), or as needed during cooking

Lemongrass stalks (~3), bruised and tied in a knot

Cinnamon stick (~2), or cassia bark if available

Star anise, whole (~5)

Cloves (~10)

Green cardamom pods (~10), lightly bruised

Makrut lime leaves (~9), torn or bruised to release oils

Tamarind paste (~1.5 tbsp or 20-25 g)

Coconut cream (750 g or ~750 ml thick cream from 2-3 cans; use the thick part only for richer results)

Palm sugar, grated (~50-80 g or to taste; start lower and adjust for balance)

Salt (~10-30 g, or ~1-1.5% of total weight; taste and season gradually)

Kerisik (toasted coconut paste) (~120-180 g; homemade by toasting desiccated coconut until golden then pounding or blending to a paste)

Curry Paste

30 dried red chillies, deseeded, roughly chopped and soaked in hot water 20-30 mins

Thai shallots (~6 or 150-180 g), roughly chopped

120 g garlic cloves, peeled

60 g ginger, peeled and roughly chopped

60 g galangal, peeled and roughly chopped

30 g fresh turmeric, peeled and roughly chopped (or 10-15 g ground turmeric if fresh unavailable)

12 g coriander seeds, toasted and ground

12 g fennel seeds, toasted and ground

12 g cumin seeds, toasted and ground

50-150 g water, for blending the paste smoothly

Οδηγίες

Dried Chillies:

Using scissors, cut the tail off the chillies and then cut them lengthways to deseed them. Remove all the seeds and then cut or chop them up into smaller pieces for easier blending. Pour boiling water over the dried chillies, and let them rehydrate for about 10-15 minutes or so then set aside for the paste.

This is essentially not a spicy dish. The amount of dried chillies is not enough to create too much heat. If it’s a helpful indicator, Sofi, my two year old daughter, eats this version of beef randang without hesitation. Although dried chillies are a must in Singapore and Malaysian rendang recipes, the original Indonesian recipe does not use them. If you prefer to reduce the heat, simply reduce the number of chillies or do not use them at all.

Paste:

The spice base paste is crucial as it is where the bulk of the flavours are coming from. It’s a comprehensive list of ingredients, but you don’t have to prep too much.

Unlike other curries, the spices do not need to be dry roasted before being ground. Simply pop everything in a blender and turn it into a paste, adding just enough water to get there if you need to. Scrape down the sides as needed for even texture. Sieve the ground spices afterwards to remove any large pieces of spice husk. Set aside.

Kerisik:

Kerisik, or toasted coconut butter, is the single most important ingredient for rendang and is basically dessicated coconut that is toasted until brown, and pounded until it turns into a sort of butter or melted caramel. To make it, fry the dessicated coconut in a frypan or wok, reducing the heat gradually as it starts to brown.

When all of the cococut has turned a rich, deep, dark brown (but not black of burnt) transfer it to a mortar and pestle and get to work. You will need to pound the coconut to some degree but a circular grinding, where you are pushing the coconut up against the side of the pestle will be most effective. Continue doing this until the coconut turns in a nut paste like texture, with its oil starting to seep, much like peanut butter. This can take up to 15-20 mins but it will get easier as you go. When done, set aside.

Spices:

In a large, heavy-based pot or Dutch oven (cast iron works beautifully for even heat), heat a generous film of cooking oil over medium heat. Add the cinnamon stick, star anise, cloves, and cardamom pods. Fry gently for 1-2 minutes until fragrant and the spices release their aroma without burning.

Add the blended curry paste and fry over medium-low heat for 8-10 minutes, stirring constantly, until the paste darkens, the oil separates, and the raw aroma disappears. This stage builds deep flavour.

Beef:

Toss in the bruised lemongrass and the cubed beef. Stir thoroughly to coat every piece, then let the meat release its juices. Continue stirring and cooking until most of the liquid evaporates and the beef shrinks slightly with a light sear (~10-15 minutes). The beef is added after frying the curry paste and you’ll notice the paste will become more liquid. This is the liquid drawn out from the beef. Cook the beef, and once the paste dries back to before you added the beef, that’s when the step is complete. If it means that at this stage the beef is fully cooked cooked, that is perfectly fine.

Pour in the coconut cream, water, salt, palm sugar, torn kaffir lime leaves, tamarind paste, and half the kerisik. Stir well to combine, then bring to a gentle boil over medium-high heat.

Immediately reduce to the lowest simmer (barely bubbling), partially cover, and cook for 4-6 hours, stirring every 20-30 minutes and scraping the bottom to prevent scorching. The coconut milk will split and caramelise gradually, which is essential for authentic rendang's dark, glossy coating.

Although rendang needs long periods of time to properly stew, the process is effortless. You can essentially leave it alone, but you do need to return to the pot every 20-30 minutes or so, just to give the pot a stir. This is to give the rendang an even mix throughout. If left unstirred, you might potentially burn the rendang at the bottom. If you find that your rendang is drying out quicker than you’d like, simply add 200ml of water to hydrate it! This will give more liquid for the beef to stew in and soften even more. Let the liquid reduce to a dry curry texture.

In the last hour, add the remaining kerisik and stir more frequently as the sauce thickens dramatically and the beef becomes fork-tender, pulling apart easily. If it dries too quickly before the meat is ready, splash in a little hot water sparingly; the goal is a dry, clinging sauce, not something soupy.

Taste and adjust the salt, sugar, or tamarind for balance in the final stages. Remove the lemongrass knot, cinnamon stick, star anise, and any large spice remnants before serving.

Σημειώσεις

In a massive 2017 CNN poll 35,000 people worldwide voted beef rendang number one "World's Most Delicious Food." It beat heavy hitters like sushi, pad thai, and pizza, which is no small feat for a slow-simmered beef dish from West Sumatra's Minangkabau people. I agree with the vote whoileheartedly; beef randang is epic, I adore it, and this recipe has been designed and worked over time to accentuate its flavours even further.

Like so many of the world’s best meals it is a dish born from necessity, where tough cuts transform through hours of gentle simmering into something that becomes melt-in-the-mouth rich and complex. There’s magic in the coconut milk reduction. It splits, the coconut oil fries the spices again, and the meat absorbs everything until the sauce clings like a second skin. Palm sugar here is modest; it's about letting the spices shine. Too much and it spoils in becoming overly sweet, so taste as you go.

Kerisik adds that signature nutty depth and texture. It’s basically toasted coconut butter which is made by pounding and grinding dessicated coconut in a mortar and pestle until it turns into a sort of melted caramel. It takes some work but it is the single most important ingredient for rendang.

Serve with steamed jasmine rice, toasted peanuts with their skins on, some cucumber slices (I briefly pickle mine with sugar and rice vinegar) to cut the richness and if you're up for it, crown it in glory with Sambal.

Like so many slow cooked dishes it's even better the next day as the flavours meld. This one's a labour of love which will have the house smell incredible for hours.

Keeps in the fridge for up to a week and freezes for months. It reheats beautifully and often tastes deeper and more balanced, which is why this recipe is made with such a large portion of beef; leftovers!

Beef Weights:

Brisket piece for 10 servings - 1800g

Trim loss - ~300g

Net beef - ~1500g

Best Beef for Rendang?

The type of beef cut to use are those with connective tissue, which also happen to be the cheapest like chuck, shoulder, brisket, or short ribs. Short ribs are my favourite but require pre-poaching or steaming to remove the bone, and brisket as used in this recipe is a very close second.

The beef is cut into relatively large cubed portions of about 3-4 cm. Due to the long cooking time, the beef has plenty of time to soften and tenderise so that even the bigger chunks will pull apart easily.