Beef rendang

Name: Beef rendang
Cook time: 212 min
Total time: 212 min
Yield: 6
Cuisine: Indonesia
Ingredients: 6 cloves Garlic; 1 teaspoon Salt; 3 tablespoons Vegetable Oil; 1 piece Ginger; 3 u Red Chilli; 50 g Desiccated Coconut; 800 ml Coconut Milk; 1 u Cinnamon Stick; 1 teaspoon Turmeric; 3 u Cloves; 8 u Shallots; 1 kg Beef Shin; 2 u Star Anise; 1 piece Galangal; 10 u Dried Red Chillies; 3 u Lemongrass; 6 leaves Lime Leaves

Rendang de ternera

Medium

Incomplete allergen information: some ingredients have not been reviewed yet. Always check the labels before cooking.

Author: Equipo Cocinoa
Preparation time: 4 hr
Servings: 6

Summary

The great slow-cooked dish of West Sumatra: beef simmered for hours in coconut milk with chillies, lemongrass, galangal and makrut lime until the sauce reduces, fries in its own fat and coats the meat in a deep, dark brown.

Ingredients

6 servings

Add to Bring!

6 cloves Garlic
1 teaspoon Salt (plus more to taste)
3 tablespoons Vegetable Oil
1 piece Ginger (fresh, about 4 cm)
3 u Red Chilli (fresh, long)
50 g Desiccated Coconut (unsweetened, for the kerisik)
800 ml Coconut Milk (2 tins)
1 u Cinnamon Stick
1 teaspoon Turmeric (ground, or 3 cm of fresh root)
3 u Cloves
8 u Shallots (peeled, or 2 onions)
1 kg Beef Shin (or chuck, cut into 4–5 cm cubes)
2 u Star Anise
1 piece Galangal (fresh, about 5 cm)
10 u Dried Red Chillies (fewer for a milder curry)
3 u Lemongrass (stalks, bruised and knotted)
6 leaves Lime Leaves (lightly torn)

Instructions

Soak the dried chillies in hot water. Meanwhile, cut the beef into large cubes and pat it dry with kitchen paper.
15 min
Make the kerisik: toast the coconut in a dry frying pan over low heat, stirring constantly, until evenly golden brown. Grind it while still warm in a mortar or spice grinder until it releases its oil and turns into a dark, moist paste. Set aside.
12 min
Drain the dried chillies and blend them with the fresh chillies, shallots, garlic, ginger, galangal and turmeric, with a splash of water, to a smooth paste.
5 min
Heat the oil in a wide, heavy-based pan and fry the paste over medium heat with the lemongrass, lime leaves, cinnamon, star anise and cloves, stirring, until intensely fragrant and no longer smelling raw.
10 min
Add the beef and stir to coat it well in the paste. Pour in the coconut milk, season with salt and bring to the boil.
5 min
Lower the heat and simmer uncovered, stirring and scraping the bottom every 15 minutes, until the sauce has reduced a great deal, thickened and the beef is tender.
2 hr
Stir in the kerisik and keep cooking over low heat, now stirring very often. The coconut oil will separate and the beef will slowly fry in it until the almost dry sauce darkens to a deep brown and clings to every piece. Watch it closely: at this stage it catches easily.
45 min
Remove the lemongrass, cinnamon and star anise, check the salt and leave to rest for at least 15 minutes before serving.

Notes

Rendang belongs to the Minangkabau people of West Sumatra and is served at weddings and major celebrations; it is also cooked in Malaysia, often a little sweeter. It began as a way of preserving meat: with almost all the liquid cooked off, the dish kept for days without spoiling. If you take it off the heat while it still has a thick sauce, you have kalio, the juicier version many families prefer for everyday meals. The kerisik (toasted, ground coconut) gives it a nutty, roasted flavour and thickens the sauce, so don't skip it. The two classic mistakes are covering the pot, which stops the liquid reducing, and turning the heat up at the end, when the sauce is already thick and burns easily. If you can find turmeric leaf, add it with the lemongrass. Serve with plain rice, sliced cucumber and sambal. It improves overnight and freezes well for up to 3 months.