Beef Rendang 🌶 🇲🇾

 

 

Beef Rendang is a popular southeast Asian dish, believed to originate in West Sumatra, Indonesian.  Slow cooked in a multitude of spices, herbs, coconut milk and toasted desiccated coconut until the meat is meltingly tender, it is rich in taste and tantalisingly aromatic.  Not so saucy to be called a 'curry', perhaps.  Once eaten, never forgotten.  Take a shortcut by using a good quality ready made Rendang paste (I use the Ayam brand which comes in a jar), then liven it up with stalks of lemon grass, cinnamon sticks, star anises, cardamom pods, cloves, 'makrut' lime leaves, tamarind and palm sugar.  Let them all party together in the pot.  Serve beef rendang with steamed rice and cucumber slices on the side.

Serves 6

INGREDIENTS

• ⅓ cup desiccated coconut
• 800g / 1lb 12oz chuck steak or gravy beef, cut into 3cm / 1¼" cubes
• 185g / 6½oz Rendang paste
• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 2 stalks lemon grass, cut into 10cm / 4" sections, smashed to release flavour
• 2 cinnamon sticks
• 3 star anise
• 4 cloves
• 4 green cardamom pods
• 4 makrut lime leaves
• 400ml / 13.5 fl oz tinned coconut milk
• 1 tablespoon tamarind paste
• 1 tablespoon palm sugar
• ¾ cup water
• sea salt, to taste

METHOD

1. In a medium size pan, toast desiccated coconut over low heat for a minute or so until golden brown.  Remove from heat and set aside in a dish.
2. Prepare the lime leaves by cutting away the tough centre veins.  Roll the two halves together into a tiny scroll, then slice them up thinly into shreds.
3. In a large heavy based pan, heat oil on medium high and add the Rendang paste.  Stir and cook for a few minutes until fragrant and the oil begins to separate from the paste.
4. Add the beef, lemongrass, cinnamon, star anise, cloves and cardamom.  Toss until the beef is coated with the paste, about 2 minutes.
5. Add the coconut milk, tamarind paste, water, desiccated coconut, lime leaves, and palm sugar, stirring to combine.
6. Reduce the heat to low.  Cover, and simmer for 1 to 1½ hours or until the meat is very tender and the gravy has almost dried up.  Give it a stir occasionally to prevent the beef from sticking to the pan during the cooking period.
7. Season with salt, to taste.  Serve with steamed rice.