Beef Rendang
Ingredients
Beef Rendang
- 1 lbs. boneless beef short ribs cut into cubes
- 6 tablespoons cooking oil
- 4 curry leaved
- 1 stick cinnamon
- 6 cloves
- 4 star anise
- 5 cardamom pods de shelled
- 3 inch lemongrass smashed
- 1 cup thick coconut cream
- 2 cups water
- 1 tablespoon tamarind pulp
- 3/4 cup toasted coconut
- 1 1/2 tablespoons
sugar or palm sugar to taste
- Juice from 1/2 lime.
- salt to taste
Spice Paste
- 5 shallots
- 3 inch galangal
- 2 inch ginger
- 5-10 cloves garlic I like a lot
- 3 tablespoons chopped lemon grass white part
- 12 dried chilies seeded and soaked in water
Instructions
- Season your beef pieces with some salt and set aside.
- Then make your spice paste. Place all ingredients shallots, galangal, ginger, lemon grass, soaked chilies) into a mortar and use a pestle to ground until smooth. Alternatively, place all ingredients into a blender or food processor and blend until smooth. You may need to add a bit of oil to help it blend and set aside.
- Take your dry spices, cinnamon stick, cloves, cardamom seeds without the outer shell, and blend in a spice blender until smooth. Alternatively you can grind this in a mortar and pestle and set aside. If using a mortar and pestle, do this before making spice blend.
- In a large pot add a tablespoon of oil and sear your beef on all sides in batches and set aside.
- Add a bit more oil if necessary or use beef fat left in pot to fry your curry leaves and smashed lemon grass.
- Add your spice paste and fry on medium heat until it has darkened a bit. This should take about 3 minutes stirring constantly .
- Add your ground dry spices and mix in.
- Add your toasted coconut and stir constantly for about 2 minutes.
- Add your coconut cream, your tamarind pulp, and mix to combine.
- Add your sautéed beef back into the pot and follow with water. Simmer covered on low for 30 minutes, then remove the lid and simmer for another hour, Stiring periodically so it does not burn.
- After an hour and a half the beef should be pretty tender but not fall apart. At this stage you can turn up the heat slightly, and sautee stirring frequently for 20 minute until the sauce has reduced and darkened. Season with salt to taste before serving. Beef rendang is typically dryer but I served mine more saucy to because of personal preference. It can be eaten with white rice, sticky rice or roti.