About the Recipe
Beef rendang is a spicy, rich, and creamy Indonesian/Malaysian beef stew made with beef, spices, and coconut milk.
Ingredients
Curry Paste
4 shallots, sliced (or red onion)
6 garlic cloves
3 inch piece fresh ginger, peeled, sliced
2 Fresno red chili pepper
2 Serrano chili pepper
1 or 2 tablespoons red chili flakes, depending on desired heat
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric
1/8 teaspoon ground cardamom
1/8 teaspoon nutmeg
The Rest
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 1/2 pounds beef chuck, cut in 2-inch pieces
1/2 stalk lemongrass, lighter part, bruised with back of knife
1 can coconut milk FULL FAT
1 generous tablespoon brown sugar
2 teaspoons lime zest. Save the juice for later in the process. Zest the lime first.
Preparation
Preheat oven to 300º
Combine all the ingredients for the Curry Paste into a food processor and blitz until it is a smoothish paste. Set aside.
Cut the chuck roast into 2 inch cubes, removing egregious amounts of fat, if any. Salt the meat and brown in the vegetable oil on all sides in a dutch oven or similar wide, heavy based pot with a tight fitting lid. Brown the beef on medium high heat (as not to burn the fond it creates) in batches as not to cool the pan.
Once all the meat has been browned and set aside, dump in the curry paste and sauté for about 3 minutes being careful not to brown it. This wakes up the spices, garlic and ginger.
Add the beef and coat with the curry paste. Dump in the can of FULL FAT coconut milk and mix in with the curry paste and beef. Toss in the lemon grass, sugar and lime zest and stir to combine.
Bring to a rapid simmer. Once simmering, cover and place into the oven for what will seem like an eternity. Don’t even bother checking in on it for 2 hours.
After 2 hours, give it a stir and add the juice from the zested lime. Cover and let go for another hour.
This is where the dish becomes needy. After 3 hours you can start checking on the tenderness of the meat. The ultimate goal is fork tender NOT mush. What does fork tender mean? It simply means you can pierce it with a fork and the meat doesn’t stick to the fork…that is our ultimate goal BUT, ay 3 hours it should give you some resistance. We want this. For example, if you pierce it and have to give it a slight shake to get it off the fork…its perfect. If you have to use something to remove it from the fork…give it another 20 minutes. Check more than one piece. Once it is at the “doesn’t quite fall off the fork” point, remove the lid and let it continue cooking until the sauce reaches the consistency and amount you like. This time with the lid off will reduce the sauce and brown the meat. The amount of sauce is totally up to you. I like a little sauce for the rice accompaniment. When it hits you desired sauciness, taste for salt. It shouldn’t need any but one never knows.
Serve over rice and eat the fuck out of it!