Indonesian Beef Rendang (Rendang Sapi)
Beef chuck is slowly simmered with coconut milk, red chillies, shallots, galangal, ginger, lemongrass and lime leaves, then reduced until tender and coated in deeply browned coconut solids.
Ingredients
- 1 kg beef chuck or stewing beef trimmed of thick external fat and cut into 4 to 5cm pieces
- 8 long red chillies approximately 150g, stalks removed and deseeded if preferred
- 250 g shallots peeled and roughly chopped
- 6 garlic cloves peeled
- 40 g fresh ginger peeled and roughly chopped
- 50 g fresh or frozen galangal thinly sliced
- 1 teaspoon ground turmeric
- 800 ml full fat coconut milk shaken before opening
- 300 ml water
- 3 lemongrass stalks tough outer layer removed, then bruised and knotted
- 6 makrut lime leaves torn
- 3 Indonesian bay leaves optional
- 1 fresh turmeric leaf knotted, optional
- 1 tablespoon smooth tamarind paste not concentrated extract
- 20 g palm sugar finely grated
- 2 teaspoons fine salt plus more if needed
- Up to 300ml additional hot water only if needed to finish tenderising the beef
Instructions
- Put the chillies, shallots, garlic, ginger, galangal and turmeric in a blender. Add 200ml of the measured coconut milk and blend, stopping to scrape down the sides, until no large pieces remain.
- Scrape the paste into a wide, heavy pan. Add the remaining 600ml coconut milk, 300ml water, lemongrass, lime leaves, optional Indonesian bay leaves, optional turmeric leaf, tamarind paste, palm sugar and salt. Stir thoroughly and bring slowly to a gentle simmer over medium heat.
- Add the beef and turn the pieces through the coconut mixture. Return to a gentle simmer, then reduce the heat. Keep the pan uncovered throughout cooking.
- Simmer gently for about 1 hour, stirring and scraping the base every 15 minutes. The liquid should remain plentiful while changing from pale orange to golden brown. Do not let it boil vigorously.
- Continue cooking for 45 to 60 minutes, stirring every 8 to 10 minutes, until the sauce is thick and brown. Test the beef. If it remains firm and the sauce is very thick, stir in 150ml hot water and continue simmering. Add the remaining hot water only if needed, allowing the first addition to reduce before deciding.
- When the beef is nearly tender, turn the heat to low. Cook for 35 to 50 minutes more, stirring and scraping every 2 to 3 minutes at first and almost continuously near the end. Continue until the coconut oil separates and the solids form a deep brown coating around the meat.
- Stop when the beef is fork tender and no watery sauce remains. Taste and add more salt if needed. Remove and discard the lemongrass and whole leaves.
- Remove the pan from the heat and rest for 15 minutes. Turn the beef gently through the coating, then serve with rice and vegetables.
Notes
- Use a wide pan rather than a narrow stockpot. The greater surface area allows the coconut milk to reduce within the stated time.
- Keep the beef pieces generous. Pieces smaller than 4cm may break apart during the final stirring stage.
- Chilli heat varies. Removing the seeds reduces some heat, but the flesh can still be hot. Add small hot chillies only after checking their strength.
- Fresh or frozen galangal is preferable to ground galangal. It is not interchangeable with ginger.
- Makrut lime leaves and galangal are often available frozen and can be used without thawing.
- Daun salam means Indonesian bay leaf. Do not substitute Mediterranean bay leaves.
- The optional additional water is a correction for beef that needs longer. It is not added unless the sauce has thickened before the meat is tender.
- A little separated coconut oil is normal. Spoon off a small amount after cooking only if the surface seems excessively oily.
- Cooking time can vary by 20 to 30 minutes according to the beef, pan width and heat level. Follow the tenderness and reduction cues rather than forcing the dish to match the clock.
Nutrition
Calories: 962kcalCarbohydrates: 37gProtein: 56gFat: 70gSaturated Fat: 49gPolyunsaturated Fat: 3gMonounsaturated Fat: 16gTrans Fat: 2gCholesterol: 173mgSodium: 1423mgPotassium: 1874mgFiber: 4gSugar: 15gVitamin A: 898IUVitamin C: 139mgCalcium: 132mgIron: 14mg
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