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beef rendang

(2 ratings)
Northwestgal avatar
Recipe by
Vickie Parks
@Northwestgal
Renton, WA

Beef Rendang is an extravagant dish from Indonesia (West Sumatra) but is also served in Malaysia, Singapore, Brunei and southern Philippines. It’s easy to make but requires patience because it must cook slowly in order for the flavors to fully develop. It can be made in a slow cooker though that’s not recommended because the dish won’t develop the depth of flavor or rich color from the caramelization that you'll get from stovetop cooking. In 2011, Beef Rendang was listed among the world’s 50 most delicious foods. It's a dry curry, so it won't be exceptionally saucy.

(2 ratings)
yield 6 serving(s)
prep time 20 Min
cook time 3 Hr
method Stove Top

Ingredients For beef rendang

  • 2 lb
    chuck steak, cut into large cubes (about golf-ball size)
  • 1 Tbsp
    cooking oil (vegetable, peanut, or canola)
  • 1
    cinnamon stick
  • 3
    whole cloves
  • 3
    star anise
  • 3
    cardamom pods (or 1/2 teaspoon cardamom powder)
  • 1
    lemongrass stick (bottom half only), smashed with back of spoon to release flavor
  • 14 oz
    can coconut milk
  • 2 tsp
    tamarind puree (or 2 tsp lemon juice + 1 tsp sugar)
  • 6
    kafir lime leaves, finely sliced
  • 6 Tbsp
    unsweeted coconut, shredded or flaked
  • 1 Tbsp
    brown sugar
  • 1 1/2 tsp
    salt
  • SPICE PASTE:
  • 12
    dried chilies, soaked in boiling water and deseeded (or 6 fresh red chilies, deseeded and chopped)
  • 6
    shallots, chopped
  • 3
    lemongrass stalks (white party only), sliced
  • 5 clove
    garlic, coarsely chopped
  • 1 1/2 Tbsp
    fresh galangal, chopped
  • 1 1/2 Tbsp
    fresh ginger, chopped
  • 2 Tbsp
    cooking oil (vegetable, peanut, or canola)
  • OPTIONAL SIDE DISH
  • 6
    servings of coconut rice (optional, but recommended)

How To Make beef rendang

  • 1
    Place Spice Paste ingredients in a small food processor and pulse until fine and thoroughly blended.
  • 2
    Heat 1 tbsp oil in a large, heavy stockpot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add Spice Paste, cinnamon, cloves, star anise and cardamon pods. Cook for 1 to 2 minutes until fragrant, being careful not to burn the spice paste.
  • 3
    Increase heat to high. Add beef and sear, stirring to sear all sides of each piece of beef until they are dark brown (the deep color from the sear will contribute to the color of the curry). Add remaining ingredients and stir to combine. Bring to a simmer, then immediately reduce heat to low or medium low, so the sauce is bubbling very gently. Place lid on the pot and let it to simmer for 1½ to 2 hours.
  • 4
    Remove lid and check the beef to see how tender it is. You don't want it to be "fall apart at a touch" at this stage. If it is, remove the beef from the pot before proceeding.
  • 5
    Increase heat to medium and let sauce simmer for 10 to 20 minutes, stirring occasionally, to reduce it to a thick sauce that coats the beef cubes. Watch carefully at this stage because you don't want the sauce to burn. (It's a dry curry so it won't be excessively saucy; instead, the concentrated flavor of the curry should be more like a thick paste that coats the beef cubes.)
  • 6
    By this stage, the beef should be "fall apart at a touch" tender. Remove from heat, and serve immediately. It's best when served with Coconut Rice.
  • Last Step: Don't forget to share! Make all your friends drool by posting a picture of your finished recipe on your favorite social network. And don't forget to tag Just A Pinch and include #justapinchrecipes so we can see it too!
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