Beef Rendang

Name: Beef Rendang
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 1 h 45 min
Total time: 2 h
Yield: 4 servings
Ingredients: 1 lb beef chuck or stewing beef, cubed; 5 tbsp vegetable oil; 1 cinnamon stick; 3 whole cloves; 3 star anise pods; 3 green cardamom pods; 1 cup coconut cream; 1 cup water; 2 tbsp tamarind paste; 6 kaffir lime leaves; 1 tbsp palm or brown sugar; 5 shallots, peeled; 2 lemongrass stalks, bruised and chopped; 1 thumb fresh ginger, sliced; 4 garlic cloves; 6 dried red chilies, soaked

From the kitchen of Carly

Indonesian dry curry that simmers low and slow until the coconut milk reduces into a dark, glossy paste that coats every piece of beef. Rich, deeply spiced, and even better the next day. Cook this on Saturday for Sunday dinner. The flavor depth doubles after a night in the fridge.

Prep: 15 min
Cook: 1 hr 45 min
Total: 2 hr
Servings: 4
Difficulty: medium

Ingredients

4 servings

1 lbbeef chuck or stewing beef, cubed
5 tbspvegetable oil
1cinnamon stick
3whole cloves
3star anise pods
3green cardamom pods
1 cupcoconut cream
1 cupwater
2 tbsptamarind paste
6kaffir lime leaves
1 tbsppalm or brown sugar
5shallots, peeled
2lemongrass stalks, bruised and chopped
1 thumbfresh ginger, sliced
4garlic cloves
6dried red chilies, soaked

Instructions

Make the spice paste: blend the shallots, lemongrass, ginger, garlic, and soaked dried chilies in a food processor with a splash of water until you have a smooth paste.
Heat the oil in a heavy-bottomed pot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the spice paste, cinnamon stick, cloves, star anise, and cardamom pods. Fry, stirring, for 5 minutes until deeply fragrant. The kitchen will smell incredible.
Add the cubed beef. Stir to coat in the paste and let it sear for 1 minute on each side.
Pour in the coconut cream, water, and tamarind paste. Drop in the lime leaves. Stir to combine.
Bring to a gentle bubble, then drop the heat to the lowest setting. Cover partially and simmer for 1 hour, stirring every 15 minutes.
Uncover. Stir in the sugar. Continue cooking, uncovered now, for another 30 to 45 minutes. The sauce will reduce, darken, and start to cling to the meat.
When the liquid is mostly gone and the rendang looks like a dark, oily glaze coating the beef, taste and adjust salt and sugar.
Serve over steamed jasmine or coconut rice. Rendang is even better the next day; reheat gently with a splash of water if needed.

Substitutions

tamarind paste to 1 tbsp lime juice + 1 tsp sugar. Tamarind has a unique sour note; the substitute gets close enough.
dried red chilies to 2 tbsp red chili paste or sambal oelek. Adjust to your heat tolerance. The dish should have noticeable warmth, not searing heat.
kaffir lime leaves to zest of 1 lime. Lime leaves are best. Lime zest is the fallback most US grocery stores let you do.

Pairs well with: Steamed jasmine or coconut rice (essential), Cucumber and red onion salad with rice vinegar, Cold beer or a lime soda

Adapted from TheMealDB.