Beef Rendang Recipe: How To Make Beef Rendang: Resep Rendang: Lovely Malaysian Food

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Beef Rendang or Rendang Daging/Rendang Daging Padang or Rendang Daging Minang of which all are just minor variations of the same dish is one of the most popular and famous beef dishes in Malaysia and is also much prized in places like Indonesia and Singapore. The dish is also made in the Phillipines, Thailand, and Burma. Beef Rendang comes from Minangkabau people of Indonesia and it just spread to the other countries naturally. The method of cooking Rendang was actually a technique for preserving meat in tropical climates which I found very interesting. The spice/curry mixture for the rendang is called "pemasak" in Minangkabau. If dry rendang is made the correct way the dry rendang can preserve the meat for up to four weeks. Beef Rendang is not your quick fix weeknight meal it can and does take hours to make this delicious dish correctly. There is no cookie cuttler version of this recipe and for as many people there are in Malaysia there are as many variations of Beef Rendang. I am making a full flavored curry here on my version of this dish. In many instances depending on which countries version of Beef Rendang you make you will find that many of these spices are omitted and/or added from country to another and in my case here with a little knowledge comes the measurments for making a full spectrum flavored curry for the Beef Rendang. Some of the ingredients I am using are found in Indian curries and I think they will make a lovely tasting curry.

Ingredients:

1 1/2 pound boneless beef short ribs, chuck, bottom or stew meat
5 tablespoons cooking oil
1 cinnamon stick (about 2-inch long) Added to spice paste when cooking it
3 to 1/4 Tsp. cloves Added to spice paste when cooking it
3 star anise Added to spice paste when cooking it
3 cardamom pods Added to spice paste when cooking it
1 lemongrass (cut into 4-inch length and pounded) Added to spice paste when cooking it
1 cup thick coconut milk
1 cup water or beef stock
6 kaffir lime leaves (very finely sliced) I used dried.
6 tablespoons kerisik (toasted coconut)
Some orange peel or zest at least minute before serving

Spice Paste:
5 shallots
5 cloves garlic
1 inch ginger and/or 1 inch galangal
1 Tbsp. Tamarind paste
1 Tbsp. Brown sugar
10 hazelnuts or macadamia nuts. I am using macadamia nuts
1 bay leaf(Chef Heston Blumenthal put these in his version of this recipe)
2 Tbsp. Soy sauce
1 Tbsp. Thick soy sauce
10-12 dried chilies (soaked in warm water and seeded) or 1-4 tsp dried chili flakes depending on how hot you like your curry
½ tsp. Turmeric powder or 1 inch turmeric root(optional)if you have it.
1 Tbsp. Ground coriander(optional)
1/2 to 1 Tbsp.fennel or ground fennel
½ to 1 Tbsp. Ground cumin(optional)
1/4 tsp. cloves or less to taste
¼ to ½ Tsp. Ground fresh nutmeg
2 Tsp. black peppercorns or equal amount of ground black pepper.
1 ½ Tbsp. Fish sauce or 1 -- 2 Tsp. Shrimp paste.(optional)

Method:

Note: first thing make the "kerisik" by taking your dried grated coconut and put in wok and heat up to medium and stir/toast until golden brown.

1. Chop the spice paste ingredients and then blend it in a food processor until fine: shallots, garlic, ginger, galangal, hazelnuts, chilies, turmeric root, coriander, fennel, cumin, fish sauce.

2. Heat the oil in a stew pot, add the spice paste, cinnamon, cloves, star anise, and cardamom and stir-fry them until aromatic.

3. Add the beef and the pounded lemongrass and stir for 1 minute.

4. Add the coconut milk, tamarind juice, beef stock, and simmer on medium heat, stirring frequently until the meat is almost cooked.

5. Add the kaffir lime leaves, kerisik (toasted coconut), sugar/palm sugar and soy sauces stirring to blend well with the meat.

6. Lower the heat to low, add bay leaf and cover the pot. simmer for 1 -- 1 1/2 hours or until the meat is really tender and the gravy has dried up. Once the gravy has dried up continue to cook and stir to get as much of the remaining liquid to evaporate into the meat. add salt and black pepper to taste if desired.

7. Then add your orange zest and stir it in well for a minute or two to release the flavor/oils.

8. Serve immediately on a piece of banana leaf if you have with steamed rice and save some for overnight.

9. Add salt to taste. If not sweet enough, add more sugar to taste.