BEEF RENDANG

This dish is great, but is adaptable in the amount of beef you use. I allow 250g of beef per a person up to 1kg for this recipe. Allowing 250g of beef per a person is really not that much if you consider this dish is not bulked out with other ingredients like most curry dishes. You can cook this with 500g or 750g if desired, as the rest of the ingredients remain the same. Beef Rendang originates from Sumatra in Indonesia, with Malaysia having similar versions. During research for this dish, i did come across many versions with different recipes claiming to be authentic. My recipe is not far off the mark, but this aside it is still very tasty and a dish that is cooked many times in our household. The Rendang method was originally created as a way of preserving meat before the times of refrigeration. This dish does require a lot of time to make but the results are worth the wait. The puree of onion,garlic and ginger that is used to help thicken this dish is very adaptable for other curry dishes, and is a wonderful method of thickening and developing flavour.

THE RECIPE;

The puree;

250g onion

3 cloves of garlic

10g ginger

Small pinch of sea salt

2 tbsp of water or c/milk

The spice mix;

2 tsp coriander seeds

2 tsp cumin seeds

1/2 tsp fennel seeds

1/4 tsp cloves

1/4 tsp turmeric

2 black peppercorns

The rest;

1 kg Beef steak(cut into decent chunks)

400ml coconut milk

1 bay leaf

1 stick of lemon grass

1 tbsp fresh lemon

4 chilli peppers(de seeded)- Depending on the amount of heat required seeds can be left!

2 -3 tsp of palm sugar

Optional Garnish;

Fresh tomato

Spring onion
Sliced chilli

THE METHOD;

Ground the spices in a pestle and mortar or spice mill to a fine powder, Reserve.

Chop the onion, garlic and ginger and add to a blender to make a puree. You will need to use the water or coconut milk to loosen the mixture and help the puree along. Season with a pinch of sea salt, reserve.

Add the coconut milk to a suitable skillet, and bring to the boil, after a couple of minutes add the spices, cook for 2 minutes before adding the onion puree, cook for a further 2 minutes before adding the chilli,lemongrass and bay leaf. Allow too cook for a further minute then add the Beef. Coat the beef with the coconut then add the lemon and palm sugar.

Over a low to moderate heat allow the dish to cook until all the sauce has been absorbed by the Beef, this will take somewhere between one and one and a half hours. Do not worry during cooking as the sauce will not take on the dark Rendang colour until all of the sauce is absorbed. During the last 10 minutes of cooking more attention is required as the sauce is absorbed to prevent the Rendang from burning.

The finished dish will look like a sticky dark brown mass, lovely and rich. Turn out into bowls and serve with boiled rice.

I like to eat Rendang with a garnish of tomato, spring onion and sliced deseeded chilli.