Cuisine: Indonesia's Acclaimed Beef Rendang

 

Rendang Daging Minang (Minangkabau Spicy Coconut Curried Beef)

In my usual passionate attempt to seek out any form of cultural or culinary event here in Southern California, I recently attended an Indonesian independence festival at the Los Angeles consulate. Graced by wonderful gamelan music performances and elegant Balinese dancing, it felt thrilling to reacquaint myself with the exotic colors and flavors of Indonesia. But if one aspect of the festival instantly brought back sweet memories of my travels in this tropical paradise, it was most certainly the food! Nasi Goreng, Soto Ayam, Sate Babi, Gado Gado - I literally spent $40 in food for myself to gorge on (and also some to take home, don't be fooled). But of the many rich and savory dishes to come out of Nusantara, one in particular has rightfully gained international recognition for its complex flavor - Beef Rendang.

While many variations and preparations of this dish exist, I sought to recreate the original Sumatran version using traditional cooking methods (no short-cuts in this kitchen!). The recipe below is taken from the traditional slow-cooked method of the Minangkabau ethnic group, combining elements from my personal experience, advice from Indonesian friends, and online research. As one of the most complicated recipes I've ever attempted, it's a highly technical and time intensive meal, usually reserved for special occasions or guests. I actually first prepared it with beef shank and it took almost 7 hours, but using another cut of meat can help reduce the time. However, when done properly given all the time and effort, the flavors are utterly indescribable, with each bite starting off sweet before finishing with a spicy kick. I'll attempt to describe the procedure because nothing is customarily measured, but rather added based on personal preference or based on the taste/color/texture of the dish as seen fit.

Preparation of the dish is broken up into 4 parts: Making the spice paste, making the kerisik (roasted ground coconut), simmering the beef in the coconut curry, then quick frying the beef in the natural coconut oil extracted during the simmer.

INGREDIENTS & METHOD:

Making the Spice Paste:

5 shallots

1 inch peeled galangal root

1 inch peeled ginger root

3 inches of lemongrass (lower white part, but save the long stems)

5 cloves garlic or big tablespoon garlic paste

5-10 dried red chilies, based on preference (seeded, then soaked in 1 cup boiling water)

• Chop all of these ingredients and then place in a food processor/blender and grind/blend until a fine paste is created.
  
• Add a little of the water used to soak the chili to the blender if the paste is too dry. 
• Reserve paste in a bowl.

Making the Kerisik (Roasted Coconut Flakes):

6 tablespoons grated dry coconut

1 big teaspoon coriander seed

1 big teaspoon cumin seed

• Roast the grated coconut in a dry frying pan until golden brown, stirring frequently to not burn. 
• Before finishing, add the coriander and cumin seeds and quick roast (will hear popping sounds). Make sure not to burn the spices! 
• Add the roasted mixture to a stone mortar and pestle and grind until fine. It's fine if it has a paste-like texture.
• Reserve in a bowl

Making the Coconut Curry:

5 tablespoon sesame oil

1.5 pound boneless stewing beef (cut into cubes)

8 cloves

4 star anise

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon 

0.5 teaspoon ground cardamom

0.25 teaspoon ground tumeric 

1 lemongrass (yellow part, cut into 3-inch lengths, pounded once)

1 cup coconut milk

1 cup beef stock

4 tablespoons tamarind juice/concentrate

6 big kaffir lime leaves (very finely sliced)

1 large tumeric leaf (very finely sliced) **you may not be able to find this ingredient in the West

4 tablespoons ground palm sugar (or to taste)

Salt and pepper to taste

• Lightly fry the whole spices - the cloves, anise, and lemongrass - in the sesame oil to release aroma.
  
• Add the beef cubes to the pan and brown nicely.
• Add the spice paste, stirring frequently to not let it burn. 
• Add the liquids - the coconut milk, beef stock, and tamarind juice. 
• Throw in the ground spices - the cinnamon, cardamom, tumeric, and palm sugar.
• Stir the whole thing well so the ingredients are evenly distributed and the curry covers most of the beef. Keep on medium heat for 5 minutes.
  
• Add the sliced lime leaves, tumeric leaf, and the ground kerisik, stirring them into the curry well.
• Bring the heat down to low, partially covered, and allow the curry to simmer until nearly all of the coconut liquid has evaporated and the meat is tender. This step can vary anywhere from 2 to 4 hours depending on the cut of meat and amount of liquid. Stir occasionally to prevent the scorching of the meat and to ensure all the pieces are evenly cooked.
  

Finishing with a Fry:

• As the curry begins to evaporate/get absorbed into the meat, you will start to notice a layer of natural coconut oil separating from the mixture and resting on top. When most of the coconut liquid has gone, raise the heat to med-high and quick fry the meat in this oil, stirring prevent burning.
• The finished product should be what is described as a "dry curry", with a rich darkened meat coated in natural coconut oil and spice paste
• Serve immediately with rice or save overnight for the next day. The flavor will get richer with time. The flavor should be complex, with a sweet beginning followed by a spicy kick at the end.

Selamat Makan and Enjoy!