Sumatran Style Beef Rendang Recipes

INDONESIAN RENDANG

Steps:

• Put all ingredients for the paste in a blender or food processor.
• Add 50 ml coconut milk to help the blending process and blend until smooth.
• Put the beef and spice paste into a Wok or a large saucepan (minimum capacity 4 liters).
• Pour in the coconut milk, add the lemon grass, kaffir lime leaves and turmeric leaves. Stir to mix.
• Cook over medium-high heat until the coconut milk get boiled.
• Adjust the heat into medium and simmer for 1.5 hours uncovered until the coconut milk becomes thicker and oily. Stirring occasionally.
• Add the tamarind water and salt to taste. (Note: If you like to eat it with sauce you can stop the cooking now. This dish is called: Kalio /Wet Rendang)
• If you like to eat it as rendang then continue cooking on low heat for about 30 minutes.
• Cook until the coconut milk is driven off and the beef and sauce becomes brown and almost dry. (At this stage you will probably need to stir all the time to prevent burning)
• Serve hot with rice and "Minangkabau Green Sambal".
• Many Indonesians prefer a black colour rendang. To get this kind of rendang you need to add roasted grated coconut which's smoothly blended.
• I personally prefer to stop the cooking earlier to reserve it's thick delicates sauce as you see in the pic :-)

MALAYSIAN BEEF RENDANG

Steps:

• Heat the coconut in a dry wok, stirring continuously until golden brown. Set aside to cool.
• Using a blender or a food processor, blend the shallots, garlic, chilies, ginger, and lemon grass to a thick paste.
• Grind the coriander, fennel, cumin and nutmeg.
• Using the wok, fry the shallot paste in a little oil for a few minutes. Add the ground coriander, fennel, cumin and nutmeg; cook for 3 to 4 minutes, stirring continuously. Add beef; cook over a medium heat for a further 3 to 4 minutes, or until meat is browned.
• Stir in sugar, coconut, cloves, cinnamon stick, coconut milk , and water. Bring to a boil, lower heat, and simmer until most of the liquid has gone and the meat is tender (about 1 hour). Season with salt to taste.

RENDANG DAGING (BEEF RENDANG)

Steps:

• Prepare the spice paste: In a small food processor, combine the spice paste ingredients and blend until they form a smooth paste. If the texture is too coarse, you can add a splash of the measured coconut milk and blend again. Set aside.
• Prepare the beef: Trim the meat of any excess fat, then cut the meat into 1 1/2-inch chunks, discarding any additional excess fat, and transfer the cubed meat to a deep, heavy Dutch oven or pot.
• Stir in the prepared spice paste along with the coconut milk, lemongrass, makrut lime leaves (if using), bay leaves and salt. Bring the mixture to a boil over high, then reduce to a gentle simmer and continue to cook for 2 to 2 1/2 hours until the meat is tender, stirring every 20 minutes or so to ensure the rendang doesn't stick to the bottom of the pot.
• After 2 to 2 1/2 hours, the oil from the coconut milk will split and rise to the surface, appearing as a reddish-orange oil; Indonesians call this stage "kalio." (Depending on the oil content of your coconut milk, this may be a subtle film of oil or there can be a pool of it.) Discard the lemongrass stalks. (If they cook any further, they may disintegrate and be impossible to remove.)
• Turn the heat up to medium-high to reduce the sauce. Stir the rendang continuously until the sauce has thickened and turned a deep brown, about 15 minutes. As more oil separates, you are nearly there. Continue stirring the beef so it absorbs the sauce and caramelizes on the outside. Taste and adjust the seasoning if needed before serving.

SUMATRAN-STYLE BEEF RENDANG

Steps:

• Grind nutmeg and cloves into a fine powder in a blender, 2 to 3 minutes. Add onions, chile peppers, macadamia nuts, garlic, ginger, galangal, and turmeric; blend into a smooth paste, thinning slightly with water if needed.
• Place beef in a 12-inch skillet or wok. Mix in paste and coat beef thoroughly. Add coconut milk, lemongrass knots, cinnamon, lime leaves, cardamom, and star anise to form a sauce.
• Bring to a gentle boil over medium-high heat. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer uncovered, stirring with a spatula every 15 minutes, until sauce has reduced and thickened, about 1 hour. Continue cooking, stirring frequently to prevent sticking and scorching, until sauce turns a dark caramel color and coats the beef, about 2 hours.
• Remove from heat, cover, and let stand, about 30 minutes. Discard lemongrass, cinnamon stick, lime leaves, cardamom, and star anise before serving.