Cookbook:Rendang (Indonesian Beef and Coconut Stew)

| Cuisine of Indonesia

Rendang is made from beef or water buffalo meat slowly cooked in coconut milk and spices. The coconut milk used in cooking turns into a delicious spicy sauce that is more delicious than the meat itself.

Spice paste

 * 2 cloves garlic
 * 4 shallots
 * 25 g ginger
 * 15 g turmeric
 * 75 g young galangal
 * 1 tbsp ground fresh red chile pepper
 * 1 tsp pepper
 * ½ pod dried nutmeg
 * 2 candlenuts
 * ½ tbsp salt
 * 1 tbsp gula jawa (Indonesian palm sugar)

Stew

 * 1 kg beef, cut into big cubes to make 20 pieces
 * 4 lime leaves
 * 1 stalk lemongrass
 * 2 L ready-to-use coconut milk or coconut milk from 1 big fresh coconut

Procedure

 * 1) Using a food processor, grind together all the ingredients for the spice paste.
 * 2) Marinate meat with the spice paste for at least 1 hour.
 * 3) Heat the coconut milk over low heat until some oil rises to the surface (at least 20 minutes). Stir the coconut milk while it is cooking.
 * 4) Transfer the meat and spice paste mixture to a large wok or pot. Cover with 300 ml of the hot coconut milk.
 * 5) Stirring occasionally, cook over medium-low heat until half of the coconut milk has evaporated.
 * 6) Add another 100 ml hot coconut milk, and stir until almost all of the coconut milk has evaporated.
 * 7) Keep on adding coconut milk, 100 ml at a time, and cooking until the previous addition has evaporated.
 * 8) Cook until the meat is tender (at least 1½ hours) and almost all the liquid from the coconut milk has reduced to a spicy sauce.

Notes, tips, and variations

 * When cooled, the coconut oil in the rendang may solidify. Reheat in a pan before serving. A reheated rendang often has better flavor.
 * Fresh coconut milk produces a better sauce.
 * Chicken or mutton can be used in place of beef.
 * Beef liver may be used but produces a darker sauce.

id:Resep:Rendang