KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 18 — Before I go on to elaborate about what an absolute guilty pleasure this dish is, please let me impart some words of wisdom — something that you might have to chant over and over again while making this dish — “Patience is a virtue.”
As you might have guessed, this dish has a long preparation time, but the result makes every single second worth the wait. Pleasure in its most edible form.
Beef rendang is the brainchild of the Minangkabau ethnic group in Indonesia, and the popularity of this culinary wonder has made it a favourite among Malaysians and Singaporeans as well.
Especially famous among the Muslim community, this dish is a popular feature at Eid, the day after the month-long fasting period of Ramadan.
One of the smartest things you can do when preparing this dish is to use the cheapest cut of the beef, which is the beef shin, as you will have to braise it for a long time. This cut contains a lot of connective tissues, but they will dissolve into the broth with time and low heat.
Together with the magical composition of rich coconut milk and a myriad of aromatic spices, all cooked at a low heat for hours (remember, patience is a virtue!), you will have the most tender meat at the end of the day. And all from cheap cuts! Of course, no one has to know that.
One other ingredient which gives the beef rendang its distinguished flavour is the kerisik—a paste made from ground and toasted coconut. Their role in flavouring this dish is so prominent, you simply cannot omit them!
Beef rendang is excellent when paired with some traditional Malay delicacies, such as ketupat (rice dumpling woven in palm leaves), lontong (compressed rice cakes) and lemang (glutinous rice barbequed in bamboo tubes lined with fragrant banana leaves). Or you can also serve them with plain steamed rice, which tends to ignite the flavours in the rendang even better due to their own bland taste.
This dish ages very well with time, their flavours become even more concentrated and rich as the days pass, which is why the Minangkabau community tend to keep it for up to a month! You can keep it for tomorrow... provided there are leftovers.
Beef rendang
Prep time: 30 minutes
Cooking time: 3.5 hours
Serves: 6
600g beef shin, cut into large cubes
7 shallots, skin removed
5cm galangal, skin removed
1 tablespoon cumin powder
3 cloves
1 cinnamon stick
5 large red chillies, stems removed
3 stalks lemongrass, finely sliced
1 litre water
500ml coconut milk
½ cup grated coconut, lightly fried over low heat until it turns slightly brown
10 kaffir lime leaves, finely shredded
1 tablespoon palm sugar (gula melaka)
1 tablespoon salt
3 tablespoon vegetable oil
1. Using a blender, blend red chillies, shallots, lemongrass, galangal and 2 tablespoons water together until you reach a fine paste.
2. Heat oil in a large pot and add blended ingredients to the oil. Fry until fragrant over low heat.
3. Add cloves, cinammon stick, cumin powder and beef. Fry over low heat for 1-2 minutes.
4. Add water and simmer for 2 hours or until beef is quite tender.
5. Add lightly fried grated coconut, kaffir lime leaves, palm sugar, salt and coconut milk and simmer for further 1 hour until water has all evaporated and beef is tender.
6. Serve with steamed rice.
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