# Beef Rendang



## outRIAAge (Jul 11, 2016)

*Beef Rendang*​
The meat in rendangs is typically not browned at the beginning. It gets browned at the end, when the rendang turns "dry." Here I brown it first anyway, just out of habit, but feel free to skip that step and shorten the recipe. I've offered some substitutions, but try to find kaffir lime leaves and galangal for best effect. If you can find fresh turmeric, all the better. You can also make this in a slow-cooker, but evaporation is important, so keep the lid ajar. I highly recommend doubling the recipe, as it can keep for a couple of weeks in the fridge, and it freezes just fine.

1 tsp salt
1 tsp ground coriander seed
1/4 tsp ground turmeric
1 inch ginger roughly chopped
4 large cloves garlic roughly chopped
4 large shallots roughly chopped (about 7 ounces)
chili pepper flakes to taste (I used about 3 TBS)
2 TBS vegetable oil
2 pounds beef shanks or shortribs cut into large cubes
2 stalks lemongrass white part only, bruised but left whole
4 kaffir lime leaves (important ingredient, but lime zest will do in a pinch)
1 inch galangal sliced into coins (no galangal? use ginger)
1 can coconut milk (taste before using - it can be rancid)
1 TBS light brown sugar (the recipe calls for palm sugar, but it makes no difference here)

Add all the salt, coriander, turmeric, ginger, garlic, shallots, and chili flakes to a food processor and turn into a smooth spice paste. 

Add the oil to a heavy bottomed pot and heat over medium high heat until shimmering. Fry the beef in batches, allowing each surface to brown before turning. Put aside for now.

Add the spice paste to the hot oil along with the lemongrass, lime leaves and galangal. Fry until very fragrant and most of the moisture has evaporated (about 4-5 minutes). Add the coconut milk and palm sugar, and then return the beef to the pot, stir to combine then turn the heat down to medium low and loosely cover with a lid (you want some steam to escape). Stir the rendang periodically and simmer for 3-4 hours until the meat is very tender.

Once the meat is tender and most of the liquid has evaporated (about 4 hours), remove the lid, ditch the lemongrass, and turn up the heat. You'll need to stir the mixture constantly to prevent it from burning, but you want to evaporate as much liquid as you can without burning the meat. At this point there should be quite a bit of oil in the pot from the meat so you're essentially frying the sauce and concentrating the flavors. 

The rendang is done when there is almost no sauce left and the meat is dark brown. Ideally you'll let this sit overnight *out of the fridge* for the flavors to evenly distribute into the meat. During this time, the meat will turn chocolate and the flavors will deepen.


----------



## Dawgluver (Jul 11, 2016)

This sounds very interesting, and very unique!  Thanks for the recipe!  I've never heard of beef rendang.


----------



## Andy M. (Jul 11, 2016)

Thanks.  I noticed your comment on Harry's recipe and the short cooking time.  That's because his recipe uses ground pork to make meatballs rather than chunks of beef that needs long simmering.


----------



## Steve Kroll (Jul 11, 2016)

Thanks for the recipe! I love rendang. I've always made it with chicken, but I will have to try your beef recipe.


----------



## outRIAAge (Jul 11, 2016)

Andy M. said:


> Thanks.  I noticed your comment on Harry's recipe and the short cooking time.  That's because his recipe uses ground pork to make meatballs rather than chunks of beef that needs long simmering.



This sauce really needs long, slow reduction, but I can see that Harry's recipe makes for an excellent dish, so that is not meant as criticism.

I also developed a recipe for Halibut Rendang, which I'll put up here once I figure out an alternative to the _sous-vide_ method I use. Fish rendangs are normally completely different from meat ones, because of course you can't cook fish for hours, except that with _sous-vide_, you now can.


----------



## outRIAAge (Jul 11, 2016)

*A warning on fresh turmeric*

If you find fresh turmeric, and have never used it before, PLEASE note that it can stain things that nothing else can stain, like it'll even stain low-grade stainless steel. If it ever gets on your good clothes, you're in trouble.

That said, it runs rings around dried turmeric.


----------



## Cheryl J (Jul 11, 2016)

That does sound like a really good, flavorful dish....thank you for sharing!


----------



## outRIAAge (Jul 12, 2016)

*Kerisik (Grated, toasted coconut)*

*Kerisik* (Grated, toasted coconut)​
I should have posted this when I posted the rendang recipe. This stuff is addictive, and is the standard sprinkly topping for Malaysian curries and rendangs.

Malaysian recipes always say you have to make it just before serving, but those guys don't have refrigerators, and I suspect their recipes are like those thrillingly-optimistic ones of ours that start: "First make the puff pastry..." This recipe makes more than you need for one dish, and it's fine in the fridge for a while. I suspect it would also freeze well.

*1 ripe coconut*

*Grinding or Pounding the Coconut*
Depending on your preferred consistency, either place the coconut meat in the food processor and pulse until it resembles very coarse sawdust (about one minute) or pound the coconut by hand in a mortar and pestle. For rendangs, I like to leave the coconut shreds lightly pounded and slightly thick so that their unique juiciness and texture are still recognizable once mixed into the dish. Makes several cups of kerisik.

*Toasting the Coconut*
Place the grated coconut meat in a bare (not oiled) skillet or wok over medium heat. Toast the coconut slowly, stirring around with a spatula to evenly disperse the heat. Continue to toast until the slivers of coconut are golden brown and toasty-smelling. Some slivers may toast more slowly or quickly than other slivers; don't worry as long as the general distribution is golden brown, with perhaps a few darker and white slivers in the mix. The entire process, set over low heat, should take five to ten minutes.
Transfer the toasted coconut to a bowl and allow to cool. Will keep in the fridge for a couple of weeks, but it IS addictive.


----------



## tenspeed (Jul 12, 2016)

outRIAAge said:


> The rendang is done when there is almost no sauce left and the meat is dark brown. Ideally you'll let this sit overnight *out of the fridge* for the flavors to evenly distribute into the meat. During this time, the meat will turn chocolate and the flavors will deepen.


  Unless you live pretty close to the Arctic Circle and it's mid-summer, when nights are very short, this is not good advice.  The USDA recommends refrigerating cooked meat within 2 hours to avoid foodborne illness. Otherwise, throw it out.

http://www.fsis.usda.gov/shared/PDF/How_Temperatures_Affect_Food.pdf


----------



## jennyema (Jul 12, 2016)

outRIAAge said:


> ​
> The rendang is done when there is almost no sauce left and the meat is dark brown. Ideally you'll let this sit overnight *out of the fridge* for the flavors to evenly distribute into the meat. During this time, the meat will turn chocolate and the flavors will deepen.


 

Yikes!

Please, please do NOT do this, folks!  It violates every food safety rule known to man!


----------



## erehweslefox (Jul 12, 2016)

This is quite interesting, and as I am working through a Mediterranean cookbook for ideas, I have most of the spices. 

You do say evaporation is important, ever tried this in a pressure cooker? Because I am tempted to. 

Actually I am going to try this in a pressure cooker as soon as I can get my hands on appropriate meats. 

Cheers,

TBS (fox)


----------



## outRIAAge (Jul 12, 2016)

tenspeed said:


> Unless you live pretty close to the Arctic Circle and it's mid-summer, when nights are very short, this is not good advice.  The USDA recommends refrigerating cooked meat within 2 hours to avoid foodborne illness. Otherwise, throw it out.



Yes, yes, and all that. But give a thought to the origin of the recipe. The dish is designed to survive, unrefrigerated, for several days in a tropical environment. It can handle a night out of the fridge without killing anyone.

But it'll still improve, even if you put it in the fridge, so I won't press the issue.


----------



## GotGarlic (Jul 12, 2016)

The origin of the recipe is from a time when people did not have refrigeration. They had no choice. Dysentery was pretty common before refrigeration was available and the germ theory was understood.


----------



## jennyema (Jul 12, 2016)

One should never ever leave a dish like that out on the counter overnight.

It cannot handle a night without refrigeration.


----------



## di reston (Jul 12, 2016)

Ilove Beef Rendang, and I love the recipe you posted, and I'm going to make it with your recipe this winter.

Many thanks

di reston


Enough is never as good as a feast   Oscar Wilde


----------



## GotGarlic (Jul 12, 2016)

erehweslefox said:


> This is quite interesting, and as I am working through a Mediterranean cookbook for ideas, I have most of the spices.
> 
> You do say evaporation is important, ever tried this in a pressure cooker? Because I am tempted to.
> 
> ...



You could simmer it uncovered after cooking to evaporate the liquid.


----------



## erehweslefox (Jul 12, 2016)

Or, GotGarlic, I could reserve the liquid, follow me hear, finish off the beef and add a little broth and a shite ton of corn starch to the liquid and make a sauce!


----------



## outRIAAge (Jul 12, 2016)

erehweslefox said:


> You do say evaporation is important, ever tried this in a pressure cooker? Because I am tempted to.



I understand the impulse: not only would the meat quickly get to the right state of done-ness, but the flavours would also quickly percolate into the meat: exactly what you want.

As far as I can figure, the long, slow aspect of the recipe is mostly for the sauce, so could you make a good rendang by slowly reducing the sauce on its own and then adding to the raw meat? That's exactly what I did for my halibut rendang recipe, and it's one of the best things I've ever made.

Someone mentioned commercial rendang paste. I've never seen it, but if it's anything like commercial Indian curry pastes, it's probably very good. Take a jar of that, some meat, and a pressure cooker, and you might be talking fast-food rendang.


----------



## GotGarlic (Jul 12, 2016)

erehweslefox said:


> Or, GotGarlic, I could reserve the liquid, follow me hear, finish off the beef and add a little broth and a shite ton of corn starch to the liquid and make a sauce!



"Follow me here"? Um, I don't need that kind of condescension for making a suggestion. Knock it off.


----------



## CharlieD (Jul 12, 2016)

Interesting. Never heard of it. 

Totally of topic. General statement, and it goes to me too, would be nice to have recipe accompanied by pictures.


----------



## outRIAAge (Jul 13, 2016)

CharlieD said:


> Totally of topic. General statement, and it goes to me too, would be nice to have recipe accompanied by pictures.



It's not at all off-topic, and photographs here would be really helpful because, once it starts to get really dark, it starts to look like you've got a disaster on your hands, but don't. Here's the _Saveur_ recipe, which is quite similar to my own. They also do a Rendang Ayam (chicken) that is excellent.

But what I was looking for was a _Saveur_(?) article showing the dish getting darker. I can't find it on _Saveur_, and Cooks' Illustrated insists I mean "reading" (don't they seem just a little ... parochial these days?).

So, folks, somewhere out there is a great illustrative essay of rendang-making, awaiting discovery.


----------



## outRIAAge (Jul 13, 2016)

My brain finally kicked in: The progressive images are from Marc at norecipes.com, and shows exactly what you should expect as the rendang cooks down.

His recipe looks ... gulp ... disturbingly similar to my own, suggesting an outright steal that I then conveniently forgot about: oops  Somewhere down in the comments we have a fun conversation, riffin' on rendang. Turns out that's also when I came up with my halibut rendang recipe.

Follow Marc's advice on Kara coconut cream powder. Short of fresh, the only thing better is frozen coconut milk/cream, which I buy by the armload whenever I can. I find that about 10% of cans are either rancid or tasting ... waxy, whereas the powder is reliable.


----------



## erehweslefox (Jul 13, 2016)

GotGarlic said:


> "Follow me here"? Um, I don't need that kind of condescension for making a suggestion. Knock it off.



I was thinking out loud, and I was making a connection with different cooking styles. Is there a problem GotGarlic? If so, please let me know.


----------



## GotGarlic (Jul 13, 2016)

erehweslefox said:


> I was thinking out loud, and I was making a connection with different cooking styles. Is there a problem GotGarlic? If so, please let me know.



No, sorry. I misunderstood.


----------



## outRIAAge (Jul 13, 2016)

GotGarlic said:


> No, sorry. I misunderstood.



So happens, "I Misunderstood" is the title of my favourite song from the man who has owned British folk-singing for the last fifty years, Richard Thompson:

_She said: "Darling I'm in love with your mind,
The way you care for me is so kind,
I'd love to see you again, wish I had more time."
She was laughing as she brushed my cheek,
"Why don't you call me, Angel, maybe next week?
Promise now, cross your heart, hope to die."

But I misunderstood,
But I misunderstood,
But I misunderstood,
I thought she was saying good luck; she was saying goodbye._​
Richard Thompson - I Misunderstood

Could we please get back on topic now?


----------

