Beef Rendang
User Reviews
4.8
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Prep Time
10 mins
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Cook Time
4 hrs 45 mins
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Total Time
4 hrs 55 mins
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Servings
5 servings
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Calories
250 kcal
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Course
Main Course
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Cuisine
Indonesian
Beef Rendang
Description
This Beef Rendang recipe starts with a spice paste combining ground coriander seed, turmeric, fresh ginger, garlic, shallots, chili flakes, and salt blended into a smooth mixture. The beef shank or short ribs are seared in vegetable oil to develop a browned crust, enhancing the dish’s depth of flavor. Aromatic ingredients such as smashed lemongrass stalks, kaffir lime leaves, and sliced galangal are fried to release their fragrance before being combined with the beef and spice paste.
The dish is then slowly cooked with coconut cream powder, infusing the beef with creamy richness and a hint of sweetness balanced by coconut sugar. This slow simmering process tenderizes the meat while thickening the sauce into a concentrated, fragrant coating. The layers of spices and aromatics yield a complex taste that is characteristic of traditional rendang.
Beef Rendang is often served with steamed rice to complement the intense flavors. The recipe suggests the possibility of doubling the spice paste and freezing half for future use. This dish requires patience in preparation but results in a deeply satisfying, richly spiced meat curry with a pleasant balance of heat, herbs, and creaminess.
Ingredients
For the spice paste
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon coriander seed ground
- ¼ teaspoon Turmeric ground
- 2.5 centimeters ginger roughly chopped, fresh
- 4 garlic roughly chopped, cloves
- 200 grams shallot 4 large roughly chopped
- 3 tablespoons chili pepper flakes (to taste)
For cooking the Rendang
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 900 grams beef shank or shortribs (cut into large cubes
- 2 talks lemongrass (white part only, smashed)
- 4 kaffir lime leaves (or 1 teaspoon Makrut lime zest)
- 2.5 centimeters galangal (sliced into coins)
- 2 packs coconut cream powder (or 1 can coconut milk)
- 1 tablespoon coconut sugar (brown sugar or palm sugar can be substituted)
Instructions
- Add all the 1 teaspoon salt, 1 teaspoon ground coriander seed, ¼ teaspoon ground turmeric, 2.5 centimeters fresh ginger, 4 cloves garlic, 200 grams shallots, and 3 tablespoons chili pepper flakes to a food processor and run until there are no clumps left and you have a smooth spice paste. You'll need to scape the bowl down a few times. It's possible to double the recipe and freeze half for another time.
- Add the 2 tablespoons vegetable oil to a heavy bottomed pot and heat over medium high heat until shimmering. Fry the 900 grams beef shanks in batches, allowing each surface to brown before turning. Transfer the browned beef to a bowl and repeat with the remaining meat.
- Add the 2 stalks lemongrass, 4 kaffir lime leaves, and 2.5 centimeters galangal to the hot oil and fry until fragrant. Transfer to the bowl with the browned beef, leaving the oil in the pot.
- Turn the heat down to medium-low, and then add the spice paste ingredients. Fry, stirring constantly until very fragrant and most of the moisture has evaporated (about 10-15 minutes). If the paste starts burning, reduce the heat and add a bit of water.
- Rehydrate the 2 packs coconut cream powder in 2 cups of water and then add it to the pot along with the 1 tablespoon coconut sugar. Return the beef and herbs to the pot and stir to combine.
- Turn the heat down to medium-low and loosely cover it 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. You can speed this process up by cooking in a pressure cooker for 45 minutes.
- Once the meat is tender and most of the liquid has evaporated (about 4 hours), remove the lid and turn up the heat. 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. 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. Keep in mind that oil does not evaporate during cooking, so you will still have a bit of oil at the bottom of the pan.
- The rendang beef is done when almost no sauce is left and the meat is dark brown. Ideally, you'll let this sit overnight for the flavors to evenly distribute into the meat. During this time, the meat will turn chocolate-colored, and the flavors will deepen. Serve the beef rendang with steamed rice.
Nutrition Information
Show DetailsNutrition Facts
Serving: 5servings
Amount Per Serving
Calories 250 kcal
% Daily Value*
| Calories | 250kcal | 13% |
| Carbohydrates | 14g | 5% |
| Protein | 25g | 50% |
| Fat | 11g | 17% |
| Saturated Fat | 2g | 10% |
| Polyunsaturated Fat | 4g | 24% |
| Monounsaturated Fat | 3g | 15% |
| Trans Fat | 0.04g | 2% |
| Cholesterol | 42mg | 14% |
| Sodium | 623mg | 26% |
| Potassium | 709mg | 15% |
| Fiber | 3g | 12% |
| Sugar | 5g | 10% |
| Vitamin A | 1425IU | 29% |
| Vitamin C | 4mg | 4% |
| Calcium | 64mg | 6% |
| Iron | 4mg | 22% |
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.
User Reviews
Overall Rating
4.8
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