Beef Rendang
Experience the best beef rendang you'll ever taste with this authentic recipe. This rich Asian-style beef stew is infused with a blend of spices, herbs, and creamy coconut milk. Surprisingly, it's easier to make than you might think.
- Prep time
- 30 min
- Cook time
- 2 hr 10 min
- Yield
- 6 servings
- Difficulty
- HARD
Ingredients
- 25 dried chilies
- 6 lemongrass (white part only) (, sliced)
- 2 inch galangal (, sliced)
- 2 inch ginger (, sliced)
- 6 garlic cloves
- 1 onion (, cubed)
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 1 star anise
- 4 clove 4 cloves
- 4 cardamom pods
- 1 lemongrass (, bruised)
- 2.2 lb beef chuck (, cut into 2-inch cubes)
- 10 kaffir lime leaves (, thinly sliced)
- 2 tbsp coconut sugar
- 2 tsp salt
- 1 tbsp concentrated cooking tamarind
- 1 can coconut milk (, of 14 oz)
Instructions
- 1
Cut the dried chilies into small pieces to remove the seeds. Soak in a bowl with some boiling water for 30 minutes until softened. Drain.
- 2
In a small processor, blend softened chilies, lemongrass, galangal, ginger, garlic, and onion into a fine paste. Add a splash of water to help the process.
- 3
Heat some oil on medium heat and add in cinnamon stick, star anise, cloves, cardamom pods, bruised lemongrass, and beef rendang paste.
- 4
Cook for 10-15 minutes or until the paste thickened or the wetness has reduced significantly. Always remember to stir now and then when cooking so that nothing sticks at the bottom.
- 5
Add in the beef pieces and coat them evenly with the paste. Stir in kaffir lime leaves, coconut sugar, salt, tamarind, and coconut milk. Simmer with the lid on for 1 hour or until the meat is soft to the touch, but not yet falling apart.
- 6
Remove the lid and continue cooking for 30-40 minutes until the sauce reduces (or when the oil separates) and the meat is super tender. At this stage, stir frequently but gently.
- 7
If the meat is already super tender but there's still lots of sauce, remove the meat onto a plate. Continue cooking until the sauce is reduced and then gently stir in the meat. Enjoy!