I would accept training assignments in Indonesia on and off from 2012-2014 and there was always time for Beef Rendang. It's not the national dish but it sure is true comfort food. Nothing beats the slow, simmer of this stew with the aroma of coconut and spices wafting throughout the house.
it's not labor intensive but it does demand some labor. First you make a spice paste. You can use a food processor but I favor a mortar and pestle to get that texture of paste that's not totally smooth but gritty. Pretty much like a choice between a longganisa or a hotdog.
Then you brown the meat all dutifully to allow it to caramelize and stick to the pot you'll be cooking in.
AFter that, it's pretty much a gentle, occassional stir to keep all the meats submerged in the liquid.
1 kg. boneless shank or brisket (I get mine at Kitayama)
2 stalks of lemon grass
2 whole Keffir Lime Leaves
half a block (about 2 tbsp) Palm Sugar. You can substitute with Brown sugar
2 cups of coconut milk (two packs of powdered coconut milk reconstituted in 2 cups of water)
3-4 cups of water as needed
For the paste:
1 tsp coriander seed
1/2 half whole nutmeg
1 tsp ground turmeric (powder is fine)
two thumb size pieces of ginger
2 whole Keffir Lime leaves
4 cloves garlic
1 medium spanish onion
2 thai chilis for the heat
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black peper
TO make the paste:
Chop the onions and garlic
Peel and slice the ginger
Chop the keffir lime leaves chiffonade
Chop the chilis and include the seeds.
Put all the dry ingredients in the
mortar and pestle and pound away
to get them as fine as possible
then add the salt and pepper
add in the onions a little at a time,
keeping up the pounding
add the garlic, still pounding it all out
add the ginger and chili and
keep the pounding going
until you get something like this
Remove the meat from the pot and set aside. Now fry the paste in the same pot, no need to clean it. Sautee over a medium flame, savor the aroma, and wait for most of the liquid to evaporate. Now add the browned meat. Once the spice paste and meats are well combined stir in your coconut milk and allow to simmer. Pound the lemon grass stalks to bruise them and tie them into a knot. Drop it in the stew. Drop in the Whole Keffir lime leaves as well. You should break up the palm sugar and add it to this mixture and turn the flame down to the lowest.
Now you wait. Keep it covered anbd as it simmers, the liquid starts to change color. First it's white, half an hour later a pastel green, another half hour and it turns a strange greenish brown. The oil starts to separate and that's a nice green color. Stir the stew avery 10-15 minutes and don't allow it to dry out yet. Add 1/4 cup of water at a time to keep the meats submerged.
2-3 hours later you should have a deep, dark greenish brown stew and as the meats get fork stab soft, stop adding water.
Reduce the liquid until you get just enough moisture so the sauce coats each individual piece of meat. You should turn the flame up to medium and stir constantly and vigorously to prevent scorching and burning.
A proper Rendang doesn't swim in sauce but instead the gravy coats each individual piece. It really tastes better the day after, with a very very cold Sauvignon Blanc.
