Beef Rendang

Method

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1. Blend all the spice paste ingredients to a smooth paste with a splash of water.

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2. Heat the coconut oil in a wide, heavy pot and fry the paste over medium heat for 10 minutes until it darkens and the oil separates.

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3. Add the cinnamon, star anise and cloves and fry 1 minute more.

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4. Add the beef and turn it thoroughly in the paste for 5 minutes.

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5. Pour in the coconut milk, add the lemongrass, lime leaves, turmeric leaves, palm sugar, tamarind and salt.

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6. Bring to a simmer and cook uncovered, stirring every 15 minutes, for 2 hours. The liquid will reduce and thicken into a rich gravy — this is the kalio stage.

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7. Stir in the kerisik and continue cooking, now stirring every 5 to 10 minutes, for another 60 to 90 minutes.

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8. The sauce will darken from orange to brown to almost black, then break, releasing oil. Keep stirring so nothing catches.

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9. The rendang is done when there is no liquid left, the meat is coated in a dark dry paste, and it is visibly frying in its own oil.

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10. Rest 20 minutes and serve at room temperature or warm, with rice.

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Chef’s Tips

• Kerisik — coconut toasted dark and ground to a paste — is what gives rendang its texture. Make it by dry-frying desiccated coconut until deep brown and blitzing it.
• Stir constantly in the last hour. This is when it catches and burns.
• It genuinely improves over two or three days, which is why it was originally made for long journeys.

Common Substitutions & Variations

• For a non-vegan version, double cream can generally stand in for the coconut milk; going the other way, a plant-based cream sold for cooking is the closer match to dairy than tinned coconut milk on its own.
• A pinch of dried chilli flakes works in place of fresh chilli — start with about a third of the quantity the red chillies in the list implies, since dried chilli is more concentrated, and add more to taste.
• Lemon is the everyday swap for lime in this kind of dish — the acidity plays the same role even though the flavour is not identical.

Pairing Suggestions

• Steamed rice or nasi lemak
• Sayur lodeh or a simple vegetable
• A cold beer

Storage & Reheating

Refrigerate up to 1 week — it improves — and freeze 3 months. Reheat gently with a splash of water.

Common questions

Nutritional Highlights

Per serving, calculated from the ingredient list. Treat these as an estimate — brands and cuts vary.