How to Cook Beef Rendang (Coconut Milk Spicy Beef Stew)

5 from 3 votes

How to Cook Beef Rendang (Coconut Milk Spicy Beef Stew)

Beef rendang is an Indonesian spicy dish and no wonder the cooking is similar to our local dishes because Filipinos also have Indonesian ancestors.

Prep Time15

Cook Time4 10

Total Time4 25

Course: Beef Recipe

Cuisine: Malaysian/Indonesean

Keyword: beef rendang, coconut milk, spicy beef stew

Servings: 8 servings

Calories: 432kcal

Author: Manny

Ingredients

For the spice paste:

8 pcs dried chilies softened in boiling water and drained
10 pcs small shallots finely chopped
7 cloves garlic minced
3 Tbsp. ginger minced
2 Tbsp. cooking oil
5 tsp. galangal peeled, cut into thin slices (can be substituted with ginger)
2 stalks lemongrass pounded
1 pc tumeric leaf
5 kaffir lime leaves torn

For the beef rendang:

1 kilo beef briskets cut into cubes
1 1/2 cups coconut milk
brown sugar or muscovado sugar to taste
salt to taste

Instructions

How to make the spice paste:

With mortar and pestle, grind the softened dried chilies, shallots, garlic and ginger into a fine paste.
Heat the oil in a stew pot over moderate heat and fry the paste for 10 minutes and until fragrant.
Be careful not to burn the paste. Keep adding some oil a little at a time if the paste becomes too dry.
Add the galangal (or ginger), lemongrass, turmeric leaf, and kaffir lime leaves.

How to cook beef rendang:

Add beef cubes to the fried spice paste. Stir in coconut milk and add salt to taste.
Bring to a simmer (don't boil), cover and stir from time to time until beef is tender for about 3 to 4 hours.
Add the sugar, increase the heat and cook a few more minutes, until the sauce has thickened.
Serve hot with plain steamed rice, turmeric or java rice.

Notes

Cooking Tips:

Spices Should Achieve a Perfect Paste.

Use all of that fine ingredient with a smooth spice paste. Puree until no lumps are in the chilies, garlic, ginger, and shallots; a well-blended paste fries better, with more even flavors-it will never, ever burn when frying.

Low and Slow for Tender Meat

The essence that will give you a tender, soft melt-in-your-mouth beef is when you have it cooked really slowly over a low heat for hours and hours. Don't boil it; let this slow-simmered stew cook for a few hours. The beef will absorb the spices as well as the coconut milk slowly, richly concentrating to give you that flavor.

Stir Occasionally to Prevent Sticking

Stir the stew from time to time while you are cooking so that the bottom does not stick and burn to the bottom. The thick sauce can very easily catch on the pot as it reduces and thickens, though with great care. If the liquid is evaporating too fast add small amounts of water or coconut milk to keep the consistency correct.