Distracted for 4 seconds and you ruin it? I'd be rendangry too
Rendang isn't really a curry, it's a patience test with a delicious prize. Beef simmers in spiced coconut milk until the liquid vanishes and the meat fries in its own fragrant oil, ending up dark, sticky and fall-apart tender.
The challenge
- Toasting and grinding spices
- Constant stirring required
- Preventing coconut separation
- Caramelization without burning
- Multi-hour reduction
Toasted spices get ground into a complex paste before beef chunks simmer in coconut milk with lemongrass and galangal for this West Sumatran slow-cooked curry. As the liquid reduces over hours, constant stirring becomes critical to prevent the coconut milk from splitting or the bottom from scorching.
The beef gradually caramelizes in its own rendered fat and reduced coconut, turning almost black and intensely tender. Walk away for too long at any stage and you'll burn hours of work.
Prep: 40 minutes ย ยทย Cook: 3 hours 30 minutes to 4 hours
Ingredients
For the spice paste
- 1 tbsp coriander seeds
- 1 tsp cumin seeds
- 4 cloves
- 10 dried red chillies, soaked in hot water 15 minutes
- 4 fresh long red chillies
- 8 small shallots (about 150 g / 5 oz)
- 6 garlic cloves
- 40 g (1.5 oz) galangal, sliced
- 30 g (1 oz) fresh ginger, sliced
- 20 g (3/4 oz) fresh turmeric or 1 tsp ground turmeric
For the rendang
- 1.2 kg (2.6 lb) beef chuck or brisket, cut into 5 cm (2 in) chunks
- 800 ml (2 x 14 oz cans) full-fat coconut milk
- 3 lemongrass stalks, bruised and tied in knots
- 6 makrut lime leaves, torn
- 1 turmeric leaf, knotted (optional)
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 2 star anise
- 60 g (2/3 cup) desiccated coconut (for kerisik)
- 2 tsp palm sugar or brown sugar
- 1 1/2 tsp salt
- 2 tbsp neutral oil
Method
- Toast and grind the spicesToast the coriander, cumin and cloves in a dry pan over medium heat for 1โ2 minutes until fragrant and a shade darker. Cool, then grind to a powder.
- Make the pasteDrain the dried chillies and blend them with the fresh chillies, shallots, garlic, galangal, ginger, turmeric and the ground spices into a smooth paste, adding a splash of water to help it along.
- Make the kerisikToast the desiccated coconut in a dry pan over medium-low heat, stirring constantly, for 6โ8 minutes until evenly deep golden-brown. Pound or blend it while warm until it turns oily and paste-like. Set aside.
- Fry the pasteHeat the oil in a heavy, wide pot over medium heat. Add the paste, lemongrass, lime leaves, turmeric leaf, cinnamon and star anise and fry for 8โ10 minutes, stirring, until the paste darkens and smells sweet and cooked.
- Add beef and coconut milkAdd the beef and stir to coat. Pour in the coconut milk and bring slowly to a gentle simmer over medium heat, stirring regularly. Never let it hit a hard boil or the coconut milk can split and turn grainy.
- The long simmerLower the heat and simmer uncovered for about 2 hours, stirring every 10 minutes and scraping the bottom. The sauce will slowly thicken and turn from pale orange to rusty brown.
- Add kerisik and seasoningOnce the liquid has reduced by about two thirds, stir in the kerisik, palm sugar and salt. From here on the sauce gets thick fast, so stay close.
- The dry-fry stageKeep cooking on low for another 60โ90 minutes, now stirring every 2โ3 minutes. The oil will separate out and the beef will begin to fry in it. Keep turning the meat until it is deep brown, nearly black at the edges, and coated in a thick, dry paste.
- Rest and serveFish out the whole spices and lemongrass if you like. Rest for 15 minutes, then serve with steamed rice. Rendang tastes even better the next day.
- Calm down the rendangry chefStep away from the pot, take three deep breaths and let it rest. You stirred for hours without losing your mind. Serve with rice and remember to unclench your jaw before the first bite.
Tips from the trenches
- Use a wide, heavy pot: more surface area means faster reduction and less scorching.
- In the last hour, set a timer for every few minutes. That final dry-fry is where rendang turns from great to burnt.
- If the bottom starts catching, drop the heat and add 2โ3 tbsp water. Don't scrape the burnt bits into the sauce.
- Coconut milk splitting early isn't a disaster, but gentle heat keeps it smooth until you're ready for the oil to separate.
โFor me, it's the satisfaction of cooking every day. Maintain the passion for the everyday, that's what cooking is all about.โโ Thomas Keller
