Beef Rendang Recipe, Most Delicious Food in the World from Indonesia

I am pretty sure that you’ve heard of Indonesia or maybe some of you think that Bali is somewhere near Indonesia and thought that it is a country of its own.

But, there are so many ways to explore Indonesia and if you have little time to actually travel to beautiful Indonesia, you can do it by tasting FOOD!

RENDANG is one of the Indonesian food that you definitely have to try. Of course, you have to visit Indonesia after you try this food!

RENDANG is dish originated from Padang, Sumatra. Padang food is famous for its spiciness and richness in flavor. It is somehow similar to Beef Curry but without the broth.

You should appreciate this dish because it takes forever to cook to get that tenderness out of the beef.

Rendang is a delicious Indonesian dish prepared with a myriad of herbs and spices cooking for a few hours until all the liquids have been completely absorbed by the meat. Beef rendang is best eaten with steamed rice and condiments such as fried onions and chili pieces.

Each of the main ingredients used in the making of rendang has cultural and spiritual significance.

1. The meat or dagiang symbolizes the clan leaders, nobles, elders.
2. The coconut milk or karambia represents the intellectuals, teachers, poets and writers.
3. The chili or lado symbolizes religious leaders, the hotness representing the sharia.
4. The spice mixture or pemasak represents the rest of the Minangkabau society.

Here is the good news. You can recreate the world’s best food at home by following this beef rendang recipe.

This recipe is the authentic beef rendang recipe from the native land of Rendang in Minangkabau.

Ingredients

• 3 lb beef, cut into chunks
• 5 tablespoons oil
• 2 cups coconut milk
• 5 tablespoons kerisik (grated coconut), toasted and crushed (optional)
• 2 tablespoons pure tamarind extract

Whole spices

• 1 cinnamon stick
• 5 cloves garlic
• 3-star anise
• 4 green cardamom pods

Whole spices (dry roasted and then ground into powder)

• 1 tablespoon fennel seeds
• 1 tablespoon cumin seeds
• 1½ tablespoon coriander seeds

Wet Paste

• 3 stalks lemongrass (white part only), thinly sliced
• 1 (2-inch) piece galangal
• 1 (1-inch) piece ginger
• 10 shallots
• 1 (2-inch) piece turmeric root
• 6 leaves kaffir lime, finely chopped
• 6 cloves garlic
• 10 red hot chili peppers, soaked and seeded
• Salt
• Palm sugar (to taste)

Instructions

1. Mix all the wet paste ingredients in a blender or food processor.
   In a skillet, toast coriander, cumin, and fennel seeds for 2 to 3 minutes, then grind in a spice grinder or using a mortar and pestle.
2. Add oil to the skillet, bring the heat to medium-low, add the whole spices, and sweat for a few minutes.
3. Add the wet paste into the skillet and cook over medium-low heat for 20 to 30 minutes or until the oil begins to separate from the ingredients.
4. Add the dry ground spices to the pan and mix with the wet paste.
   Fry for about 5 minutes, being careful not to burn the mixture.
5. Add the meat, coat with paste, and fry for about 1 minute.
6. Add the coconut milk. Bring to a boil then reduce heat to low.
7. Simmer very gently uncovered for about 3 hours or until the meat is cooked and the sauce is reduced considerably.
8. Add kerisik (optional) and tamarind and simmer for another 20 minutes.
9. Add salt and palm sugar to taste