Wet Beef Rendang

Now this one takes some cooking! The list of ingredients goes on forever, and 2 1/2 hours cooking time only gets you to the first level of this truly awesome dish.

The first time I encountered a Rendang was in Udjang Padang, the capital city of Suluwaisi. Unlike the more mainstream Indonesian or Malaysian restaurants which are fairly easy to find now or the Thai place that seems to be on every street corner, Padang remains a bit of an unexplored cuisine. Quite by accident I came across a Padang café in Melbourne earlier in the year – that’s the first ‘by chance’ encounter in 20 years!

Traditionally serving food in the Padang style is a bit of a health and safety nightmare waiting to happen – or so you’d think. You do not order as such – a full range of dishes arrives at your table in small bowls. You’ll find squid, fish, tripe, boiled eggs, various meats etc – each cooked in its own unique spicy sauce. These are served close to room temperature – and once on your plate along with rice and probably some hot chilli sambal are eaten without cutlery – with the right hand – scooping with the fingers. You are charged according to what you have taken from the bowls – each piece of meat, fish or egg is charged separately and if you wish you can just have some of the sauce. Once you’ve finished, any food still in the serving dishes is returned to the big vats in the window.

Needless to say the Padang cafe I chanced across recently didn’t do things this way – choosing to adopt the more familiar ‘any two dished plus rice’ approach.

Anyway, back to the Rendang. The first one I had was what you’d call a ‘dry’ rendang: Basically you make the ‘wet’ Rendang as featured in this recipe and then you simply keep cooking it for the rest of the day – and possibly the next one too. In a Padang restaurant the rendang that has been cooking the longest commands the highest price. A warm piece of dry rendang is an unforgettably piece of food alchemy. The beef falls apart in you mouth and the flavour is so complex it almost completely lacks comparison with anything else. But then wet version, which still has a sauce, is pretty damn fine too…

So here goes – wet beef Rendang

500-800g beef – cheap cuts are fine, but remove fat or gristle. I found a reduced price joint that was excellent – simply cut into large chunks.
1 piece fresh ginger – approximate size of a wine bottle cork
Fresh galangal - the same size as the ginger
3 stalks of lemon grass
5 cloves of garlic
10 shallots
4 Kaffir lime leaves
2 teaspoons tamarind pulp
2 tablespoons oil
2 teaspoons of fresh lemon juice
1 can of coconut milk
2 teaspoons of cumin
1 teaspoon coriander powder
1 teaspoon turmeric
1/2 stick cinnamon
5 whole cloves
3–4 teaspoonfuls sambal oelek (not Thai chilli sauce)
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 level tablespoon brown sugar

Using a food processor combine the shallots, garlic, sambal oelek, ginger and lemon grass (remove the hard part of the stalk and chop finely before blending. Coat the cubed beef and leave in the fridge to marinate for at least a couple of hours – overnight would not be a problem. When ready to cook transfer to a pan and brown for 3 – 4 minutes.

In another pan, heat some oil (the type is not too important) and add the cumin, coriander, cloves and turmeric. Fry for a minute or so, then add the coconut milk, soy sauce, sugar, tamarind, Lemon juice, cinnamon and lime leaves. Allow to cook until the mix begins to thicken and turns a darker shade of brown.

Now add the coconut milk mix to the beef, reduce the heat, cover and cook for about 2 hours – stirring occasionally.

At the end of the cooking remove lime leaves. The beef should be tender and and the sauce should be rich, brown and thick. Serve with rice and other dishes.

Alternatively, for a dry Rendang continue to slow cook until the sauce has completely reduced.