Padang-style dry rendang
Seared beef shank, freshly toasted whole spices and nearly four hours of slow reduction, rested overnight into the dark, almost black rendang of Padang.
Method
Toast the desiccated coconut in a dry pan over medium-low heat for , stirring constantly, until it is the colour of milk chocolate, then tip it out. In the same pan toast the coriander, cumin, cardamom and cloves for , shaking, until fragrant, and take them off the heat. Crack the cardamom and use only the seeds; grind the spices finely and grate in the nutmeg. Pound or blitz the toasted coconut until oily and moist: this is the kerisik.
Add in this stepUnsweetened desiccated coconut 35 gCoriander seeds 1 tspCumin seeds ½ tspGreen cardamom pods 2Cloves 3Nutmeg, freshly grated 1 pinch
medium-low heatStem the dried chillies and soak them in hot water for 15 minutes. Peel the shallots, garlic, ginger, galangal and fresh turmeric and chop roughly; stem the fresh chillies. Blend everything with the soaked chillies and 3–4 tbsp water for a good 2–3 minutes until very smooth. Fresh turmeric stains hands and boards, so gloves help.
Add in this stepShallots 120 gGarlic cloves 5Fresh ginger 15 gGalangal 25 gFresh turmeric (or 1 tsp ground) 10 gLarge red chillies 3Dried red chillies 6
Cut the shank into 5 cm chunks, pat thoroughly dry and season with part of the salt. Heat part of the oil in a heavy frying pan over medium-high heat until it just smokes, then sear the beef without crowding, in 1 batch(es), for in total, until every side has a deep brown crust. Set the beef aside and do not wash the pan.
Add in this stepBeef shank, in one piece 400 gVegetable oil ¾ tbspSalt ¼ tsp
medium-high heatBruise and knot the lemongrass; tear the lime leaves along the vein. Heat the rest of the oil in a heavy 20 cm pot over medium heat and fry the spice paste with the ground spices from step 1, the lemongrass, lime leaves, cinnamon and star anise for . Keep going until it turns brick red and the oil separates and glistens on top; this is where rendang gets its depth.
Add in this stepVegetable oil 1¼ tbspLemongrass stalks 2Makrut lime leaves 6Cinnamon stick (5 cm pieces) 1Star anise 1
medium heatAdd the seared beef and its juices to the pot. Pour a little coconut milk into the frying pan, scrape up the browned bits and add them too, then the rest of the coconut milk and the tamarind. Bring to the boil over medium heat, stirring, lower to medium-low heat and simmer uncovered for , scraping the bottom every 15 minutes. Move on when the liquid has reduced to a third and red oil floats on top.
Add in this stepUnsweetened coconut milk 600 mlTamarind paste 1½ tsp
medium heat→medium-low heatAdd the kerisik, palm sugar and the remaining salt, turn down to low heat and cook for another . Once the liquid is gone, the beef starts to sizzle and fry in its own oil; from then on turn everything over every 2–3 minutes, right down to the bottom. It is done when the coating has gone past dark chocolate to almost black-brown and clings to the beef in a crumbly layer.
Add in this stepPalm sugar 2 tspSalt ¾ tsp
low heatRemove the whole spices, cool completely, then refrigerate overnight in a sealed container. To serve, warm it in a pot with 2–3 tbsp water over low heat for , stirring, until it sizzles again. Serve with hot rice or sticky rice.
low heat
Cook's tip
Crowding the pan makes the beef steam instead of sear, so always work in batches. If you smell scorching in the last stage, turn off the heat at once, add 2 tbsp water and scrape the bottom. Mixing in some boneless short rib makes it even juicier. It keeps 5 days in the fridge or 2 months frozen.
Cooking it at camp
Dry rendang, with almost no moisture, is the ultimate make-ahead camp dish. Finish it at home, overnight rest included, and pack it in the cooler; at camp warm it with a spoonful of water over a low burner or in a cast-iron pan on the grill. Do the four-hour cook at home.