RENDANG SAPI PADANG (HOW TO MAKE REAL DEAL INDONESIAN BEEF RENDANG)
Keto friendly and introduces a nutrient load of spices - wowza.
PREP TIME: 30 MINUTESCOOK TIME: 1 HOUR 30 MINUTESTOTAL TIME: 2 HOURS SERVINGS: 8 SERVINGS AUTHOR: MARVELLINA
Learn how to make the real deal Indonesian Beef Rendang Padang from scratch. This recipe will be your go-to Beef Rendang Padang! All the tips you need to replicate this successfully at home on the stove or with pressure cooker.
NOTE: We used a Mitchell Bros.Round Roast in the Instantpot and it has instantly become our family favourite!
UPDATED NOTE: We tried using paste style spices found at The Cookbook Co. in Calgary - Tamarind Paste, Lemongrass Paste, Galangal Paste, and Keffir Lime Paste. Easier for sure and loaded with flavour. We also tried cheating by using dried versions of the other spices - onion, garlic, ginger… Pretty darn good but if you have time, use the juicy real thing.
INGREDIENTS
3 lbs beef shank/chuck/rump see notes - cut into large chunks
150 gr unsweetened grated coconut
3 Tbsp coconut oil or regular cooking oil
500 ml coconut cream
1 Tbsp Tamarind paste mix with 2 Tbsp of water
2 large potatoes peeled and quartered
INGREDIENTS TO GRIND INTO PASTE:
5 cloves garlic peeled
5 shallots peeled
200 gr cayenne peppers
1/2 inch ginger root peeled
1- inch turmeric root peeled, or about 3 tsp ground turmeric powder
1 1/2 inches galangal root peeled, or 4 tsp of galangal powder
1/4 stalk fresh lemon grass
OTHER HERBS AND SPICES:
2 star anise
1/4 tsp ground cardamom
1/4 tsp ground cloves
1 tsp nutmeg powder
6 fresh kaffir lime leaves tear each leaf a bit to release flavor
4 fresh bay leaves
SEASONINGS:
1 tsp Salt
1 Tbsp coconut sugar of use brown sugar
INSTRUCTIONS
THINGS YOU CAN PREPARE AHEAD:
ROAST THE GRATED UNSWEETENED COCONUT:
Toast the unsweetened grated coconut on a dry pan until it is golden brown and aromatic. Remove from the heat
GRIND THE INGREDIENTS:
Use the "fat" part of the lemongrass and slice into rings. Place the rest of the ingredients to grind in a food processor and ground into a coarse paste
COOK THE POTATOES (IF YOU CHOOSE TO INCLUDE POTATOES):
Peel and cut the potato into quarters. You can deep fry the potato or like what I did, I pat the potatoes dry and then toss with a bit of oil and cook in the air fryer at 350F for 15-20 minutes until golden brown and cooked through
PRESSURE COOK THE BEEF FIRST:
Press saute on instant pot. When it's hot, add coconut oil/cooking oil. Add the ground spices and stir fry until really fragrant, about 5 minutes. Add the rest of the herbs and spices. Use a wooden spatula to scrape the bottom of the pot if necessary.
Turn off the saute mode. Make sure nothing gets stuck at the bottom of the pot and you scrape with a wooden spatula if necessary. Add the meat, tamarind paste, seasonings and coconut cream (make sure it's coconut cream and not coconut milk). Give it a stir. Cover the lid. Turn the steam release handle to SEAL. Press pressure cooker and high pressure. Set the timer for 30 minutes
Once the timer is up, do a quick release by turning the steam release handle to venting. I usually loosely cover a cloth on top of the pressure valve so when the steam shoots out, it won't be as "forceful". Once the valve collapses all the way down, open the lid and remove the beef pieces onto a serving platter. Turn the saute mode on and stir in the grated coconut and continue to cook until the sauce reduces and thickened. Pour this on top of the beef pieces
TRANSFER TO A LARGE POT:
Transfer the rest to a large pot and bring to a boil on the stove and then lower the heat to let it gently simmer until all liquid evaporated and you can see the oil separates from the coconut milk. It may take roughly about 1 hour or longer depending how much liquid is in the rendang. Be sure to scrape the bottom of the pot every now and then to prevent anything get burn during this process
Add the fried potatoes in and stir to make sure the sauce is coating the potatoes too. Turn off the heat. The rendang tastes even better the day after.
IF YOU MAKE RENDANG ON STOVE-TOP WITHOUT PRESSURE COOKING THE BEEF FIRST:
Use a large pot that has a lid. Preheat your large pot. When it's hot, add coconut oil/cooking oil. Add the ground spices and stir fry until really fragrant, about 5 minutes. Add the rest of the herbs and spices. Use a wooden spatula to scrape the bottom of the pot if necessary
Add the meat, tamarind paste, seasonings, roasted grated coconut and coconut cream (make sure it's coconut cream and not coconut milk). Give it a stir and bring to a boil then lower the heat to let it simmer. Cover with the lid and let the beef cook until they are soft and everything started to turn brownish. This may take about 1.5 to 2 hours
You will start seeing oil separates from the coconut too. If the beef is tender, increase the heat to medium and let the rendang continue cooking until all the liquid evaporates leaving you with thick and dark brown rendang. This process may take another one hour, depending on how much liquid in your rendang
Add the fried potatoes in there and stir to mix everything. You are done!
NOTES
I personally think the best cut of beef to use for beef rendang is beef shank/beef shin because it has a mixture of tendon and meat and when you cook them long enough (or pressure cooked), it gives you that melt-in-your-mouth texture. But shank is not always available and that's when I use chuck, which works really well too.