Rendang

Rendang is Indonesia’s gift to slow cooking, a beef curry simmered so long and so low that the sauce all but disappears, leaving meltingly tender meat coated in a dark, intensely fragrant spice paste.

The flavor base is a fragrant tangle of onion, garlic, ginger, and warm ground spices: coriander, cumin, cinnamon, clove, and a hit of chili paste, with anchovy paste standing in for the traditional shrimp paste’s savory depth.

Then comes the part that makes it rendang and not just a curry: the long reduction. The beef simmers in coconut milk and tangy tamarind for a couple of hours until the liquid cooks down to almost nothing and the meat begins to fry in its own released oils, deepening in color and flavor.

Patience is the whole point. Stop too soon and you’ve got a soupy curry; cook it down until thick and nearly dry, and you’ve got the real thing. Serve over rice.

Chef Tips

• Use a tough, well-marbled cut like chuck; it needs the long simmer to turn tender.
• Don’t rush the reduction. Cook until the sauce is thick and almost dry, the hallmark of true rendang.
• The tamarind is essential, balancing the rich coconut with a needed sourness, so don’t skip it.
• Skim the fat and discard the cinnamon stick before serving, and know it tastes even better the next day.

Variations

• Add a stalk of bruised lemongrass and a few kaffir lime leaves for a more authentic aroma.
• Turn the chili paste up for the fiery heat rendang is known for.
• Use chicken or jackfruit for a quicker or vegetarian version, reducing the simmer time.