Love me tender
Columnist Gareth Stewart, executive chef of Euro and Jervois Steak House, takes inspiration from Indonesia with this flavourful beef rendang.
Ithink meltingly tender meat cooked in a flavourful sauce is the essence of winter comfort food. I’ve used short ribs for this recipe as I love the richness of the meat – there’s plenty of fat and it helps the meat to become really flavourful and tender as it cooks. I’m a big fan of Malaysian food and beef rendang is always a winner – I love the complexity and depth of flavour from all the spices. There’s a bit of prep work, but the results are well worth it. 400ml-can unsweetened coconut milk ¼ cup tamarind concentrate
3 kaffir lime leaves, thinly sliced 4 teaspoons palm sugar or brown sugar 2½ teaspoons salt
To serve flatbreads, thick natural yoghurt, toasted coconut flakes, coriander leaves and lime wedges
For the beef: Preheat the oven to 130°C. Toast the cinnamon, cloves, star anise and cardamom in a frying pan over medium heat for 5 minutes or until aromatic. Set aside.
Remove some of the outer layer of fat from the beef and season lightly with salt. Heat half the oil in a large pot or frying pan and sear the short ribs all over, then transfer to a casserole dish with a lid.
Heat the remaining oil in a frying pan and fry the onion, garlic, ginger and lemongrass for 10 minutes or until aromatic, then add to the short ribs, along with the toasted spices. Top up with beef stock or water then cover with a cartouche (a circle of baking paper placed on the surface of the liquid), followed by the casserole lid. Cook in the oven for 3–4 hours or until the beef is tender and “fall-apart ready”.
Allow the beef to cool in the cooking liquor until cool enough to handle. This will also allow all the juices to seep back into the meat. Pull the meat apart using two forks and set aside while you prepare the curry. Scrape away the spices and discard.
For the spice paste: Soak the dried chillies in boiling water for 15 minutes, then drain and remove the seeds.
Using a blender or food processor, blend all the ingredients to form a paste. Set aside. For the rendang: Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the star anise, cardamom, cloves and cinnamon and fry for a few minutes or until starting to pop. These spices will stay in the sauce as it cooks but be mindful, when serving, to remove. Stir in the ground coriander, cumin, fennel, turmeric and pepper. Add a further 4 tablespoons of oil, then add the spice paste and fry, stirring, for 5 minutes. Add the pulled beef, coconut milk, tamarind, lime leaves, sugar and salt and simmer for 20 minutes. Taste and season.
To serve, heat the flat breads and serve the curry on top with yoghurt, toasted coconut and coriander leaves Serves 8