The Ultimate Beef Rendang

Patience is a virtue. Here, your wait will be amply rewarded with a deliciously aromatic beef rendang curry. Serve with rice and flatbreads or simply with just-cooked fresh green beans. 3 onions, roughly chopped 5 cloves garlic

3 tablespoons peeled, chopped fresh ginger

5 red chillies, roughly chopped

2 stalks lemongrass, outer leaves removed, roughly chopped

1 tablespoon each ground coriander and ground cumin

1 teaspoon ground turmeric

½ teaspoon ground cardamom 2 tablespoons olive or vegetable oil

1.8 kilograms stewing steak such as gravy beef, blade or cross cut

2 teaspoons sea salt 2½ cups (625ml) coconut cream

2 tablespoons each tamarind paste and brown sugar

3 whole kaffir lime leaves

⅓ cup good-quality crunchy peanut or cashew butter ½ cup coriander leaves ¼ cup crispy fried shallots rice flatbreads

Put the ingredients in a food processor and whizz to form a smooth-ish paste.

Heat the oil in a large heavy-bottomed pot and add the spice paste. Cook over a gentle heat for 10 minutes.

While it’s cooking, cut the beef into 4cm-5cm pieces then add to the paste. Add the salt and three-quarters of the coconut cream and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to a simmer and cook over a very gentle heat for 5 hours, stirring occasionally. Lay a wooden spoon across the top of the pot and rest the lid on it so that a little steam can escape.

After 5 hours, stir in the remaining coconut cream, tamarind paste, brown sugar, kaffir lime leaves and peanut or cashew butter. Cook for a further 20 minutes.

Remove the kaffir lime leaves and serve garnished with coriander and crispy fried shallots, and rice and flatbreads of your choice.