Passport & Plate: ITALY 2014

Passport & Plate - Slow Cooked Beef Rendang

Indonesia | Wednesday, March 12, 2014 | 5 photos

Ingredients

Serves 6
6 shallots
1 whole garlic bulb
10 cm of ginger
10 cm galangal
1 Tbsp ground coriander
½ tsp ground nutmeg
½ tsp ground caraway seeds
10-12 red chillies (an authentic recipe would use 20)
1kg gravy beef, cut into thin (approx 1cm) slices
1.5 litres of coconut milk (or fresh coconut milk from 6 coconuts)
2 sachets of beef stock
3 turmeric leaves
5 lime leaves
10 bay leaves
2 pieces of lemon grass



How to prepare this recipe

1. Roughly chop shallots, garlic, ginger, galangal and chillies. Place in a food processor or blender along with the nutmeg, caraway and coriander.

2. Blend into a smooth paste. You may need to add in a couple of tablespoons of water to help with this.


3. In a large bowl, combine the chopped meat and blended paste, making sure all of the meat is thoroughly coated.

4. In a large pot, boil the coconut milk. Once bubbling, add the meat and spice paste. Reduce heat to a simmer.


5. Add in the beef stock and remainder of the ingredients to the coconut milk.

6. Let the curry simmer for 3-4 hours. You will need to stir it intermittently to make sure the meat does not stick to the bottom of the pot and burn.


7. The dish is ready when all of the coconut milk has evaporated away and the meat is left to briefly fry in the left over coconut oil.

8. Season to taste and serve on cooked basmati rice.


Note: as this is typically a meal served for special occasions, I serve my Rendang with Telur Balado (spicy eggs), and a selection of light salads.


The story behind this recipe

Beef Rendang is a traditional dish of the Minangkabau people from West Sumatra, Indonesia. I learnt this recipe from my homestay mother when I spent 3 months in Sumatra teaching English at a local high school. For me, Rendang embodies all that is the Minangkabau culture; it reminds me of an unforgettable experience and an inspirational woman.
When I was 19, I decided to pack up my bags and head to Indonesia for three months. My task was to teach English at a local high school while living with a family in the city of Padang, West Sumatra. Pandang is a relatively small city with a population of 1 million. Tourism is relatively non-existent and I was stopped many times by locals eager to take a photo to show their friends.
Although my experience in West Sumatra challenged me in more ways than one, I always felt safe and at home with my host family. The Minangkabau are a matrilineal society, so it makes sense that one of the most significant people in my Indonesian family life was Evi, my host mother.
Evi owned and ran a small eatery in Padang. She would encourage me to come and visit to try the different cuisines. Mama’s restaurant was nothing fancy, just a couple of plastic tables and chairs with a small room out the back that served as a kitchen. It would take me two angkot (local transport) rides to get to her restaurant and I got lost more than once. However, the trip was always worth the trouble as there was a large selection of food available, and the opportunity to watch or help make a local dish. It was in this setting that I learnt to make Beef Rendang.
Rendang is a source of great pride for the Minangkabau people. I feel honoured that I was able to learn this recipe with the culture of people it originated from. My Beef Rendang recipe will always hold a special place in my heart as it reminds me of a connection I have to wonderful people who live in a world so vastly different to my own.