Shortcut Beef Rendang
We learned about beef rendang randomly while watching some kind of Gordon Ramsay show.
I wasn’t familiar with the dish, but it sounded incredible and Blake immediately asked if we could have it for dinner.
After some research, I learned that beef rendang is an Indonesian dish showcasing tender beef simmered in a rich, spicy sauce made with coconut milk and a mix of aromatics. It has a complex, multidimensional flavor thanks to ingredients like lemongrass, galangal, ginger, and chili peppers. The slow-cooking process makes the beef super tender and allows all those flavors to meld together perfectly. This is actually one that’s even better the next day after it sits in the fridge. More melding.
Here’s my problem. We live in a city with limited resources in terms of more unique ingredients. Maybe you do too. I had to figure out how to make this dish without giving up those complex flavors. I did some googling and found several options for rendang pastes. I eliminated the ones with color and other fillers added and settled on the Mekhala Organic Malaysian Rendang Cooking Paste (I found it on Amazon with prime shipping). I haven’t tried any of the other options, but we thought this was absolutely fantastic. I added a few fresh aromatics and the flavors were incredible.
While this recipe is technically a shortcut with the paste, it isn’t short on flavor or on time needed to properly braise the beef. All this to say we declared this one of the best things I’ve ever made and I highly recommend you give it a try!
Shortcut Beef Rendang
Ingredients
- Chuck roast, cubed (2-2.5 lbs)
- High smoke point oil, such as grapeseed
- One yellow onion, roughly chopped
- 1 inch section of ginger, peeled and roughly chopped
- 4 cloves garlic, peeled and smashed
- 4 T rendang paste (we used Mekhala brand)
- 1 (13.5 oz) can coconut milk
- 1.5 cups water
- Salt to taste
- To serve: rice, cilantro or other fresh herbs, plain full fat greek yogurt, pickled shallots, pickled cucumbers, fried garlic or shallots, limes and toasted unsweetened coconut flakes.
Instructions
- In a dutch oven over medium high heat, add enough oil to lightly coat the bottom.
- Once hot, add cubed chuck roast and allow to brown, stirring occasionally.
- Once the beef has browned, add onion, ginger and garlic and stir to combine.
- Add rendang paste (I added 4 tablespoons for a chuck roast just shy of 2.5 lbs. You may need more or less depending on the type of paste, your spice tolerance and size of your chuck roast) and stir to coat beef and aromatics.
- Add in coconut milk and water, season generously to taste and stir to fully combine.
- Cover pot (but leave cracked) and reduce heat to low. Allow to cook, stirring occasionally, for 4-6 hours or until beef is extremely tender and sauce has reduced.
- If desired, turn up the heat to medium high and crisp up the beef and further reduce sauce, stirring frequently.
- Serve with rice, cilantro or other fresh herbs, plain full fat greek yogurt, pickled shallots, pickled cucumbers, fried garlic or shallots, limes and toasted unsweetened coconut flakes.