Beef Rendang
Voted the world’s best food by CNN Travel readers in 2011 — slow-braised beef in a rich aromatic paste of coconut milk, garlic, ginger, galangal, lemongrass, and spices, cooked uncovered for hours until every drop of liquid evaporates and the meat is coated in a dark caramelized crust. A labor of love from West Sumatra that gets even better the next day.
Ingredients
- 800 gbeef, cut into 3x3 cm cubes
- 400 mlthick coconut milk
- 3 lemongrass stalks, bruised
- 2 kaffir lime leaves
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 2 tbsptoasted coconut
- 2 tbspvegetable oil
- salt to taste
- 6 garlic cloves
- 4 shallots or 2 small onions
- 2 cmfresh ginger
- 2 cmfresh galangal
- 2 cmfresh turmeric
- 3 red chili peppers
- 1 tspcoriander seeds
- 1 tspcumin
- 1 tspblack pepper
- 1 tspsugar
Method
- Blend all paste ingredients (garlic, shallots, ginger, galangal, turmeric, chili, coriander, cumin, pepper, sugar) in a blender until smooth.
- Heat oil in a deep heavy-bottomed pan or wok. Fry the paste over medium heat for 5–7 minutes until fragrant and slightly thickened.
- Add the beef cubes. Brown on all sides until lightly golden.
- Pour in the coconut milk. Add the bruised lemongrass stalks, kaffir lime leaves and cinnamon stick, and toasted coconut if using. Season with salt to taste. Bring to a gentle boil.
- Reduce heat to minimum. Cook UNCOVERED for 2–2.5 hours, stirring occasionally, until the sauce reduces to a thick paste and the oil begins to separate. The sauce must fully evaporate — this is what makes rendang rendang.
- When the sauce becomes almost paste-like, continue carefully stirring the meat in the remaining paste until the surface caramelizes. Serve hot with steamed jasmine rice, cucumber slices, and lime.
FAQ
Yes. In 2011 CNN Travel conducted a reader poll of the world’s 50 best foods and rendang took first place, beating pizza, sushi, and laksa. Millions of people around the world voted. It is not an academic prize, but the title became part of rendang’s global reputation.
Without a lid, the water in the coconut milk evaporates, leaving only fat and concentrated spices. This transforms a liquid sauce into a thick caramelized paste that coats the meat. This is called ‘dry rendang’ — the traditional style from West Sumatra.
They are fundamentally different. Curry is a wet dish with sauce. Rendang is dry: the coconut milk fully evaporates, turning into a caramelized spice paste on the meat with no liquid remaining. This is also why rendang keeps for weeks without refrigeration — the moisture is gone.
As it cools, the spices continue penetrating the meat, the fats redistribute, and the flavors meld and deepen. In Indonesia rendang is traditionally made the day before a feast for exactly this reason. Keeps in the fridge for up to 5 days, in the freezer up to 3 months.
Yes — a pressure cooker reduces cooking time to 45–60 minutes. But the final reduction stage (evaporating the sauce) still needs to be done uncovered on open heat — otherwise rendang stays wet. A slow cooker works similarly: 6–8 hours on low, then uncover to reduce.
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Comments (2)
Ренданг — это не карри. Это сухое тушёное мясо, где соус полностью впитывается. Если у вас в тарелке жидкость — вы не доготовили, терпите ещё час. Кокосовое молоко должно полностью выпариться и обжарить мясо в кокосовом масле. Именно этот момент делает ренданг рендангом.
The pan needs to be properly hot before the beef goes in for beef rendang. A lukewarm pan steams instead of sears. Wait until you see the faintest wisp of smoke — that's your signal.