Beef Rendang Recipe

• 400g beef shin, sliced into big chunks (or any other slow cooking meat)
• 10-15 dried chillies, soaked, deseeded
• 1 fresh red chilli, deseeded
• 5 small Thai shallots, or ½ red onion
• 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
• Thumbsize piece of fresh turmeric
• 25g fresh ginger, peeled and finely chopped
• 25g fresh galangal, finely chopped 
• 1 stalk lemongrass, bruised and finely chopped
• 200ml coconut milk
• 3 tbsp desiccated coconut
• 300ml water, or enough to cover the meat
• 1 2-in piece cinnamon stick
• 2 cloves, whole
• 2 star anise, whole
• 2 cardamom pods, whole

• 1 tsp palm sugar, or to taste
• 1 tsp tamarind paste, or to taste
• 2 lime leaves, finely sliced, to garnish

Cut the beef chuck into small (2 or 3 cm) pieces and set aside. 

Put the chillies, turmeric, shallots, garlic, ginger, galangal and lemongrass in the food processor or pestle and mortar, and grind until smooth. Use 1tsp of salt at the start if using a pestle and mortar to help to break down the ingredients. 

To make your kerisik -  toast dessicated coconut until golder brown, keep an eye on this so that is doesn't burn. Once golden brown, add the coconut to a pestle and mortar. Grind until this forms a paste. 

In a heavy pot, add the coconut milk and water and bring to a simmer. 

Add the beef, kerisik (toasted coconut paste) and curry paste you made earlier. Stir well to combine evenly. 

Add your whole dried spices and lime leaves. 

Bring to the boil, then gently simmer over very low heat for 2-3 hours, or until the beef is tender and the sauce is thick, dry and brown.

Season with palm sugar and tamarind paste to taste.