Slow-Cooked Beef Rendang with Toasted Coconut

What you need

• 1 kg (2 1/4 lb) beef chuck, cut into 4 cm (1 1/2 in) chunks
• 10 dried red chilies, seeded
• 4 fresh red chilies, roughly chopped
• 8 shallots, peeled
• 6 cloves garlic, peeled
• 4 cm galangal, sliced
• 3 cm ginger, sliced
• 4 candlenuts, or macadamia nuts
• 4 stalks lemongrass, 2 sliced, 2 bruised
• 2 tsp ground turmeric
• 3 tbsp neutral oil
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 3 star anise
• 4 whole cloves
• 4 green cardamom pods, lightly cracked
• 800 ml (two 14 oz cans) coconut milk, full-fat
• 6 makrut lime leaves, torn
• 1 tbsp tamarind paste
• 1 tbsp palm sugar, or brown sugar
• 1 tsp salt, plus extra to taste
• 50 g (2/3 cup) unsweetened desiccated coconut

Method

Restated from the original video

1. 1

   Soak the dried chilies in just-boiled water until soft, 15 min, then drain.

2. 2

   Blend the dried chilies, fresh chilies, shallots, garlic, galangal, ginger, candlenuts, the 2 sliced lemongrass stalks and the turmeric into a thick paste, adding a spoonful of water only if the blades stall.

3. 3

   Heat the oil in a wide, heavy pot over medium-low heat. Fry the paste, stirring often, until it darkens, smells sweet and the oil starts to separate, 10-12 min.

4. 4

   Add the cinnamon, star anise, cloves, cardamom and the 2 bruised lemongrass stalks and stir for 1 min.

5. 5

   Add the beef and turn it in the paste until every piece is coated, 2-3 min.

6. 6

   Pour in the coconut milk, add the lime leaves, tamarind paste, palm sugar and salt, and bring to a boil.

7. 7

   Lower the heat and simmer uncovered, stirring every 10-15 min, until the sauce has reduced by half and oil pools on the surface, about 1 1/2 hours.

8. 8

   Meanwhile, toast the desiccated coconut in a dry pan over medium-low heat, stirring, until deep golden brown, 5-7 min. Pound or blend it until it turns oily and paste-like.

9. 9

   Stir the toasted coconut into the pot.

10. 10

    Keep cooking over low heat, stirring more often as the sauce thickens so it does not catch, until the beef is very tender and coated in a dark, almost dry paste, 60-90 min.

11. 11

    Fish out the whole spices and lemongrass stalks, taste and add salt if needed.

12. 12

    Rest for 15 min off the heat, then serve.

Imported from tasteasianfood.com. Recipe Grab pulled out what you need to cook it; the video stays where its author put it.