Chef John's Indonesian Beef Rendang

Name: Chef John's Indonesian Beef Rendang
Prep time: 25 min
Cook time: 4 h 5 min
Total time: 4 h 30 min
Yield: 8 servings
Cuisine: Indonesian, Malaysian
Ingredients: 2.5 lb Beef; 1 tbsp Brown Sugar; 14 oz Coconut Milk; 1 whole Dried Chile Peppers; 1 whole Fresh Ginger; 1.5 whole Galangal; 6 cloves Garlic; 0.13 tsp Ground Cardamom; 1 tsp Ground Coriander; 0.13 tsp Ground Nutmeg; 0.5 tsp Ground Turmeric; 0.5 stalk Lemongrass; 1 tbsp Red Pepper Flakes; 1 tsp Salt; 2 whole Serrano Pepper; 4 whole Shallot; 2 tsp Tamarind Paste; 2 tbsp Vegetable Oil

Dinner 🍽️Lunch 🥪 Indonesian 🇮🇩Malaysian 🇲🇾 Low-Carb Heart-Healthy ❤️Gluten-Free Ayurvedic 🧘Paleo 🦴Halal 🕌Comfort-Food

Chef John's Indonesian Beef Rendang features tender chunks of beef slowly simmered in coconut milk with aromatics like lemongrass, galangal, and chiles until the sauce reduces to a rich, caramelized coating. The result is deeply spiced, slightly sweet, and gently fiery, with toasty coconut notes. Serve it for a cozy dinner or a special occasion alongside steamed rice to soak up every bit of flavor.

Prep25 mins
Cook4 hrs 5 mins
Serves8
DifficultyHard

1

Cut the beef chuck into 2-inch pieces.
2

Combine the shallots, garlic, ginger, galangal, serrano and Fresno chiles, salt, red pepper flakes, coriander, turmeric, cardamom, and nutmeg in a food processor. Pulse until the paste is very finely ground, stopping occasionally to scrape down the sides with a spatula.
3

Heat oil in a pan over medium heat. Add the curry paste. Cook and stir until it begins to dry out, then stir in the beef. Add coconut milk, tamarind paste, and brown sugar, and stir to combine. Fill the empty coconut milk can with water and pour it into the pan. Increase the heat to medium-high and bring to a simmer.
4

Meanwhile, bruise the lemongrass with the back of your knife. Cut it into 1- to 2-inch pieces and add to the curry. Reduce the heat to medium. Cook uncovered, stirring occasionally, until the beef is fork-tender and the sauce is fully reduced, about 4 hours. Stir more often as the water reduces; add more water or lower the heat if the sauce is reducing faster than the beef is softening.
5

Remove the lemongrass before serving. For best results, let it cool and serve the next day.