Rendang Daging (Beef Rendang)
- Total Time
- 3¼ hours
- Rating
- Notes
- Read community notes
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Ingredients
Yield:4 servings
- 7long red chiles (about 4 ounces), such as cayenne, trimmed, sliced and deseeded if you prefer less heat
- 6shallots, preferably Thai, or 3 small banana shallots, peeled and sliced
- 5garlic cloves, peeled and sliced
- 1(3-inch) piece fresh ginger, peeled and sliced
- 1(3-inch) piece fresh galangal (optional), woody stem removed then thinly sliced
- 1(1-inch) piece fresh turmeric, peeled and sliced, or 1 teaspoon ground turmeric
- 2teaspoons ground coriander
- 1teaspoon ground cumin
- 2¼pounds braising beef, such as shin or brisket
- 3⅓cups full-fat coconut milk
- 2fresh lemongrass stalks, bruised and tied in a knot
- 5fresh makrut lime leaves (optional)
- 3fresh or dried bay leaves
- 1teaspoon sea salt
For the Spice Paste
For the Beef
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (4 servings)
1177 calories; 98 grams fat; 59 grams saturated fat; 26 grams monounsaturated fat; 3 grams polyunsaturated fat; 29 grams carbohydrates; 4 grams dietary fiber; 8 grams sugars; 53 grams protein; 659 milligrams sodium
Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
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- Step 1
Prepare the spice paste: In a small food processor, combine the spice paste ingredients and blend until they form a smooth paste. If the texture is too coarse, you can add a splash of the measured coconut milk and blend again. Set aside.
- Step 2
Prepare the beef: Trim the meat of any excess fat, then cut the meat into 1½-inch chunks, discarding any additional excess fat, and transfer the cubed meat to a deep, heavy Dutch oven or pot.
- Step 3
Stir in the prepared spice paste along with the coconut milk, lemongrass, makrut lime leaves (if using), bay leaves and salt. Bring the mixture to a boil over high, then reduce to a gentle simmer and continue to cook for 2 to 2½ hours until the meat is tender, stirring every 20 minutes or so to ensure the rendang doesn’t stick to the bottom of the pot.
- Step 4
After 2 to 2½ hours, the oil from the coconut milk will split and rise to the surface, appearing as a reddish-orange oil; Indonesians call this stage “kalio.” (Depending on the oil content of your coconut milk, this may be a subtle film of oil or there can be a pool of it.) Discard the lemongrass stalks. (If they cook any further, they may disintegrate and be impossible to remove.)
- Step 5
Turn the heat up to medium-high to reduce the sauce. Stir the rendang continuously until the sauce has thickened and turned a deep brown, about 15 minutes. As more oil separates, you are nearly there. Continue stirring the beef so it absorbs the sauce and caramelizes on the outside. Taste and adjust the seasoning if needed before serving.
Private Notes
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Cooking Notes
Lara Lee
Simmer uncovered so the liquid evaporates. Hope you enjoy it!
Andrew
The galangal should not be considered optional....
Salt of the Earth
Yes this recipe works for chicken too albeit a shorter time. Rendang making seems to be split to 2 schools - rendangs with coconut milk or rendangs without coconut milk. I personally prefer the latter - w/o coconut milk as it renders a cleaner taste after hours of cooking down the dish.
echo21
This was really flavorful. I did find it took 3 hours before it was time to turn up heat and reduce. Also added 1T brown sugar before reducing to balance some bitterness from the chilies. Finally, finished it by stirring in a T of lime juice at very end. Serve with brown rice and fresh diced cucumbers.
Mark
Works spectacularly with lamb shoulder as well. I add some chicken stock as it makes the reduced coconut milk less cloying, more balanced in the end. Half a cinnamon stick and one star anise adds a nice, complex warming spice note. Some fish sauce and palm sugar (or brown sugar) balances out the dish nicely too.
Iyut
No you don't remove the oil.
SAhmad
this takes much longer than 2- 2 1/2 hours, plan for at least 3 to really reduce the sauce. Otherwise, absolutely delicious and well worth the effort to make the spice paste. Used a mortar and pestle, worked fine.
Dan Clements
Very excellent recipe! Few thoughts. 1.) I think there should be two pounds of beef after the fat cap is removed. 2.) We eat things very spicy, but I would recommend deseeding chilies. We made this dish on one day, then heated it up and served it the day after. Giving time for the flavors to marry worked really well.
Paul
This is extremely under-spiced. You need to double most of the spice paste ingredients.
Walter J
I've made my own version of this for yonks, and this recipe is quite similar. Two additional suggestions: chunk-cut mushrooms are an amazing if untraditional addition, reducing the amount of meat you eat; and adding toasted, dessicated coconut (about a cup to cup-and-a-half) towards the end is a good way to get to the 'dry stage' more quickly.
Kay
I switched out the beef for jackfruit and it worked really well. The texture is so meaty, it’s a really effective swap. Great idea if you (or your guest) is either vegetarian or vegan!
Gypsy
Thai curry paste would not make Rendang. I was fortunate to enjoy it many years ago in Sumatra and have never forgotten how amazing it was. Thai curry is wonderful and I use some of the pastes available but they are very different from Rendang. You can find Rendang paste these days. The one I tried wasn't very good. I will try this recipe.
Chris
I’ve made rendang before and always fallen short. Followed this to the letter and it was outstanding. The final step is pretty intense but it brings the curry together beautifully.
Kristy
We made this tonight and it was superb! I used beef shin, which was perfect for this, and I followed the instructions to a T except that I added some dried coconut to the paste. It gave the final product a nice texture. We served it with turmeric rice and a pomelo salad (yam som-o). I couldn't be happier with how this turned out!
chelsea
Taste was excellent but I would anticipate a longer cooking time for the initial reduction. I did about 2 hours, 3 to 4 would have been better…my meat was tender the first night but subsequent reheatings left it quite tough. If you plan to have it over a few nights, I would suggest leaving it a bit ‘wetter’ so there is enough liquid to reheat without as much drying risk.
Carol
I added star anise and cinnamon stick, as suggested in another recipe. Was a big hit!
Svetlana
I followed this recipe exactly except without chilli. But the beef is tough and awful. Anyone know why this happened? I cooked it low and slow. The beef was brisket. Any ideas if it can be salvaged by adding liquid?
foas
Mostly simmered in oven to reduce need to stir. Took about five hours in the oven until the beef started to look tender, then another hour stovetop to finish. Loved this dish!
heather
This is absolutely heavenly! I made it as-written but without galangal (couldn’t find it near me). I will eat this all up so fast, and will not wait another year to make it again.
Elizabeth
Could be doubled for a larger volume of leftovers!
cooklyn
While I love spice my kids do not. Do we think I can make this without chili? Any ideas for substitutions?
crucial ingredient missing
This is a great recipe, but it’s missing one vital ingredient: kerisik. Kerisik is essentially toasted coconut butter and can be made by toasting 1 cup of shredded dried (unsweetened) coconut in a dry pan over medium low heat until deep brown. Then pulverize in a mortar and pestle or blender until a paste. Add this to the rendang after coconut-milk fat has separated. Another tip: use coconut cream (unsweetened) if you can find it. Dilute it 1:1 with water and use instead of coconut milk.
John Conor
Galangal is not optional (if you can find it) and surely this recipe is missing a key ingredient - star anise! First had this in Bukitinggi, in the Minang Highlands: addicted.
BetsyS
This was good, but not worth the time and effort.
chelsea
Taste was excellent but I would anticipate a longer cooking time for the initial reduction. I did about 2 hours, 3 to 4 would have been better…my meat was tender the first night but subsequent reheatings left it quite tough. If you plan to have it over a few nights, I would suggest leaving it a bit ‘wetter’ so there is enough liquid to reheat without as much drying risk.
RandyF
Total buzzkill on the spice level. If you like it spicy, crank up the chilis
Jane
It seemed strange not to give the meat (I used lamb) a bit of seasoning and a good sear prior to adding the rest of the ingredients, so I did that--anyone else do the same? Waiting on the results now!
Yousuf
Is it ok to cook this in a slow cooker?
Gypsy
Thai curry paste would not make Rendang. I was fortunate to enjoy it many years ago in Sumatra and have never forgotten how amazing it was. Thai curry is wonderful and I use some of the pastes available but they are very different from Rendang. You can find Rendang paste these days. The one I tried wasn't very good. I will try this recipe.
Mark
Works spectacularly with lamb shoulder as well. I add some chicken stock as it makes the reduced coconut milk less cloying, more balanced in the end. Half a cinnamon stick and one star anise adds a nice, complex warming spice note. Some fish sauce and palm sugar (or brown sugar) balances out the dish nicely too.
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