Chef John's Beef Rendang

Recipe View Prepare the Beef: Cut the beef chuck into 2-inch pieces. (5 minutes)

Recipe View Make the Spice Paste: Combine shallots, garlic, ginger, galangal, serrano and Fresno chiles, salt, red pepper flakes, coriander, turmeric, cardamom, and nutmeg in a food processor. Pulse until a very finely ground paste forms, scraping down the sides as needed. (15 minutes)

Recipe View Sauté the Paste and Sear the Beef: Heat vegetable oil in a large, heavy-bottomed pot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the curry paste and cook, stirring constantly, until it starts to dry out and become fragrant. Add the beef and stir to coat it evenly with the paste. (10 minutes)

Recipe View Simmer in Coconut Milk: Pour in the coconut milk, tamarind paste, and brown sugar. Stir well to combine. Fill the empty coconut milk can with water and add it to the pot. Increase the heat to medium-high and bring the mixture to a simmer. (5 minutes)

Recipe View Add Lemongrass and Slow Cook: Bruise the lemongrass with the back of a knife, cut into 1- to 2-inch pieces, and add it to the curry. Reduce the heat to medium-low, cover, and cook, stirring occasionally, until the beef is fork-tender and the sauce has reduced significantly. This will take approximately 4 hours. Stir more frequently as the sauce reduces, and add more water (1/4 cup at a time) if the sauce is reducing faster than the beef is tenderizing. (4 hours)

Recipe View Finish and Serve: Remove the lemongrass pieces before serving. For optimal flavor, allow the Rendang to cool completely and refrigerate overnight. Reheat gently before serving. Garnish with fresh cilantro and a squeeze of lime, if desired. Serve with steamed rice. (5 minutes)