Opa Bob's Beef Redang Padang Recipe
My Sumatran grandfather's recipe adjusted to make life a little easier by using a pressure or slow cooker. Stove top recipe also included. Methods listed in order of preference.
Equipment
- Pressure cooker OR
- Slow cooker AND/ OR
- Wok OR
- Dutch oven or other heavy pot
Ingredients
- 1 T sunflower oil or other neutral oil
- 2 large onions finely chopped
- 2 T sambal ulek or 2 finely chopped fresh red chilipeppers (capsicum annuum is best)
- 2 stems lemon grass tied into a knot
- 4 makrut lime leaves crushed and bruised - you can find these in Asian super markets, usually in the freezer
- 2 Indonesian bay leaves fresh or dried from an Asian supermarket
- 4 cm - 2" galengal cut into 4 pieces
- 2 cm - 1" turmeric cut into 2 pieces
- 500 gr - 1 oz blade or pot roast beef cut into rough chunks, beef cheek is also really good for this
- 1 1/4 T brown sugar
- 1/2 C - 250 ml water if using the pressure cooker
- 1 T fish sauce
- 1 piece marrowbone optional
- 200 ml coconut milk
- 3/4 c - 200 ml water if using the slow cooker or Dutch oven
- 5 oz - 150 gr new potatoes optional, note I have not yet tried this with the pressure cooker method
Instructions
To make rendang Padang in the pressure cooker
- Use the saute setting to saute 2 finely chopped onions until they've become translucent, then add 2 T of sambal ulek or 2 finely chopped chilipeppers and stir for 5-6 minutes.
- Add the 2 stems lemongrass smashed and tied into a knot, 4 makrut lime leaves, 2 Indonesian bay leaves, 4 cm of galengal, 2 cm of turmeric.
- Add the 500 gr of beef cut into rough chunks and stir so the meat is coated in the spice mix. Add 1 1/2 T of brown sugar, stir and add 1/2 c water to deglaze the pan. Turn off saute mode.
- Add 1 T of fish sauce and marrowbone (if using), cover and set to seal. Cook on high pressure for 35 minutes.
- Allow for natural release for 10 minutes (i.e. don't manually release the pressure until after 10 minutes have passed).
- Remove the lemongrass, lime and bay leaves, galengal and turmeric (you don't have to but this just makes stirring a little easier and the flavors have already developed during the pressure cooking process).
- Add 200 ml of coconut milk. Set to saute and stir gently until the liquid has cooked down fully and has started to release it's oil. This can take up to between 30 mins and 1 hour. Stir gently to avoid the meat breaking apart too much. If you notice the meat is so tender it breaks up too much, take out the meat and reduce down the liquids as far as you can instead, before adding the meat back in.
To make rendang Padang in a slowcooker
- Basically chuck all the ingredients in your slow cooker and cook on low for 8 hours. I am sure shorter and on high would work equally well, but I never do anything fast in my slow cooker. It seems to defeat the purpose.
- Once you've finished slow cooking, use the saute setting (or transfer to a wok on a medium high heat) and stir gently until almost all of the liquids have evaporated, the oil starts to seperate and the meat is coated in a thin layer of caramelized sauce. This can take anywhere from 30 mins to 1 hour. It can help to remove the bulkier spices and the new potatoes for ease of stirring, the latter can be added back in again later.
To make rendang Padang in a Dutch oven
- Chuck all the ingredients, except the new potatoes, in a Dutch oven or other heavy based pot and bring to a boil.
- Lower the heat as low as your stove will go and leave to simmer for 2 hours with a tiny corner of the lid propped open with a wooden spoon.
- Add 5 oz - 150 gr of new potatoes, skin on and leave to simmer for another hour.
- During the 4th and final hour your rendang should start to dry. Remove the lid, stay close and stir often but gently, to keep the meat intact. You're looking more for a folding than a stirring motion. The rendang is ready when almost all of the liquids have evaporated, the meat is coated in a thin layer of caramelized sauce and the oil starts to separate from the rest of the dish.
- Serve with rice and whatever vegetable side you fancy.
Notes
If you want to make rendang bitterballen, run the liquid through a sieve after step 1 of the slow cooking process or slow cook your rendang with the lid closed on the stove top for 3 hours before straining the liquid or step 5 of the pressure cooker method.
Rendang will keep in a closed container in the fridge for 3 days or in the freezer for 3 months. To reheat, bring to room temperature before frying it up in a dry non-stick frying pan until all the meat is heated through.