This is a classic Malaysian dish and so I tried to keep things as traditional as I could with the ingredients, I could get my hands on. A rendang is a stew with a thick sauce that combines sweet and spicy flavours. I chose to use short ribs because they’re one of my favourite cuts of beef with lots of flavour and well suited for slow cooking but you could equally use chuck or shin for similar results.
Short Rib Beef Rendang
A rendang is a stew with a thick sauce that combines sweet and spicy flavours.
Servings: 4
Ingredients
- 2 kg beef short ribs
- 4 tablespoons peanut oil
- 4 cloves
- 4 star anise
- 4 green cardamom pods
- 1 stick cinnamon
- 6 kaffir lime leaves roughly chopped
- 2 teaspoons tamarind paste
- 400 ml can coconut cream
- 1 ½ cups water
- 1 tablespoon palm sugar
Spice paste
- 4 shallots
- 4 thai birds eye chillis
- 3 cloves garlic
- 1 inch piece galangal
- 1 inch piece ginger
- 2 stalks lemongrass
Instructions
- To prepare the spice paste, roughly chop the ingredients then add to a food processor and blitz to an even consistency.
- Heat the oil on medium-high heat in a large saucepan or Dutch oven. Sear the short ribs in batches for 1 ½ minutes on each side or until browned. Set aside.
- Reduce heat to medium and add the spice paste along with the cloves, anise, cardamom and cinnamon then saute for 2 minutes. Stir in the water, cream, tamarind, lime leaves and sugar then bring to a boil. Submerge short ribs in the liquid then reduce heat to low and simmer covered for 1 ½ to 2 hours.
- Season to taste with salt and palm sugar then serve over steamed rice.