Rendang Sapi Padang (How To Make Real Deal Indonesian Beef Rendang)
Course: Entree
Cuisine: Indonesian
Prep Time: 30 minutesminutes
Cook Time: 1 hourhour30 minutesminutes
Total Time: 2 hourshours
Servings: 8servings
Author: Marvellina
Learn how to make the real deal Indonesian beef rendang Padang from scratch. This recipe will be your go-to beef rendang Padang! All the tips you need to replicate this successfully at home on the stove or with pressure cooker.
Toast the unsweetened grated coconut on a dry pan until it is golden brown and aromatic. Remove from the heat
Grind the ingredients:
Use the "fat" part of the lemongrass and slice into rings before putting them in the food processor. Discard the skinny woody part of the lemongrass. Place the rest of the ingredients to grind in a food processor and ground into a coarse paste
Cook the potatoes (if you choose to include potatoes):
Peel and cut the potato into quarters. You can deep fry the potato or like what I did, I pat the potatoes dry and then toss with a bit of oil and cook in the air fryer at 350F for 15-20 minutes until golden brown and cooked through
Pressure cook the beef first:
Press saute on instant pot. When it's hot, add coconut oil/cooking oil. Add the ground spices and stir fry until really fragrant, about 5 minutes. Add the rest of the herbs and spices. Use a wooden spatula to scrape the bottom of the pot if necessary.
Turn off the saute mode. Make sure nothing gets stuck at the bottom of the pot and you scrape with a wooden spatula if necessary. Add the meat, tamarind paste, seasonings and coconut cream (make sure it's coconut cream and not coconut milk). Give it a stir. Cover the lid. Turn the steam release handle to SEAL. Press pressure cooker and high pressure. Set the timer for 30 minutes
Once the timer is up, do a quick release by turning the steam release handle to venting. I usually loosely cover a cloth on top of the pressure valve so when the steam shoots out, it won't be as "forceful". Once the valve collapses all the way down, open the lid and remove the beef pieces onto a serving platter. Turn the saute mode on and stir in the grated coconut and continue to cook until the sauce reduces and thickened. Pour this on top of the beef pieces
Transfer to a large pot:
Transfer the rest to a large pot and bring to a boil on the stove and then lower the heat to let it gently simmer until all liquid evaporated and you can see the oil separates from the coconut milk. It may take roughly about 1 hour or longer depending how much liquid is in the rendang. Be sure to scrape the bottom of the pot every now and then to prevent anything get burn during this process
Add the fried potatoes in and stir to make sure the sauce is coating the potatoes too. Turn off the heat. The rendang tastes even better the day after.
If you make rendang on stove-top without pressure cooking the beef first:
Use a large pot that has a lid. Preheat your large pot. When it's hot, add coconut oil/cooking oil. Add the ground spices and stir fry until really fragrant, about 5 minutes. Add the rest of the herbs and spices. Use a wooden spatula to scrape the bottom of the pot if necessary
Add the meat, tamarind paste, seasonings, roasted grated coconut and coconut cream (make sure it's coconut cream and not coconut milk). Give it a stir and bring to a boil then lower the heat to let it simmer. Cover with the lid and let the beef cook until they are soft and everything started to turn brownish. This may take about 1.5 to 2 hours
You will start seeing oil separates from the coconut too. If the beef is tender, increase the heat to medium and let the rendang continue cooking until all the liquid evaporates leaving you with thick and dark brown rendang. This process may take another one hour, depending on how much liquid in your rendang
Add the fried potatoes in there and stir to mix everything. You are done!
Notes
I personally think the best cut of beef to use for beef rendang is beef shank/beef shin because it has a mixture of tendon and meat and when you cook them long enough (or pressure cooked), it gives you that melt-in-your-mouth texture. But shank is not always available and that's when I use chuck, which works really well too.