Beef Shin Rendang

We are certified curry connoisseurs and this might be as good as it gets. Beef rendang is an Indonesian/Malaysian/Singaporean curry made with coconut milk, chilies, lemongrass, galangal and kerisik until the meat is ultra tender and the sauce thickens to almost a paste. It takes a while. It is so very worth it. If you have a pot that can hold the increase in meat, double up the recipe. It freezes extremely well.


Ingredients

• 2 turmeric leaves or 6 markut lime leaves shredded
  ~2.5lb beef shin
  2 cups coconut milk
  1 stalk lemongrass, bruised
  4 tbsp kerisik (if you can't find, honestly homemade is better. Toast 4tbsp of shredded coconut and mortar/pestle with a little bit of coconut milk until it turns into a paste)

Ingredients to be ground

• 30 dried cili kering (most small, low heat chilis will do)
  3 stalks lemongrass
  1 inch galangal
  2 inches ginger
  5 cloves garlic
  2 large white onions, quartered
  ½ tsp ground turmeric
  1 tbsp ground coriander
  
  Fried shallots, cilantro and sliced fresh chilis to garnish

• Break the dried chilis in pieces and soak them in a bowl of hot water for at least 15 minutes. Drain and rinse when done before setting aside.
  
  Heat some neutral oil in a dutch oven while patting dry your beef shins. Brown them on both sides, about a few minutes each, then remove and set aside to rest.

Start blending the 'to be ground' ingredients in the order that they are listed above. Start with lemongrass, blend for 10 seconds, then galangal, another 10 seconds, then ginger, then garlic, the prepared rehydrated chilis, and so on. Add a quarter of an onion for moisture when the paste seems dry. Continue until you have a fine and consistent mix.

• Place shins back in the dutch oven, then add your ground paste, the coconut milk, the kerisik, a tsp of salt, the remaining lemongrass, a cup of water (or beef broth) and finally the thinly shredded turmeric/lime leaves.

• Let it come to a gentle simmer over low heat. Stir before leaving, uncovered, to cook for about 3 hours, until the beef is meltingly tender and you have a dry-ish curry. Alternatively, if you feel uncomfortable with the whole stove top for hours situation, you can place in the oven at 275 for as long.

• Check on the rendang at two hours and mix if spots are looking dry. Continue to mix every 15 minutes or so until meat is borderline disintegrating. Taste test and ad salt if needed.

• Serve over rice or with paratha and garnish.