Cooking: Rendang is a traditional way of preserving food for long period

As I have mentioned few days ago on my post, I cooked for a thousand (less or more) invitee, in a wedding party of my friend. So, this time I would like to share you a complete way and recipe of Rendang. Rendang is well-known as one of most famous food from Minang Kabau (West Sumatera), I don’t really know when it was invented or who is the first man behind the invention of Rendang. But, in Minang Kabau, Rendang is something “must” have in any ceremonial/fiesta or celebration, because it all about culture. We can find the best Rendang in some famous restaurant in Minang Kabau such as, Lamun Ombak, Minang Saiyo. Gon Raya, and many others. The fact is, each of them has specific secret recipe of Rendang. But, in general they cook Rendang as it is for the symbol of their traditional food.

It is how does it look like after 4 hours on the heat, the coconut milk has started to transform into sticky oil and it needs to be cooked for another 2 hour before adding the beef

I have no doubt that Rendang has delicious taste and special aroma, yet it can be preserved for weeks out of refrigerator. It is because the method of cooking, and the ingredients are very special. In Aceh, we have different way of preserving the beef for long time beside of Rendang, the call it “Sie Reuboh” (Boiled Beef). How to make “Sie Reuboh”? I will share it next time. Talking about Rendang, is talking about cooking patience, because it needs to cook for long time with very careful way of managing the heat. Let’s talk about it!

Preparation

To cook Rendang, first of all you need to have a large amount of heavy coconut milk, that is the key of success of cooking rendang, and please remember no water at all. A big crock/cooking pot depend on how many kilograms of beef, and last thing is wooden fire. It is necessary to understand the reason behind of wooden fire, because we will need to have certain amount of ember to finalize the cooking (in case of cooking large quantity of rendang.

Ingredients for 20 kg beef

• 20 kg beef sliced (medium size 2x5x5 cm)
• 60 ltr of heavy coconut milk (2.5 ltr for 1 kg beef, if you cook in small quantity)
• 300 gr galangals
• 300 gr ginger
• 500 gr Onion
• 300 gr Garlic
• 3 kg Red Chilies (250 gr fresh red chili for 1 kg beef and not need to add cayenne if you don’t like spicy)
• 250 gr cayenne pepper
• 100 gr turmeric
• 50 gr nutmeg
• 75 gr coriander
• 50 gr white pepper
• 50 gr Bay leaves
• 10 cm cinnamon
• 30 gr star seed
• 10 gr cardamom
• 50 gr lemongrass
• 20 gr Turmeric leaves
• 20 gr Curry leaves
• 20 gr lime leafs
• 300 gr Salt
• 75 ml Vinegar/lime juice

Cooking Method

• Cook the coconut milk, while preparing the spices. (70 ltr of coconut milk are produce from about 200 coconuts)

• Grind these spices well:

1. 300 gr galangal
2. 300 gr ginger
3. 500 gr Onion
4. 300 gr Garlic
5. 3 kg Red Chili (250 gr fresh red chili for 1 kg beef and not need to add cayenne if you don’t like spicy)
6. 250 gr cayenne pepper
7. 100 gr turmeric
8. 50 gr nutmeg
9. 75 gr coriander
10. 50 gr white pepper

• Add all finely ground spices into the coconut milk, and put all the rest of ingredients into it
• Cook all ingredients and stirred evenly once in a while, for the first 3 hours cook it with normal heat.
• It can take shorter time for smaller quantity of the coconut milk
• It is necessary to cook the coconut milk with the ingredients really well, until the coconut oil come out
• After cooking for 6 hours the quantity of the coconut milk would remain 1/3 of the first amount, and the coconut oil has been seen cover the rendang sauce.
• Add the beef and reduce the heat. Simmer the beef in the heavy Rendang sauce until all the coconut milk become oil, while stirring it carefully.
• All the process could take about 8-9 hours with that quantity ( I took about 8 hours). But, cooking small quantity could take only 4-5 hours.
• The best result is when Rendang has dark brown color and dry sauce in heavy coconut oil.

Please note: Not only beef can be served as Rendang, but many kind of veggies such as, casava leaves, bamboo shoot, casava root, potatoes, red peanut, and fishesh.

Normally, preparing rendang is a day before the party to ensure the quality. I cooked the Rendang in my home a day before the party. That is my recipe of cooking rendang, but another cooker may have little different way of cooking as well as slightly different ingredients.

Well, that is my story behind my absence on steemit, besides I still have another story as I have said on my previous post. Thank you for keeping your support on my blogs. I hope this recipe is useful for you.

With my best regard

@el-nailul

Hope for the best and prepare for the worst

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