Crock-pot Beef Rendang

Beef rendang

The main ingredients are clockwise from the top: beef cubes, toasted dessicated coconut,

kaffir lime leaves, ground ingredients fried in oil and a can of coconut milk

On the left is assam jawa (tamarind) and on the right is assam keping

My Muslim friends will celebrate the end of the fasting month (Ramadan) in two days with the celebration of Eid al-Fitr or Hari Raya Aidil Fitri as it is called in Malaysia. In Malaysia is it quite standard fare to be served chicken or beef rendang which is a spicy, Malay stew together with glutinous/sweet/sticky rice. There are many variations of rendang which typically has lemon grass, galangal, onions and chilies ground and cooked in lots of oil until fragrant and then may be made without any spices or many types of spices like cinnamon, star anise, cardamom and cloves. My version which I learnt from a Malay friend has a lot of spices and meat curry powder which has cumin, coriander and fennel which I think gives it a lot of depth. You can make rendang with pretty much any meat; the same friend has made it with turkey or you can also use mutton which is what my sister’s mother-in-law makes her delicious rendang with. It is also popularly made with chicken on the bone which cooks much faster than the beef.

I always make a big portion of rendang because it is quite time consuming to make it, but also because it freezes very well and I can thaw and reheat a portion for our dinner if I’m pressed for time or stumped with what to cook. Making it in a crock pot eliminates the need to stir the rendang often as the low heat of the cooking ensures that the dish will not burn.  If you don't own a crock pot then by all means cook this in a wok or large pot on the stove, but just be prepared to stir every few minutes and watch that the dish does not burn!  Keith absolutely loves this and so do most of our friends whom we’ve served this to (ok maybe they’re just being polite!) but it is definitely one of our favorites.

CROCK POT BEEF RENDANG

Serves 8 - 10

5 pounds beef (chuck or other stew meat), cut into 1½” cubes

1 cup (4 oz) desiccated coconut

3 tbsp meat curry powder

1 cinnamon stick

2 star anise

2 big onions

4 stalks lemongrass

2 tbsp galangal powder

3 tbsp chili powder

1 tbsp turmeric

3 – 4 pieces assam keping (or soak 2 tbsp tamarind pulp in ½ cup warm water, strain)

5 – 6 kaffir lime leaves, torn

3 tbsp sugar

1 tbsp salt

1 13.5 oz can (2 cups) coconut milk

1 cup water

1 cup oil

• Dry fry the desiccated coconut in a wok, stirring continuously until dark golden brown. Cool then finely grind in a spice/coffee grinder. Set aside
• Finely grind the onions and lemongrass in blender with 1 cup water. Stir in the galangal powder, chili powder and turmeric. Set aside
• Heat oil, fry the cinnamon stick and star anise for a few minutes. Add the meat curry powder, fry for another minute until fragrant, stirring continuously.
• Add ground onion mixture. Cook for about 30 minutes until fragrant and oil surfaces to the top.
• Transfer to a crock pot, add beef, coconut milk, assam keping or tamarind juice, kaffir lime leaves, fried desiccated coconut, sugar and salt and mix well. Turn on crock pot to high heat and cook covered for 2 hours. Then take lid off and cook for another 2 hours, stirring occasionally until most of the liquid has gone and the meat is tender.
• Rendang tastes better the next day. Freezes well for up to 6 months

Black Pepper Beef Pot Roast

I had a nice piece of beef top round and was trying to figure out what to cook with it. Finally I remembered a very popular dish in Malaysia: beef - or actually any kind of meat with black pepper sauce. There are small stalls and big restaurants that serve beef, lamb or chicken with a black pepper sauce. In fact black pepper sauce is also featured in noodle dishes such as Japanese udon noodles with bell peppers and seafood.

I decided to make it easy on myself by just cooking the whole piece of beef as a pot roast in the oven rather than making the sauce separately and pouring it on steaks. It turned out beautifully tender and very flavorful. For just the black pepper sauce recipe, leave out the beef, carrots and mushrooms and you will be able to get about 2 cups of sauce.

Grilled New York strip steak with the black pepper sauce

BLACK PEPPER BEEF POT ROAST
Serves 4

2 pounds beef top round
2 tbsp olive oil
1 big onion, finely chopped
6 pips garlic, finely chopped
1 tbsp tomato puree
2 cups water
1 beef stock cube
4 – 5 dashes of worcestershire sauce
½ tbsp sugar
3/4 tbsp black pepper, ground
1 tsp white pepper
1 tsp plain flour mixed with 2 tbsp water (optional)
2 carrots, peeled and cut into chunks
2 cups mushrooms, sliced and sauteed in 1 tbsp butter

• Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.
• Season the piece of beef with salt and black pepper. Heat oil in a heavy based pot on a medium heat, add meat and brown all over. Set aside.
• To the pot, add chopped onion and cook until caramelized. This will take about 15 - 20 minutes and will make a big difference to the taste of the dish. Add in chopped garlic and sauté for a few minutes. Add in water, stock cube and tomato puree, bring to a boil, lower heat and cook until onions and garlic are soft (about 45 minutes).
• Add in Worcestershire sauce, sugar, white and black pepper then the beef. Cover and place in the middle of the oven. Cook for about 1 1/2 hours until tender.
• Carefully remove, set aside to cool 10 minutes then use a very sharp knife to slice into 1/4" - 1/2" slices, place in the sauce, scatter carrots and mushrooms around the meat, cover and cook in the oven for about 30 minutes more until carrots are tender.
• Make a flour slurry with 1 tsp flour mixed with 2 tbsp water and mix into the sauce to thicken it if desired.