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Indonesian beef simmered in coconut milk and spice paste until the liquid disappears and the meat fries in its own oil. Dark, dry and deeply aromatic.
Heat the 40 ml oil in a wide heavy pot and fry the 5 tablespoons rendang paste with the bruised lemongrass, the sliced galangal, the cinnamon and the star anise for 4 to 5 minutes until it darkens and smells fragrant.
Cut the 1 kg beef chuck into 4 cm cubes and stir them through the paste over medium heat for 5 minutes until every piece is coated.
Pour in the 800 ml coconut milk with the lime leaves, the tamarind, the palm sugar and the salt. Bring to a gentle bubble and simmer uncovered on low for 90 minutes, stirring every 15 minutes.
Keep cooking uncovered for another 60 to 75 minutes as the sauce thickens from soupy to a thick paste. Stir more often now, because this is where it catches and burns.
When the coconut oil separates out and pools around the meat, keep stirring for a final 10 to 15 minutes until the beef is dark brown, glossy and almost dry, and pulls apart with a spoon.
Let it sit off the heat for 15 minutes before serving with rice. It tastes even better reheated the next day.
