Rendang

Taste and texture

Rendang slowly cooks meat with coconut milk and spices while reducing the liquid. Versions are made in Indonesia, Malaysia and elsewhere, with a particularly distinctive form in which almost no liquid remains and a concentrated paste clings to the meat. Cooking begins with liquid and gradually changes its consistency, rather than simply stir-frying meat in a dry seasoning.

Beef is cooked in chunks rather than thin slices. Cuts vary: Rasa Malaysia uses boneless short rib or stewing beef, while chef Richard Turner uses chuck. Tenderising the meat while retaining its grain and reducing the surrounding liquid are both part of the process.

A ground paste of shallots, garlic, ginger, galangal, lemongrass and chillies forms the seasoning base. Finely ground aromatics leave small particles that coat the meat. Root aromatics and lemongrass give the dish a broader fragrance than a braise seasoned only with chilli powder.

Coconut milk initially provides the cooking liquid, then becomes part of the concentrated coating. As water evaporates and oil separates, simmering gradually gives way to frying. Coconut and spices form a darker coating; careful handling at this stage keeps the paste from scorching and the meat from breaking up excessively.

Some recipes add toasted coconut. Kerisik is grated coconut toasted for colour and aroma, then pounded. Rasa Malaysia combines it with coconut milk, finely sliced lime leaves and tamarind, layering the mellow coconut liquid with the deeper flavour of toasted coconut.

Individual cooks also change the mixture. Turner browns the beef first, then reduces it with coconut water, stock and toasted coconut instead of coconut milk. This is one adapted recipe. Chicken and lamb versions also exist, so the meat named on the menu is useful information.

The concentrated seasoning coats the outside, while the long-cooked meat separates softly along its grain. Its texture combines a slightly coarse coating with moist meat. A dry finish does not mean a crisp, deep-fried interior: the reduced paste is intense, but the meat remains tender.

Chilli heat is followed by coconut richness and aromatic herbs. Mixtures containing cinnamon, cloves, star anise or cardamom add warm, sweet-smelling notes distinct from actual sugar. Tamarind or lime brings a brighter acidic finish in recipes that use it.

A strongly reduced version concentrates flavour in each piece; one with more sauce distributes it readily through rice. Kalio, which retains coconut sauce, is a related dish worth recognising alongside dry rendang. Flowing sauce and a coarse paste clinging to the meat have different consistencies in the mouth.

Kerisik contributes toasted coconut particles and a nutty flavour. Unlike a smooth coconut broth, the paste brings small pieces of coconut and spices into each bite with rice. A dark brown colour reflects prolonged cooking and the mixture of ingredients, rather than chilli quantity alone.

Rendang accompanies plain rice as well as ketupat, compressed rice cakes, and lemang, glutinous rice cooked in bamboo. Mild rice foods carry the concentrated seasoning. Dividing a piece of meat along its grain and eating it with rice spreads the paste more evenly through a mouthful.

How to order it in Korea

1. Look for “rendang” on the menu and check whether it's made with beef or another meat.
2. Ask whether it's the dry style or the wetter one with coconut sauce left to spoon over rice.