Beef Rendang

This classic Indonesian beef stew is slowly cooked in coconut milk and spices until the meat is melt-in-your-mouth tender, caramelized, and super-tasty! Seriously, the best beef curry ever – Beef Rendang.

In countries with tropical climates such as the Philippines and Indonesia, especially in the past when refrigeration was scarce, people had to be creative in finding ways to preserve meat.

In the Philippines, we use vinegar to help keep the meat longer. Adobo is a classic example. Meat is stewed in vinegar with other seasonings to ensure that it can be kept for days.

The wonderful result is that this technique lengthens the life of the dish to several days, and the food tastes even better as it is kept longer.

Beef Rendang, an Indonesian classic dish, is similar to the Filipino Adobo in that it is another cooking technique that conserves meat organically by using spices such as garlic, shallots, ginger, and galangal—all-natural preservatives.

Like Adobo, it tastes even better the next day and, I am sure, the day after that, assuming there are any leftovers. This dish resembles the Philippine’s Adobo sa Gata (meat stewed in coconut milk), as both use Coconut Milk for braising.

However, the Filipino version would be saucy compared to the Rendang, which is essentially dry. All I can say is that this Asian spicy beef dish, sometimes described as the “West Sumatran Caramelized Beef Curry,” is simply delicious.

Because of the many spices added to it, it is known for having such a complex, unique, and truly palate-pleasing taste!

While cooking the beef may take a long time and some attention, it’s not complicated at all. The slow cooking ensures that the beef absorbs many flavors. And it is definitely worth the wait, so I do hope you will all try this amazing dish!

NOTES ON INGREDIENTS FOR BEEF RENDANG

• Garlic cloves
• Onions or Shallots, sliced
• Fresh Galangal, peeled then sliced
• Ground Coriander
• Cumin
• Red chili peppers – 1 long red mild chili pepper and 2-4 red Thai chilies (adjust the amount of spicy chilies to your preferred heat level). You can also use a couple of fresno peppers or chili flakes,
• Oil
• Boneless stewing Beef (like chuck), cut into 2-inch pieces
• Lemon Grass stalks, lower white part, bruised, then smashed
• Fresh Ginger, peeled then sliced
• Coconut Milk
• Kaffir Lime leaves or Bay leaves
• Brown Sugar
• Salt, to taste

*If you can’t find Galangal just double the amount of Ginger and use one for the paste and the other one for sauteing. 

HOW TO MAKE BEEF RENDANG

Season the beef lightly with salt and pepper.

In a food processor, grind the garlic, onions or shallots, galangal, and red Chili peppers to a smooth paste. Stir in the ground coriander and cumin. Set aside.

In a Dutch oven or heavy-bottomed pot, heat the oil to medium-high. Fry the beef until brown on all sides. You may have to do this in batches. Set aside.

In the remaining oil, saute the lemongrass and the sliced ginger until aromatic, about 1 minute. Lower the heat, add the spice paste, and cook until it changes color and begins to bubble at the edges, stirring occasionally. Add the beef back and coat with the paste.

Pour in the coconut milk and add the brown sugar and Kaffir Lime or Bay leaves. Stir everything and let the liquid boil. Cover the pot loosely to allow some steam to escape. Let the stew simmer on low until the beef is tender about 1 1/2 – 2 hours. The intention is to eventually dry up the sauce as the beef is being cooked. Stir occasionally to ensure that the beef doesn’t stick to the pot and the coconut milk doesn’t scorch.

When the meat is tender and most of the liquid has evaporated, uncover. Season with salt or fish sauce to taste, if needed. If it’s a little too intense, pour in a little water or beef broth to dilute it. Stir so the beef doesn’t stick to the pan and burn. You may notice some oil forming and being released at this point, too. You want the mixture to dry up but avoid burning the meat. It’s like stir-frying the beef in its own oil which ensures more flavor. It’s done when the beef has turned into a dark caramel color, and the sauce coats the meat. Alternatively, you can leave some sauce to drizzle over your rice. It doesn’t have to be super dry.

While it’s wonderful eaten the day it’s cooked, the flavor deepens and intensifies when kept overnight. So if you could wait, that would be awesome! I recommend making this a day ahead.

Serve with freshly boiled rice and some steamed green veggies!

Last updated on May 19th, 2026 at 09:20 pm