indonesian meal of the month

this month i bring you (drum roll, please): daging rendang.

what does that mean, you ask? i really don't know. all i know is that "daging" means beef (or i think sometimes it can just refer to "meat" in general). the cooking process is pretty similar to the opor ayam in that you throw everything in (for the most part) and slow cook. it's very yummy, and when i cook it right, it's one of aaron's favorite dishes.

i think the closest recipe i could find that matched mine was here. this meal is not best prepared when you're short on time, which is what i did. the result: beef that's hard to chew!

some ingredient differences to note from the recipe:

• i added chopped potatoes, because i needed to use them up.
• i didn't use ginger because my mom told me not to.
• mine was not spicy, so i omitted the chilly peppers
• i added some green onions because i needed to use them up.
• i didn't add sugar, but will try it next time.
• i added about 1 tsp. of coriander because i love cooking with coriander.

unlike no. 1 in the cooking directions, i didn't use a food processor. i just chopped the onions and garlic and put them in a pot with some hot oil, sauteeing for about 1 minute. you can also bust out your mortar and pestle (if you have one) and ground up your garlic and onion the indonesian way. i have a stone one that i lugged back from jakarta, but like i said, i was pressed for time so ther was no grinding involved.













then i added the turmeric, lemongrass, and coriander to the mix and stir for about 1 minute. just a warning about turmeric: it stains! your fingers, clothes, and anything else it comes into contact with turns yellow.

throw in the beef and sautee for about 5 minutes.













then add the coconut milk and maybe about 1/4 c. of water. turn the heat down to low and simmer for about 1.5-3 hrs. or until meat is nice and tender. my outcome was of course different because i sauteed the beef way too long and simmered it for way too short. you shouldn't have a soupy mixture at the end, like mine. most of the sauce/water should evaporate so that it's thick and just enough to coat the meat. follow the recipe link i gave you and you can't go wrong.













enjoy with some steamed white rice.

prep and cook time: 2-3 hours
servings: 5-6