Slow-cooked chuck tender in coconut milk, lemongrass, galangal and toasted kerisik until every drop of moisture has caramelised into a dark, sticky spice paste. Halal-certified beef, patient technique. Serve with coconut rice and pickled cucumber.
Cook it right
- 01
Blend the paste
Blitz all spice-paste ingredients to a smooth paste, adding a splash of water if needed.
- 02
Fry the paste
Heat a heavy-based pot over medium. Add the paste and fry for 8 – 10 minutes, stirring constantly, until deeply fragrant and the oil separates.
- 03
Combine
Add beef and stir to coat. Pour in coconut milk, and add kaffir lime leaves, lemongrass, cinnamon and star anise. Bring to a gentle simmer.
- 04
Slow-reduce
Simmer uncovered, stirring often, for 2 – 2½ hours. The liquid will slowly darken from cream to caramel to deep mahogany.
- 05
Finish with kerisik
When the sauce is very thick, stir in kerisik (ground toasted coconut), gula melaka and tamarind. Cook for 15 more minutes, stirring, until the beef is dark, glossy and the paste hugs each piece.
- 06
Rest
Rest for 30 minutes. Rendang tastes even better the next day.
- Chuck tender holds shape better than chuck steak — it stays as beautiful chunks rather than shredding.
- Rendang is a "dry" curry — resist adding more coconut milk if it looks stiff. That density is the point.
Order the exact cut this recipe was built around — Halal-certified, cold-chain delivered.
Shop the range