LAMB RENDANG

LAMB RENDANG image

Categories Lamb

Yield 8

Number Of Ingredients 23

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Ingredients

For the lamb:
3-1/2 lb boneless leg of lamb
1 cup shredded coconut
1 heaping tablespoon tamarind paste (or substitute juice and zest from one lime)
1 tablespoon salt
1 tablespoon brown sugar
For the spice paste
8-10 dried arbol chiles
1/2 tsp trassie oedang (Indonesian shrimp paste)
1 tablespoon coriander seed
1 teaspoon peppercorns
1 tablespoon ground turmeric
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon dried galangal
1 large onion, roughly chopped
2″ chunk of ginger, peeled and roughly chopped
3 cloves of garlic, peeled
2 tablespoons coconut oil
2 tablespoons finely grated lemongrass or lemongrass paste
2-3 kaffir lime leaves or 1/2 tsp kaffir lime powder
2 star anise pods
1-13 ounce can unsweetened coconut milk plus 1/2 cup water, or 2 cups water plus 1/3 cup coconut milk powder
1 tablespoon ketjap medja (or dark soy sauce plus 1 tsp brown sugar)

Steps:

In a medium skillet over medium heat, toast coconut, stirring often, until light brown. Cool a bit, transfer to food processor, and grind about 30 seconds. Measure out two tablespoons of the ground coconut and set aside. Mix the remaining ground coconut, tamarind paste (or lime juice and zest), salt and sugar in a large bowl. Cut lamb into 2-inch cubes and add to bowl. Toss with your hands to coat evenly, and set aside while you work through the next steps. Make the spice paste: Place dried chiles in a small bowl, and cover with boiling water. If the trassie is hard, do the same with it. Set aside to soak as you assemble the rest of the spice paste. In a small skillet over medium-high heat, toast coriander and peppercorns until fragrant, about 2-3 minutes. Transfer to food processor and grind until fine. Add turmeric, cinnamon, galangal, onion, ginger, garlic, reserved coconut, trassie, softened, de-stemmed chiles, and a few tablespoons of their soaking liquid. Pulse until smooth, adding more liquid as needed and scraping down the sides of the bowl occasionally. In a large Dutch oven over medium heat, warm the coconut oil. Add spice paste and cook until liquid evaporates and spice paste begins to darken in color, about 8 minutes. Add marinated lamb, then lemongrass, kaffir lime leaves and star anise, and cook until no pink remains on the outside of the lamb. Add coconut milk, water and soy sauce. Simmer, uncovered, 3 to 3-1/2 hours, or until almost all liquid has evaporated. Watch your rendang very carefully during the last half hour of cooking, when the cooking liquid has almost all cooked away. Stir gently (avoid breaking meat apart) to prevent burning, and allow lamb to fry in the coconut oil that remains in the bottom of the pot for a few minutes before serving (over coconut rice, preferably with seroendeng). Remember to remove star anise before serving.