Beef Shin Rendang

Enjoy this aromatic, slow-cooked beef curry with friends as it serves 12. No need to worry about waste as the remainder can be frozen and whipped out later.

Ingredients

2kg beef shin, cut into chunks
vegetable oil
2x400g tins coconut milk
4 star anise
2 sticks cinnamon, broken in half

Rendang paste
6-8 large dried red chillies
250g shallots, peeled and broken in half
200g fresh galangal, roughly chopped (use paste or purée if you can’t get this)
200g ginger, peeled and roughly chopped
1 large bulb garlic, (about 12-15 cloves) cloves separated and peeled
10 stalks lemongrass, tough outer leaves discarded, the rest finely chopped

Crispy onions
5 large shallots, cut into 3-4mm rings
100ml milk
5 tbsp plain flour, well seasoned

To serve
jasmine rice, steamed
red chilli, finely sliced
coriander leaves

Method

1. Pour boiling water over the dried chillies, and leave to soak for 5-10 minutes.
2. Remove the seeds, roughly chop, and add to a blender with the remaining paste ingredients and a splash of water. Blend well until smooth.
3. Season the beef shin well with salt and pepper, and heat 1 tbsp oil in a large casserole. Sear the meat until really brown on all sides. Do this in batches if you need to, and transfer to a bowl while you cook the rest.
4. Add another tbsp oil to the pan and fry the rendang paste on a low heat, until fragrant, about 5 minutes. Add the coconut milk, star anise and cinnamon and bring to a simmer. Scrape any bits that are stuck to the bottom of the pan. Add the beef shin back to the pan and top up with water to cover the meat. Add the lid, simmer for 2½-3 hours or until the meat is really tender.
5. Meanwhile, to make the crispy onions, separate the shallot rings into individual circles. Soak in the milk for 10 minutes, then drain, and toss in the seasoned flour. Heat 2cm oil in a shallow pan or frying pan, until hot but not smoking. Shake off the excess flour, and then lower the onions into the oil with tongs. Fry for 1-2 minutes until golden brown and crisp. Drain on kitchen paper and allow to cool. Serve the rendang in bowls with steamed rice. Scatter over the crispy onions, red chilli and coriander to serve.