{Paleo} Beef Rendang

The moment I saw this recipe in this months Saveur Magazine, I knew I would be making it. Not only it is Whole30 compliant but includes some of my favorite aromatics and spices.

A couple of these ingredients can be hard to find so do your best. If you can’t find fresh turmeric, use ground. If you can’t find galangal, use double the amount of regular ginger. Do yourself a favor and buy the macadamia nuts from the bulk section. I think 5 cost me less than $0.60 whereas a container is around $15 or $20.

Now, the ONLY bad thing about this Paleo Beef Rendang is that it is not exactly a weeknight dinner. I categorized this as a Sunday Supper because it indeed takes a number of hours to cook.

The good news is that the prep time is pretty minimal and the food processor does the lion’s share of the work. The other good news is that this smells heavenly while it cooks and you might have to take a little taste *almost* every time you stir it, you know, just for good measure to make sure it’s not burning or anything.

NOTES:

• James Oseland calls for boneless beef chuck which is the type of meat hamburger is made from and usually 20% fat. I chose to use a slightly leaner cut of beef. It was classified as “Stew Meat” and I got it at Whole Foods. You do not want to use a very lean beef or it will be very dry and tough after cooking for over 3 hours. If you are not sure what to buy, ask the butcher and tell them you are going to be cooking the beef for a over 3 hours.
• Traditionally, this dish is cooked even longer until the sauce is almost gone, just sticking to the meat and the meat begins to caramelize in it’s fat and what is left of the coconut milk. While that does make for a much more beautiful presentation and color on the meat, my family really prefers this dish with a rich sauce over the beef and cauliflower rice.
• Another interesting Beef Stew recipe is this Peruvian Beef Stew from my friend Amanda at Eat At Our Table

Adapted From: Beef Rendang by James Oseland, Saveur Magazine May 2013

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{Paleo} Beef Rendang

Prep Time: 10 mins

Cook Time: 3 hrs 30 mins

Total Time: 3 hrs 40 mins

 

Paleo Beef Rendang Recipe

Course: Mains

Cuisine: Asian, Malaysian

Keyword: Paleo Beef Rendang

Servings: 4 servings

Calories: 633 kcal

Author: Alyssa Brantley

4.84 from 6 votes

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Ingredients

For The Paste

• 5 whole cloves
• 1 whole nutmeg smashed with the back of a knife
• 4 thai green chiles ends trimmed
• 5 macadamia nuts
• 3 large cloves garlic peeled
• 6 shallots peeled and chopped into chunks
• 2 inch piece fresh ginger root peeled and cut into chunks
• 2 inch piece fresh galangal peeled and cut into chunks
• 1 inch piece fresh turmeric peeled OR 1 1/2 teaspoons ground turmeric
• 1 tablespoon organic coconut oil

Remaining Ingredients:

• 2 pounds boneless beef stew meat, cut into 2" cubes
• 2 teaspoons kosher salt
• 2 whole sticks cinnamon
• 7 kaffir lime leaves plus more for garnish
• 3 long stalks lemongrass pounded and tied in knots
• 13.5 ounce can full fat organic coconut milk 1 3/4 cups
• 3/4 cup stock or water

Instructions

To Prepare:

1. Begin by smashing the nutmeg with the back of your knife.

   

2. Wash chiles and trim the ends off.

   

3. Toss crushed nutmeg and chiles into the bowl of a food processor along with the whole cloves, macadamia nuts, peeled garlic, shallots, ginger, galangal, turmeric and coconut oil.

   

4. Process until mixture forms a paste. You will have to stop the processor and scrap down the sides a couple of times.

   

5. Grab lemongrass, wash and trim ends. Use the back of your knife to pound the stalks so that they are pliable. Knot each one and set aside.

   

6. Place beef in a dutch oven (or other heavy-bottomed pot) and combine with spice paste (I used my hands).

   

7. Sprinkle with kosher salt, toss in cinnamon, kaffir lime and knotted lemongrass.

   

8. Finally, pour in coconut milk and stock.

   

To Cook:

1. Place pot on burner and bring mixture to a boil. Once boiling, lower heat to medium low and cook three hours, stirring frequently (every 15 to 20 minutes) so that coconut milk doesn't burn.

2. After three hours, remove cinnamon, lemongrass and kaffir lime leaves and continue cooking an additional 20 to 30 minutes until sauce is thick and sticks to the back of a spoon. [img src="http://www.everydaymaven.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/IMG_9175.jpg" width="550"]

   
3. Remove from heat, serve hot over cauliflower rice and top with thinly sliced kaffir lime leaves.

Nutrition Facts

{Paleo} Beef Rendang

Amount Per Serving

Calories 633 Calories from Fat 324

% Daily Value*

Fat 36g55%

Saturated Fat 25g156%

Cholesterol 140mg47%

Sodium 1485mg65%

Potassium 1224mg35%

Carbohydrates 22g7%

Fiber 2g8%

Sugar 3g3%

Protein 53g106%

Vitamin A 130IU3%

Vitamin C 12.2mg15%

Calcium 103mg10%

Iron 9.5mg53%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

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