Beef Heart Rendang “Gili Trawangan”

Ingredients for 4 servings:

• 3 medium-sized garlic cloves
• 2 tbsp oyster sauce (saus tiram)
• 2 tbsp Soy sauce, light, salty
• 3 tbsp rice wine (Arak masak)
• 500 g beef heart, fresh
• 500 ml frying oil, approx.
• 2 m.-large tomato(s), fully ripe
• 6 macadamia nuts (kacang kemiri)
• 6 small onions, red
• 6 garlic cloves
• 2 small chili peppers, green
• 20 g lemongrass, fresh or frozen
• 1 tbsp coriander seeds
• 5 cardamom pods
• 1 tsp cumin powder
• 10 g galangal, fresh or frozen
• 10 g turmeric root, fresh
• 10 g ginger, fresh or frozen
• 600 g coconut milk, creamy
• 3 tbsp Soy sauce, light, salty
• 2 tbsp tamarind syrup
• 1 tbsp coconut palm sugar
• 2 lemons, juice only
• 4 salami leaves, fresh or frozen
• 4 kaffir lime leaves, fresh or frozen
• 1 pandan leaf, fresh or frozen
• 1 turmeric leaf approx. 5 x 10 cm, fresh or frozen
• 1 cinnamon stick(s)
• 1 star anise
• 6 carnations
• 5 cardamom pods, only the seeds
• 3 tbsp rice wine (Arak masak)
• 6 g beef broth, instant
• Palm sugar and robber sambal bajak Andin
• flowers and leaves
• 4 tbsp coconut milk, creamy
• 4 tbsp Greek yogurt
• some jackfruit and pineapple pieces

Instructions

Working time approx. 45 minutes; Rest period approx. 1 day; Cooking/baking time approx. 5 hours; Total time approx. 1 day 5 hours 45 minutes

A hearty ragout with oriental flair

The recipe for the robber sambal “Sambal bajak Andin” can be found here: http://www.chefkoch.de/rezepte/3280481487273101/Raeuber-Sambal-Sambal-bajak-Andin-aus-Jakarta.html When working with the chilies and turmeric roots, as they stain your fingers an irreversible yellow, it’s recommended to use kitchen gloves. Wash them thoroughly with soap and sprinkle some powder inside. This will help the next time you put them on. Cut the beef heart into approximately 5 cm cubes. Press the garlic cloves into a 1.5 liter bowl. Add the remaining ingredients for the marinade and mix thoroughly. Marinate the meat pieces overnight in the refrigerator. Remove from the refrigerator before frying, drain off any excess marinade, and bring the beef heart pieces to room temperature. Halve the tomatoes, then remove the green stems. Split the tomato halves twice more lengthwise and then cut crosswise into 8 mm pieces. Quarter the macadamia nuts. Peel and quarter the onions and garlic. Remove the stems from the green chili and also cut into 8 mm pieces. Remove the brown leaves and the tough root core from the lemongrass. Cut the lemongrass into very fine wheels, always removing any leaves that are too green. Use only the white and light green parts. Peel the ginger, turmeric root, and galangal and cut into small cubes. Open the cardamom pods and use only the black seeds. Grind with the coriander seeds and cumin. Squeeze the two lemons and use only the juice. Mix together two tablespoons of tamarind syrup, three tablespoons of light soy sauce, and three tablespoons of rice wine (arak masak). Heat a medium-sized pan. Add six tablespoons of coconut oil, swirl the pan, and when the oil is hot enough, until bubbles form at the bottom of the pan, add the chopped ingredients in batches. First, toast the macadamia nuts, then add the galangal, then fry the onions and garlic until they begin to brown. Now add the coriander, cumin, and cardamom powder and fry for two minutes. Finally, add the chopped tomatoes and simmer for another three minutes with the lid closed. Deglaze with the coconut milk and simmer covered for five minutes. Remove from the heat and let cool slightly, then add to the blender. Set the blender to the lowest speed and blend for 60 seconds. Add the beef broth, rice wine, palm sugar, and the lime juice mixture and blend for one minute on the highest speed. Pierce the pandan leaf with a fork and tie it into a knot. Dry the beef heart pieces thoroughly. Heat the frying oil to 220 degrees Celsius (425 degrees Fahrenheit) until it starts to smoke. Brown the beef heart pieces in batches for 30 seconds, but do not over-fry! Place the browned pieces in a three-liter pot. Add the salam leaves, kaffir lime leaves, pandan leaf, and the piece of turmeric leaf, along with the cinnamon stick, cloves, and star anise. Pour over the coconut milk mixture from the blender. Simmer with the lid on for two and a half hours, stirring frequently to prevent burning. If it thickens too much, thin with coconut milk. The dish should no longer be runny, but rather creamy, so remove the lid in good time. Finally, remove the cinnamon sticks and star anise. Season with coconut palm sugar and sambal (see my recipes). Garnish with flower petals and coconut milk mixed with yogurt and pieces of jackfruit and pineapple, and serve warm. Serve with rice, broccoli, or green beans with carrot strips. Note: The green chilies are much more flavorful than the red ones and considerably less spicy. They lose their heat with the coconut and the long simmering, so you may need to add more sambal.