Toast the coconut in a pan over medium heat without fat, stirring constantly, until dark brown.
100 g grated coconut
Grind the toasted coconut with a mortar and pestle or in a blender until you get an oily paste. If needed, add a little coconut oil
For the paste
Grind the dried chili peppers and spices in a blender until very fine.
10 g chili peppers, 8 cloves, 5 cloves green cardamom, 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon, 1 star anise
Add the galangal, ginger, lemongrass, shallots, and garlic.
6 cloves garlic, 4 shallots, 5 cm of galangal, 5 cm of ginger, 1 stalk lemongrass
Blend until smooth, adding a tiny bit of water if necessary.
For the curry
Bring the coconut milk to a boil in a large pot
500 ml coconut milk
Add the Rendang paste and cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until the paste thickens and the coconut oil begins to separate from the paste.
Add the beef and mix with the paste.
700 g beef
Add the remaining coconut milk and scrape any bits of curry paste stuck to the bottom of the pot.
Incorporate the kerisik, tamarind concentrate, and salt.
2 tablespoons tamarind concentrate, 1 teaspoon salt
Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low and simmer covered for 2 to 3 hours, stirring occasionally, until the beef is tender and the sauce has thickened.
Add the kaffir lime leaves and simmer for another 10 minutes.
6 leaves kaffir
Taste and adjust seasoning with salt, pepper, and fish sauce if necessary.
Fish sauce
Serve with white rice or sticky rice.
Notes
The next day and the day after, the flavors of this Indonesian beef curry develop and intensify. Reheated in a pot over medium heat, it's simply divine.