Check out the recipe: www.allrecipes.com/Recipe/270313/Chef-Johns-Beef-Rendang/

I'm Indonesian and I'm very happy that Chef John made this rendang video! That rendang looks as good as any rendang you'd find in any Padang food restaurant here! Thank you, Chef John!

Here's something I learned from my Indonesian flatmate. Store your lemongrass in the freezer/buy it frozen. Take it out to thaw 15 minutes before you need it. When you're ready to use it, just tie it in a knot and toss it in the pan. The freezing and thawing will have broken many cellwalls so the aroma of the lemongrass will be free to infuse into your dish and also it will be floppy enough to tie in a knot, so that when you are done cooking, you can simply fish out the entire thing. Also, my flatmate's mom makes this in a pressure cooker. It cuts down cooking time in half and preserves more aroma. Lastly, kudos to Chef John for making something Indonesian after so many people requested it!

Im Indonesian and whoever your sources are, this is the closest to Indonesian authentic Rendang recipe! Indonesians spices cant be hard to find outside US but using paprika instead of fire chili or fresh cayenne was a great Idea. Im sure Indonesian or Malaysian living in western countries would love to try this recipe..

I have made this multiple times now, and absolutely one of my favorite beef recipes. *Note: The House smelled AMAZING while this was cooking! Okay, another note: The house currently smells heavenly!!! Reread my comment and had to make it again.

Whenever I show your videos to my grandmother, she always says, "This guy doesn't make nonsense, let's watch". We followed quite a few of your recipes and never failed while we definitely had some problems with some other people's recipe. Your recipes are very easy to follow and we appreciate that a lot!

“This is beef rendang, not beef ren-diet” words to live by 🙌

When I worked in maritime shipping we would always have an indonesian chef on board. Each of them had their own specific way of making rendang. It was marvellous how they managed to transform poor quality beef ("for maritime and prison use only") in a delicious dish. And no matter how different each cook would make his rendang, it would always taste great.

Thanks for making this recipe, as Indonesian I am happy and proud of my culinary heritage! It tastes even better if you add dried coconut. The dried coconut will absorb the gravy.

I'm from the very region that Beef Rendang is from. And what can I say, you really did a thorough research, Chef!

Adding more Indonesian spices will make it more fragrant (Daun salam or Indonesian bay leaves, turmeric leaves, candle nut, star anise, cinnamon stick, cumin, corriander seed, cardamom, nutmeg, cloves, and palm sugar), i'm Indonesian, thank you for showing this famous Indonesian recipe, you are the best chef.

I’m Indonesian and I approve this recipe! The closest if not, almost too perfect to the authentic version! Thank you Chef John for introducing Indonesian cuisine to your subscribers all over the world. Beef Rendang is one of the world’s most delicious food by CNN!

@food wishes, I gotta tell you: not only, as an italian man, your recipes are spot on, but yours is maybe the most entertaining and relaxing voice on youtube.

My mother was indo and she and my cousin had a restaurant here in the Netherlands where they served Rendang too, we always kept it with more sauce to eat with the rice which is delicious too. As long as it's richly flavored. Indo food is extremely popular here but not often done well, you just can't get away with a few teaspoons of dried herbs, you have to really go for it with fresh ginger and garlic as much as you can, I just can't eat very spicy food so I'd add less chilly, but it would still be good. You have to imagine in a hot country without refrigeration and with less quantity of meat on the menu the idea is always that it gets eaten with a lot of rice, most dishes are really richly flavored so a little goes a long way. It took me quite some time as a kid to start to enjoy certain indo dishes because of it. Babi Ketchap was my favorite early on, sweet savory made from fatty pork, mmm. Also Indo people talk about food while eating food, it's always an enthusiastic conversation. But unlike for example the Italians and the French we don't take recipes that seriously, if you say you really like it a certain way, you might get some joking but no offense taken. It gets cooked with feeling, not counting teaspoons.

Hi chef John! Thank you for featuring this Indonesian dish! I am Indonesian so I am so glad to see this! Fun fact: You can serve this wet like typical curry but then it is called a 'Kalio'. it is only called a Rendang when it is all dried up. And we also throw a whole, mildly crushed galangal root along with the lemongrass! Since the sauce is so thick sometimes we pick the biggest piece thinking it's meat only to find out it's a hard, cold galangal root after we bite! biggest disappointment of many Indonesian children's lives!

Once upon a time I got this as a request for a party I was catering... So I went the authentic route and called on an Indonesian recipe. It was SOOOO much more complicated than this. It turned out great, but man... I wish I would have had THIS recipe!! Thanks... this looks amazing!

"Lemongrass, which, if you can find it, looks like this." I'm surprised Chef John didn't say afterwards, "Actually, it still looks like this, even if you can't find it."

If you slit lemongrass leaving about a half-inch still attached at one end, you get all the surface exposure of slit lemongrass with all the convenience of a single piece you can fish out with tongs, rather than chasing all the separated leaves all over the pan.

made this for a dinner party with family friends this evening. I tried this recipe a few months ago for the family and this time tried it with short ribs. It was amazing and my friends and family said it was one of the most amazing meals they had ever had. I've watched all your videos and made many of your recipes but this is by far the best! I've also used the basics of this technique to make different curries including Tikka Masala and Lamb Vindaloo. The puree of garlic, ginger and chilies, plus the right spices, makes this an easy way to make fantastic delicious meals for large groups. Thanks Chef John!

Omg! I remember eating this YEARS ago and forgot the name. I’m so glad to find this recipe again 😭

just started making it for the first time today. Everything is blipping away in the pan. It smells so amazing!

Love how you introduce your viewers to different cultural dishes!

Bill Murray was eating his curry When his cellphone suddenly rang. “I heard that your curry was dry Mr. Murray, by chance are you having rendang?” He paused for a moment and thought to himself... is this rendang that I’m eating? Scratching his head he finally said- Who is this?

I cooked this tonight. Wow, total winner for all the family. I always read through the comments to get an idea of what other people thought and their general opinions and some people complain about the lack of sauce, so I added some more coconut milk at the start and then half way through removed the same quantity of liquid, then continued as instructed. Having a little sauce on the rice was great. The only other thing I changed was I couldn't find galangal so I doubled the ginger and added some Vietnamese coriander which is citrusy. Thanks chef John. Keep um coming.

The first time I had this curry, I thought I am in heaven. Absolutely delicious. Don’t be put off by the look. I will make this dish this week thank you Chef John

i had the pleasure having an Indonesian friend who is also very good at cooking. He made this several times and it is the best curry I have ever had

I should try that.. it looks Amazing

Love the way you talk through the recipe a calm clear unhurried way Thank you 🇬🇧

My first time having this was at a food truck and I fell in love! Now I cannot wait until this weekend to cook this! Thank you... it looks delicious!

I'm an Indonesian! And thank you for making Rendang here. One of the most delicious food in the world! ❤😘

I've travelled to Indonesia 6 times. This is awesome!!! Thank you! Padang food is wonderful as well.

My Oma (may her memory be a blessing) was from Bali. She used to simmer this and foods it for hours and hours on a little counter-top kerosene single wick burner. Bless you Chef John for reminding me of my Grandmother who fed me so well. I will make this and think of her.

Chef John, I highly recommend toasting desiccated coconut in a dry pan, grinding in a mortar and pestle and adding an hour before finish.

I’ve made this twice and we love it. The smell takes a couple days to clear the house but it’s worth it. I enjoyed using skirt steak more than a roast.

This is the best food i ever ate! Cant wait to visit there again!

I have made this sooooo many times. Incredible!

Haven't had this for 30 years since I worked in Brunei so gave it a go. I live in Thailand and the market across the road had all the ingredients I needed and I followed the recipe to the letter. I can tell you folks it is a wonderful dish. Arroy Mak (Very delicious) as they say around here. Knowing it would be a little dry I removed some of the sauce as it thickened near the end. Thinned with a little milk it had wonderful flavour that goes great with rice and takes the edge of the dryness off the meat. Thanks for this great upload.

This is probably the best video I’ve seen so far in cooking rendang. It’s still not perfect, but for what can be purchased widely throughout the US, this is about as close as you’ll get. That said, a lot of places in Indonesia will cook the beef to this level of dryness - where the sauce is literally caked onto the beef itself. But there is usually a very thick slurry in an adjacent bowl that will be used to ladle on a spoonful on top of the beef and rice once it’s been plated.** It may also be worth noting that rendang, when ordered in a Padang restaurant (rumah makan Padang or nasi Padang), is very often served with sambal ijo (green chili sauce). I’m not exactly sure what chilies are needed for this, but it is worth looking into if your goal is to be super authentic about it. ** Depending on what kind of Padang restaurant you go to, there will be a large display of all the food at the front of the restaurant where you walk in. You can often see the goods through the glass before you walk in. It’s usually curtained off on the inside to keep flies away, but you walk in and they open the curtains and you tell them what you want. They’ll give a serving or two of rice from a big rice cooker and start ladling stuff on top, from fried chicken and various greens, to eggs, squid, fish, and of course rendang. In Padang restaurants - usually more upscale these days - you take a seat in the restaurant and tell someone how many portions of rice you’d like. From there, one or more of the servers will come back to you with 7 or 8 little dishes each (carried all along the forearms) and somehow lay them down perfectly in front of you. From that point, you eat whatever you want and get charged accordingly. The option to use cutlery is almost always there, as they’re stored at each table in a cup. But the overwhelming majority eat with their hands. You wash your hands upon entering and a small bowl of water and usually lime chunks is used to keep hands clean throughout the meal. And honestly, rendang and other Padang dishes should be eaten with the hands whenever possible - it somehow tastes better. Depending on how long you’ve been in Indonesia, this may be something you do every week or two, as it’s one of the most ubiquitous foods in the whole archipelago. The Minangkabau people are the originators and curators of Nasi Padang cuisine. Their homeland is the highlands of West Sumatra (intensely beautiful area of lakes, jungles, and volcanoes). The food is named after the province’s coastal capital, but the original capital of the Minangkabau people would probably be considered Payakumbuh or Bukittinggi up in the highlands. The point is, and chef John did a fantastic job of not botching this up, rendang is from Sumatra. Indonesia. Not Malaysia. It was eventually brought to Malaysia by a group of Minangkabau who populated the state of Negeri Sembilan, but it did not originate there. It’s important to note, as Malaysians put their own spins on the dish. They’re alright, in my opinion, but if you want the authentic, best bet is to be in Indonesia. It’s also probably worth noting that rendang is among at least several cultural heritages and icons of Indonesia that has been appropriated by Malaysia and incorrectly labeled as Malaysian, while giving Indonesia zero credit. It’s been seen as quite insulting by many Indonesians (partially because of a prevailing attitude of superiority in Malaysia), so take heed if ever in the region. And selamat makan!

You are the KANG of your Beef Randang!!!! 👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾

I've made this recipe twice now, and it is seriously excellent! Thanks, Chef Dad!

I first made this dish 2 years ago when it was first posted and I had just got my pressure cooker... I have made it countless times and it always turns out perfect. My husband loves it and it makes awesome leftovers. Great for tough cuts of meat too. I'm returning to watch again to refresh my memory.... Great video, thank you so much!!!

My brother lived in Indonesia for a couple years and this was his favorite food there!

Ironically when you made the ren-done joke, that's more of the correct way to pronounce rendang! 😂

Woo hoo! I am Dutch and Indonesian and I've been watching your videos and cooking your recipes for my family for many years! I'm so happy to see a delicious Indonesian recipe from you!

Chef John you're the best I've been watching you for years

When your favorite chef made a video about a dish of your region... thank you!

Time Magazine did a top foods list years ago, and this was #1. I'm so happy you made this, I might just grab all the ingredients next weekend and make some. Very excited.

I'm a Minangkabau & thanks to Chef John everytime I eat rendang I always think of Vera Wang.

One of my absolute favourite dishes.

Beige trousers while cooking curry? You're a brave man, John.

The comments here are, for the most part, refreshingly devoid of the typical arguments about what nation or ethnic group “owns” the dish, in this case beef rendang. I think Chef John brings out the best in us.

I made this yesterday, and it was delicious! I added makrut lime leaves, because I had them. Considered adding cloves, cinammon, star anise, and toasted coconut flakes since they're in many recipes, but held off--I will next time for comparison. I made mine in a low oven on convection (250-300F degrees --I kept changing the temp.) Initially, I omitted the water, but did have to add it. I love cooking foods that are traditionally stovetop in the oven because they take less babysitting. For me, the timing was perfect, and about the time it had dried out (after adding water halfway through), the beef was tender. The dish was a success, and I loved the dry curry flavor and texture. Thanks so much for the recipe!

Finally, an authentic rendang recipe, cooked all the way until dry. thank you for sharing our culture.

As an indonesian, i can guarantee your recipe is authentic and it will taste good. But indonesian usually use more coconut milk (prefer the fresh one), some kefir lime leaf, and a lot of chili.

rendang was made in nusantara region to feed travellers since it took a long time before it goes stale. so, yeah this food surely took a long time to cook but it's worth it btw chef john, you did a really great job! (sorry for my english)

Thank you my friend for every minute of pleasure, you can not imagine how much relaxation your voice and your humor donates.

Made it, and it is amazing. My Indonesian wife said it is better that the special Rendang they get in Medan (Indonesia). We used bottom blade roast, cooked it for 4 hours, and it eventually turned out just like the images in the video. Taste is out of this world.

Hey chef John, tried this recipe and found it amazing. In taste I found it very similar to dish called beef fry in my hometown of Kerala, India. Each family has their own recipe and in mine, they use a 2 step process. The first step is basically how your Rendang recipe ended, maybe slightly less (dry-ish); its allowed to cool and it goes in the firdge. Step 2 is when you want to actually prepare the dish. Heat oil in a pan, fry sliced onions, curry leaves, add beef to the pan and fry it all until it really dries out. Give that variation a go the next time you make this (skip the curry leaves if you cant find it - I did and it turned out awesome)

Hey chef John! I'm a garmache at a cool restaurant that let's me play around called Flux in Lisbon, Maine. I used your recipe as part of a salad special this weekend and it came out amazing. I did a small bed of greens topped with a chilled brown rice salad with charred onions, radishes and carrots quick pickled with rice wine vinegar. Then I made a vinaigrette from the pickling liquid and lime juice, threw in some cilantro and scallions and topped it with hot rendang. Thanks for inspiring me and making me look good!

im a Malaysian and a huge fan of rendang..., and you did great Chef John. So ever proud of Chef. Well done!!

As you said, one of the most delicious things I've ever tasted, thank you!!

Here in The Netherlands we sometimes serve rendang with a yellow coconut Rice, also lightly parfumerie with lemongrass…. ( Nasi Kuneng) Indonesia once was a Dutch colony so we grew up with this gorgeous food…

Well, it took me until today to gather the ingredients and the courage to try this, and may I say OMG? The flavors actually changed as it reduced-from oh-so-spicy with a sweet coconut-y finish at first; then over the next 3 and a half hours reversed themselves. To my surprise, what ended up on the plate was sweet with a subtle boom of cayenne-y goodness that made our mouths go all atingle. We couldn’t wait, either, so I’ll have to take your word on it being even tastier second day. I will definitely make this again, now that I finally found the dang tamarind paste.

Absolute gold...you are the man

I love seeing ppl (chef) trying to make traditional food from other countries even though sometimes the ingredients are not 100% the same. Respect!

Since you keep a small garden at your house in SanFran, you should feel free to have a nice potted lime bush at your back porch. The weather there is just about as good from growing citrus as down lower in Cali, as it is in Florida or Texas. Keep the longer branches cut short, and it won't outgrow your porch, but bring it in when it gets near freezing. Then you'll have all the lime leaves you could ever want for any number of recipes!

Yoo, as an Indonesian I can say that looks very authentic! Well done! Now I'm gonna use your recipe to make my own Rendang lol I usually just buy that stuff ready made XD

Made this today, was amazing. Made it before with the pre made sache you can get from some shops and it wasn't the same. Thank you Chef John

thank you for spreading the recipe of this famous indonesian food! i hope people all around the world love it just like we do.

I'm Indonesian, thank you chef for cooked and share our national dish..

Im learning how to make authentic pasteis de natas and beef rendang on the same channel 🤩❤️

LOVE YOUR RENDANG! Thanks for making it!

I find Chef John's narration and instructions are always melodious, hilarious and delicious...

Yummmay ❤️❤️🤗

Chef John nailed this dish, despite not having any palm sugar. Note for European chefs: rendang is NOT crispy.

Love this !

I just made this, and it turned really good.

Watching this while waiting for news on my grandmother who suffered a heart attack today... Thanks for your humour and making this time a little more bearable

I'm a chef who has traveled all over Asia, and though i wouldnt rate Indonesian as my favourite Asian Cuisine. I's hard to find a better curry than Rendang! Only thing he forgot is that one should have Kafir lime leaves in the curry. A useful tip is also that if you cant find galangal or lemongrass, or kafir lime, you can just use a Thai red curry paste, and add to that, tumeric, nutmeg, cardamon, cinnamon, and tamarind... If no tamarind just a small squeeze of lime. Enjoy!

Looks authentic

Looks INCREDIBLE! I've got to make this. I'm addicted to Food Wishes!

This might be the best beef dish in the world

My culture represents! I’m a Malaysian and I approved this recipe. Though, the way my grandma would make is to get all the components in the pot in one go (no need to brown the spice mixture first then add beef and coconut milk). That way, you will get a bit of sauce left at the end of 4 hours. Also, she would add ground roasted coconut flakes called kerisik. This is our variance of beef rendang that is a staple during Eid celebration in Malaysia.

I’ve made this a few times. So delicious!

Absolute fantastic!

If you do another take on this, I'd recommend you add toasted grated coconut to the recipe about halfway through the cooking time. You're also right about developing flavours - historically rendang used to be saved for months on end. Just FYI. :)

You are the K.D. Lang of your Beef Rendang.

It’s amazing how chef john gets all the recipes right.

I’ve made this dish off this recipe at least 5 times. Hands down one of the best dishes I’ve ever made!

This looks pretty damn legit! However, my fave thing in a rendang is the addition of Kerisik which is essentially toasted grated coconut bashed in a mortar and pestle until the oils are released and it becomes a paste. It's usually added last along with the kaffir lime leaves before you let everything cook for hours. It gives one more thing for the yummy spices to adhere to, brings extra coconut-ey flavour, and awesome texture! You should try it!

"...You are after all the Vera WANG, of your Beef RendANG". Pure gold

I just made this dish last night. The instructions are spot on! The timeline was right as well. For me It was maybe about 3 1/2 hours. I cooked mine in an 8 qt. enameled cast iron dutch oven. I would recommend low and slow as the cast iron kept the heat very well. I think this recipe may have been toned down a tiny bit for those who can't handle too much spicy. The "dry curry slurry " was soooo good I was tasting it along the way. I may add more chili flakes, serrano and fresno peppers next time I make it. The lemongrass and tamarind were so delicious in it as well. Grab a chair and stay in the kitchen during the last hour. you are gonna be busy stirring! I shop at my local international store and lucky me there is an Asian based one near by so I found all the ingredients just remember some have different names but it is the same like Galangal is known as Thai Ginger. The Lime leaves thinly sliced across the top will transport you to another place. thank you for this recipe!

Truly exceptional

6:31 Watch closely, Chef John can’t resist a little sample niblet of that deliciousness.

Warm regards from Indonesia... Txs:-)

I love curry and this recipe is the most delicious one I have ever eaten. I couldn't believe it came out of my kitchen. Not that I'm a bad cook but this dish tasted as if it were prepared at the best restaurant in town. It's a keeper and a definite crowd pleaser. Absolutely delicious!!!

I've made about 40 of Chef John's recipes, this one is probably the best so far. If I need to knock someone's socks off, this is the one. I was inspired to make it after having a lamb version in a restaurant in LA. I spent about $30 on that but this version is better and we eat it with paratha a few times a year.

I just had Beef Rendang for dinner an hour ago. It was delicious. I'm hiding in a bathroom stall at the movies watching Food Wishes while the husband watches some new release. I'm sick. I need help. Other people are trying to pee... I love Rendang!!!

I always wonder what Chef John does with his leftovers. He must have so many leftovers all the time. I wonder if he gives his leftovers to his neighbors...I wish I was his neighbor.

Fantastic recipe! Definitely keeping this one!