Imagine a piping hot bowl of Beef Rendang. Its snarls of melted fat, succulent bricks of beef covered with a thick, flavourful gravy, and an aroma that will kick-start your taste buds like coffee on a sleepy Sunday morning. The meat, flecked with a ruddy spice coating, is stewed for hours, and its fall-apart-at-the-touch-of-a-fork tenderness gives way to a puff of steam, revealing layers of deeply marinated goodness.
There is no room for regrets, except when you choose the wrong cut of meat. To make the perfect Beef Rendang, look out for one crucial detail in the meat: the connective tissue.
The connective tissue consists largely of collagen, which can be found in ligaments and tendons, as well as in the muscles. The stronger the muscles, the more collagen there is. That is why the beef shank is considered one of the best parts for stew thanks to its collagen-rich muscle. What has this got to do with Beef Rendang? Plenty! Collagen is tough when raw, but if you cook it long enough, it transforms into soft gelatin, which gives the meat a moist and tender texture, as well as a great richness to the sauce.
Long cooking is needed to soften the collagen, which is why the Thermos® Shuttle Chef® vacuum insulated stainless steel thermal cooker is ideal for such long hours of simmering. The Thermos® Shuttle Chef® can cook for hours without the risk of burning your food or having it boil over. Compared to a pot on a stove, thermal cooking is an easy and hassle-free method of cooking.
Learn how to cook a tantalising dish of Beef Rendang with this Recipe by private chef Marc Matsumoto of No Recipes.
References:
Http://Norecipes.Com/Recipe/Beef-Rendang-Recipe
Http://Www.Seriouseats.Com/2016/01/Best-Cut-Beef-Stew-Braise.Html
Http://Www.Businessinsider.Sg/Beef-Cut-Explainer-2014-5/#.V1j1AWOn3Uo