Beef Rendang

This week I have had some wins, and some losses in the kitchen.

It's funny, I always feel that I should only tell you about the great meals that I make, and nothing about the dismal failures, but after having Madam T over for dinner the other night she persuaded me (she is very good at that!!) that I should tell you when a recipe just doesn't deliver - even when you have followed it to the T!  (no pun intended!!) Unfortunately, the meal I prepared for her was one of those dismal failures (I'm so sorry!)

Since setting out on the "Thermomix Consulting Journey" I have decided that I really need to cook a few more complete Thermomix meals so that I can guide my customers in a more knowledgeable way - and tell them what are great easy meals for them to try with their new mighty helper.

So in that vein this week I made a Beef Rendang (great!!) and a dish with a funny name - Kroppkakor - traditional stuffed Swedish dumplings or so the recipe said (these were not so great!!!).

 Perhaps I should have stopped at the Beef Teriyaki and Soba Noodles recipe - just because it has an enticing name doesn't mean that it will be an enticing meal (although looking around I see that mine possibly were pretty close to what they should have been - perhaps it was just us that didn't care for them?).

For my taste they were a little stodgy.  How would one describe them - kind of like a very large, stuffed gnocchi.  Inside the potato dumpling is a mixture of pancetta and ham.  It is then cooked (steamed) and served with a bechamel sauce and lignonberry / cranberry sauce.  Interesting - but just too heavy!  Not sure if I would ever go there again.  Any readers out there that have had these, or made these, please let me know where I went wrong!!!

No on to the success - I made Beef Rendang one night this week in the Thermomix - it was so easy, and so tasty - this will definitely be on my "Make Again List".

Beef Rendang
From EDC Cookbook - Thermomix

Serves 3-4

Paste Ingredients
1 large red chilli
1 tsp shrimp paste
2.5 cm piece of fresh ginger, peeled
1 clove garlic
1 small onion
1 tsp turmeric

Rendang Ingredients
4 fresh bay leaves
1 tsp cinnamon powder
1/2 tsp ground cloves
150g coconut milk
30g grated/shredded coconut
30g palm or brown sugar
2 tsp salt
2 tsp white pepper
1kg chuck steak, diced into 3cm cubes

Place the paste ingredients, except the oil, into the TM bowl and chop for 6 seconds on speed 7, until finely chopped.

Add the oil and saute for 3 minutes at 100 degrees on speed 3 to form a paste.

Add all the remaning ingredients to the bowl except for the meat.  Cook for 5 minutes at 100 degrees on speed 3.

Add the cubed meat and cook for 40-60* minutes at 100 degrees on Reverse + soft speed.

Season with salt and pepper to taste.

* 60 minutes made the meat lovely and tender - I would recommend this.

Serve with Jasmine rice.

I also highly recommend that if you like a little more richness/spiciness to your curry that you include a garnish of Mrs. Balls Hot Chutney. 

This is a great South African Chutney that I have only recently stumbled across.  They also have a milder version - but for me the hot one is the way to go.  You can find it in some supermarkets - or at specialty delicatessens.  Check it out - it is really good!!

I know that a curry usually is something that is left to bubble away on the stove left to it's own devices, but I did find  that making a curry this was was an incredibly easy/quick way to make a good curry.  I am keen to give this recipe a go using chicken.



So Dear Readers, do you hang your head in shame and try to forget about the failures, or do you seek advice on how to rectify, and try the recipe again?