garlic for rubbing the meat sambal olek soy sauce cumin powder turmeric powder
Paste:
minced fresh ginger 1 medium onion or a bunch of shallots 2 tsp cumin powder 1 tsp turmeric powder 3-4 tbsp sambal olek (Indonesian Chili Sauce) 1-2 teaspoons tamarind paste
Sauce: 1-2 cups of coconut milk lemon grass pinch of salt and sugar to taste 2-3 tsp red curry paste
Rub the beef with mashed garlic, Sambal Olek, soy sauce and oil. Coat with some cumin and turmeric powder. Marinate for a couple of hours in the fridge. Careful with the Sambal Olek, this stuff is hot!
Make a paste of everything in the second group of ingredients. If it is too thick to blend add some oil or some coconut milk.
Heat oil in pan. Fry the spice paste and then add beef and sear until brown.
Pour coconut milk and mix in some curry paste. Bring to boil then simmer for about 2 hours or until beef is tender. Cover pot with lid. Modify spices according to taste.
Stir regularly (every 20 mins or so) to avoid coconut milk from burning. If the sauce gets too thick and the beef isn't tender yet, add some more thin coconut milk.
When beef is tender, allow the sauce to thicken by taking the lid off the pot and letting the liquid evaporate.
