Beef Rendang....recipe help, please

[sugarsugar]

I have an upcoming dinner party for some curry loving guests this weekend, and was thinking of taking the plunge with beef rendang. I have both "Cradle of Flavor" and "All About Braising", and wonder if anyone familiar with both recipes could make a recommendation on which one I should go with? I'm a good cook, but still pretty amateur and could use any advice you might want to throw my way!

Also...and this may be THE stupidest question on earth, but does the rendang have a very strong coconut flavor, or is it quite mild? It's only my husband who doesn't care greatly for coconut, and I'm just wondering if the rendang is likely to have too strong of a coconut taste for him. Thanks!

[Doodad]

I have an upcoming dinner party for some curry loving guests this weekend, and was thinking of taking the plunge with beef rendang.  I have both "Cradle of Flavor" and "All About Braising", and wonder if anyone familiar with both recipes could make a recommendation on which one I should go with?  I'm a good cook, but still pretty amateur and could use any advice you might want to throw my way! 

Also...and this may be THE stupidest question on earth, but does the rendang have a very strong coconut flavor, or is it quite mild?  It's only my husband who doesn't care greatly for coconut, and I'm just wondering if the rendang is likely to have too strong of a coconut taste for him.  Thanks!

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Rendang is one of my favorites. I use a different cookbook that is pan-Asian with emphasis on spiciness. I can post if you don't like your other two.

The coconut is very mild in Rendang. I have had it at restaurants and home and the emphasis is really on the meat and other spice flavors. Coconut is the carrier in the versions I have had.

[C. sapidus]

I have an upcoming dinner party for some curry loving guests this weekend, and was thinking of taking the plunge with beef rendang.  I have both "Cradle of Flavor" and "All About Braising", and wonder if anyone familiar with both recipes could make a recommendation on which one I should go with?  I'm a good cook, but still pretty amateur and could use any advice you might want to throw my way! 

I have not tried the recipe in “All About Braising”, but the beef rendang in Cradle of Flavor is amazing. You will find some compelling testimonials in Cooking with Cradle of Flavor, one recipe at a time (click). Rendang is like barbecue - it is done when it is done - so start cooking way ahead of time. Fortunately, rendang tastes even better when made ahead and gently reheated. Good luck!

Also...and this may be THE stupidest question on earth, but does the rendang have a very strong coconut flavor, or is it quite mild?  It's only my husband who doesn't care greatly for coconut, and I'm just wondering if the rendang is likely to have too strong of a coconut taste for him.  Thanks!

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In rendang, the coconut milk is reduced to coconut oil and solids, so it does not taste anything like raw coconut.

[snowangel]

I second everything that Bruce has said. I've done both the Cradle of Flavor and All About Braising methods (and have not only done it with beef but with pork shoulder).

Both renditions are amazing, and quite similar. Both took MUCH longer to braise than I thought, but I actually did all of the braising in the oven. Keeping in mind how much longer it took than anticipated, I took the last one out of the oven before the "crisping" part of the recipes, stuck in the fridge and just finished it up the next day, which made it more of an "ala minute" meal.

The coconut milk, because of the serious reduction is very much a back note to the dish -- unlike a traditional coconut milk-based curry.

Oh, and it looks really nasty when you start the braise, so don't be afraid!

[sugarsugar]

Thanks for your help - I'm getting really excited to try it. I've taken a look at both the Cradle of Flavor and All About Braising links, and I think I'm going to go with Molly's recipe this time. I appreciate the heads up on the longer braising time, and snowangel - thanks for warning me about how nasty it'll look at first! That's a very helpful tip for a novice!!

[Abra]

And on the "looking nasty" front, the rendang that I had in Indonesia was virtually black by the time it came to the table. I don't know if those two recipes tell you to cook it that far, but that's how I had it served to me.

[Chufi]

Technically, for it to be called rendang, it has to be dry (and very dark), if it still has some sauce, it's not rendang but kalio

Lots of info in this rendang thread (gotta love the eGullet archives!)