Beef Rendang Tonkatsu Rice Bowl

This bowl is a bold fusion of two beloved classics. Beef rendang brings deep, slow-cooked coconut and spice from Southeast Asia, while tonkatsu adds a shatteringly crisp panko crust from Japan. Together over steamed jasmine rice, the combination works better than it has any right to. The rendang sauce is rich and aromatic from lemongrass, galangal, and toasted coconut. The beef cutlets get pounded thin, breaded, and fried until deeply golden. You spoon the rendang sauce over the top, and the contrast of textures is the whole point.

Ingredients

  • 1½ lb Beef sirloin or rump steak, sliced into 4 even cutlets, pounded to about ½ inch (1.2 cm) thick
  • 2 cups Panko breadcrumbs
  • ½ cup All-purpose flour
  • 2 large Eggs, beaten
  • 2 cups Neutral oil
  • 1½ tsp Salt
  • ½ tsp Ground white pepper
  • 2 cups Jasmine rice, rinsed until water runs clear
  • 2½ cups Water
  • 1 lb Beef chuck or brisket, cut into 1-inch (2.5 cm) chunks
  • 1½ cups Coconut milk
  • 3 tbsp Desiccated coconut, toasted in a dry pan until golden
  • 2 stalks Lemongrass stalks, white part only, bruised with the back of a knife
  • 6 Dried red chilies, soaked in hot water for 15 minutes, drained
  • 5 small Shallots, peeled and roughly chopped
  • 4 cloves Garlic cloves, peeled
  • 1-inch piece Galangal, peeled and roughly sliced
  • ½-inch piece Fresh turmeric, peeled
  • 4 leaves Kaffir lime leaves, central rib removed, leaves torn
  • 1½ tsp Ground coriander
  • 1 tsp Ground cumin
  • 2 tbsp Coconut oil or neutral oil
  • 1 tbsp Palm sugar or brown sugar, grated or crumbled if using palm sugar
  • 1 tbsp Fish sauce
  • 3 stalks Spring onions, thinly sliced
  • 2 Lime, cut into wedges

Instructions

  1. Soak 6 dried red chilies in hot water for 15 minutes to soften them. While they soak, peel and roughly chop 5 small shallots, peel 4 garlic cloves, peel and slice a 1-inch piece of galangal, and peel a ½-inch piece of fresh turmeric. Drain the chilies once soft.
  2. Add the drained chilies, shallots, garlic, galangal, turmeric, 1½ tsp ground coriander, and 1 tsp ground cumin to a blender or food processor. Blitz into a smooth paste, adding a splash of water (1 to 2 tbsp) if needed to get it moving. Scrape down the sides as you go.
  3. Toast 3 tbsp desiccated coconut in a dry pan over medium heat, stirring constantly, until it turns a deep golden colour and smells nutty, about 3 to 4 minutes. Keep a close eye, it can go from golden to burnt in seconds. Set aside.
  4. Heat 2 tbsp coconut oil in a large heavy-bottomed wok or saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the spice paste and fry, stirring frequently, for 5 to 6 minutes until it darkens, smells fragrant, and the oil starts to separate out around the edges.
  5. Cut 1 lb beef chuck or brisket into 1-inch (2.5 cm) chunks. Add the beef to the pan and stir to coat every piece in the paste. Cook for 3 to 4 minutes, turning the chunks occasionally, until the outside of the beef is no longer pink.
  6. Pour in 1½ cups full-fat coconut milk and add the 2 bruised lemongrass stalks and 4 torn kaffir lime leaves. Stir in 1 tbsp palm or brown sugar and 1 tbsp fish sauce. Bring to a gentle boil, then reduce the heat to low.
  7. Simmer uncovered for 60 to 75 minutes, stirring every 10 minutes or so. The coconut milk will reduce dramatically. You are looking for the liquid to be almost completely gone, the mixture to look dry and paste-like, and the oil to fry the beef in what remains. The beef should be very tender when pressed with a spoon. Stir in the toasted coconut in the final 10 minutes.
  8. While the rendang simmers, rinse 2 cups jasmine rice under cold water, swirling with your hand, until the water runs mostly clear. This takes 3 or 4 rinses.
  9. Combine the rinsed rice and 2½ cups water in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil over high heat, then immediately drop to the lowest heat setting, cover tightly, and cook for 12 minutes. Do not lift the lid. After 12 minutes, remove from heat and leave the lid on for another 10 minutes to steam. Don't rush this.
  10. Slice 1½ lb beef sirloin or rump steak into 4 even cutlets across the grain. Place each cutlet between two sheets of plastic wrap or in a zip-lock bag and pound with a meat mallet or rolling pin until about ½ inch (1.2 cm) thick. Season both sides of each cutlet with 1½ tsp salt and ½ tsp ground white pepper.
  11. Set up a breading station with three shallow bowls: one with ½ cup all-purpose flour, one with 2 large eggs, beaten, and one with 2 cups panko breadcrumbs. Working one cutlet at a time, dredge in flour and shake off the excess, dip in egg and let the excess drip off, then press firmly into the panko on both sides so the crumbs stick in an even layer.
  12. Pour 2 cups neutral oil into a large deep frying pan or Dutch oven and heat over medium-high heat to 350°F (175°C). Check with a cooking thermometer. Once up to temperature, gently lay one or two breaded cutlets into the oil (don't crowd the pan). Fry for 3 to 4 minutes per side until the crust is a deep amber brown and very crispy. The internal temperature of the beef should read at least 145°F (63°C). Drain on a wire rack set over a baking sheet, never on paper towels flat, so the bottom stays crisp. Repeat with remaining cutlets.
  13. Thinly slice 3 stalks spring onion and cut 2 limes into wedges. Set aside for garnish.
  14. Slice the rested tonkatsu cutlets into strips about ¾ inch (2 cm) wide. Spoon a generous portion of steamed rice into each bowl. Fan the sliced tonkatsu over the rice. Spoon the rendang sauce and beef chunks over and around the cutlets. Scatter spring onion over the top and tuck a lime wedge on the side. A squeeze of lime over the whole bowl really lifts everything.