Roast Herbed Beef

Roast Beef

1.5-2kg beef fillet

½ tbsp salt
1½ tbsp coarsely cracked black pepper
1 bunch of oregano sprigs
2 bunches marjoram sprigs
Olive oil for brushing

Trim and truss the beef fillet. Brush the meat with olive oil, then roll in the combined salt and black pepper mixture.

Line a baking tray with non-stick parchment paper and arrange the oregano and marjoram sprigson it.

Place the beef fillet over the herbs. Roast in a preheated oven at 200°C for 30-35 minutes or until cooked to your liking. Remove and serve immediately.

Beef Serunding

Ground spices (A)

12 shallots

4 cloves garlic

3 slices ginger

4 slices galangal

1cm knob fresh turmeric

Spices (B) – mixed with a little water into a paste

4 tbsp coriander powder

1 tsp cumin powder

1 tsp pepper

500g topside beef, cubed

100ml water

45g tamarind paste (asam jawa) mixed with 100ml water and squeezed for juice

300g grated coconut (white part only)

6 tbsp oil

Seasoning

1 tbsp salt

3-4 tbsp sugar

1 tbsp palm sugar (gula Melaka), chopped

Put beef cubes, water and 3 tablespoons ground spices (A) and 2 tablespoons of spices (B) in a non-stick saucepan. Cook until meat is tender.

Heat 3 tablespoons oil in a clean saucepan and fry remaining spices (A) and (B) until fragrant. Add seasoning and tamarind juice and fry until aromatic.

Remove saucepan from the heat and stir in grated coconut. Heat remaining oil over a gentle low heat, then add the tamarind coconut mixture and precooked beef.

Fry until the meat is moist and gravy is thick and dry.

Eastern herbs-flavoured medallion of beef fillet with black vinegar sauce

Ingredients
240 gm beef fillet
30 gm black fungus
30 gm white fungus
60 gm ginger (shred finely)
10 gm kei chee
2 stalks Chinese parsley
250 gm black vinegar
2 tsp cornflour
Salt, pepper

Method
1. Marinate beef with pak kei, kei chee, black peppercorns and coriander leaves for four hours. Soak black and white fungus.

2. Heat oil in wok and sear fillet until browned. Then bake in pre-heated oven at 250C for 8-10 minutes.

3. Deep-fry ginger until crispy. Set aside. Drain fungus and saute, seasoning with salt and pepper. Set aside.

4. Steam kei chee for five minutes. Heat black vinegar and thicken with cornflour.

5. Slice fillet into medallions. Arrange on plate and garnish with black and white fungus. Arrange ginger and kei chee on plate. Serve with vinegar sauce.

Beef rice in egg skin (Ngow sung chao fun)

Ingredients
24g garlic
12g dry black mushrooms
120g topside beef
120g prawns
600ml water
45g frozen peas
45g canned button mushrooms
90g palm olein
60g palm olein (cooking oil)
12 portions of boiled white rice
27g oyster sauce
19g light soya sauce
13g black soya sauce
1/4 tsp white pepper powder
18g sesame oil
2 eggs
1 egg yolk

Method
1. Mince garlic. Soak four black mushrooms in water and dice later. Dice button mushrooms. Mince the beef. Peel and slice prawns.

2. Bring water to boil. Blanch green peas and mushrooms for a few seconds. Take out and drain.

3. Heat wok, add 90g palm olein and fry minced beef for a few seconds.

4. Drain and put aside. Fry prawns.

5. Heat the second palm olein, add minced garlic and fry until golden brown. Add boiled rice and stir fry well. Add blanched mushrooms, green peas, sauteed beef and prawns.

6. Season with soya sauce, oyster sauce, black soya sauce and pepper.

7. Stir fry well until rice grains are loose and well coated by the seasoning.

8. Break eggs and beat. Heat a hot griddle and make a paper-thin skin of egg by pouring the beaten egg onto the griddle. Flatten and distribute with a spatula. Remove skin carefully from griddle and place in a bowl.

9. Pour fried rice into the egg skin. Put one egg yolk in the centre and fold skin together into a parcel. Place on a plate. Serve the parcel and cut open in front of guests.

- From the article Rice, Asia's favourite staple diet by Ruby Khoo.

Beef Rendang

Original Recipe by Amy Beh

700g beef, cut into 4cm cubes

550ml thick coconut milk

400ml water

1 turmeric leaf, shredded and knotted

1 piece dried tamarind skin (asam keping)

2-3 kaffir lime leaves

2 stalks lemongrass, crushed

6 shallots, sliced

3 cloves garlic, sliced

4 tbsp white grated coconut, fried for kerisik

3-4 tbsp oil

Ground spice ingredients

15 dried chillies, soaked

5 fresh red chillies

3 slices galangal

3cm ginger

1cm fresh turmeric

1 tsp ground fennel

1 tsp ground black pepper

2½ tbsp ground coriander

Salt to taste

Season beef with ground spice ingredients for 10-15 minutes.

Heat oil in a heavy-based saucepot and fry shallots and garlic until fragrant and soft. Add lemongrass and marinated beef. Fry for 2-3 minutes. Add water and kerisik, and cook over medium low heat for 30-40 minutes.

Put in turmeric leaf, tamarind skin and kaffir lime leaves. Pour in coconut milk and simmer over low heat. Stir occasionally so that the mixture does not stick to the pan. Add salt to taste and cook until beef is ten der and rendang is thick.