Beef rendang

This is a classic Malaysian dish - if you haven't had it I urge you to do so. This version is something of a "Delia cheat" in that it utilises "any old red curry paste" though something like this one is probably best. "If you're going to use a paste", I hear you ask, "why not just use a rendang paste?" Well the thinking here is that more people will have a red curry paste in stock opposed to a rendang. If I was being pure I'd offer a recipe including a home made paste but that's long-winded - this does work. Remember this is a dish that makes something special out of a cheap cut of beef by cooking the bejesus out of it for quite a while. This version is a cheat but it isn't quick - you can't do a quick rendang!!

Serves 2 (serve with plain rice and some sort of veg - greens work well)
Gently fry some grated onion (100gr) and crushed garlic - don't brown.
Add 2-3 table spoons of the curry paste and fry a bit longer
Bung in about 500gr of diced stewing beef and brown
Add a tin of coconut milk (about 400ml)
NOW - if you have these things add any/all of them - they will elevate the final result quite a lot
A cinnamon stick or a cassia bark (or 2)
Add a star anise (add 2 be a devil!) (adds a nice aniseed flavour)
Add some dessicated coconut - maybe 75gr (dry fry it first until it goes a bit golden -makes it better)
Add the juice of a lemon/lime (or better still 75ml tamarind juice - from 1tbsp of soaked pulp)
Throw in a lemon grass stick - whack it about first to get the juices loose
Add some kaffir lime leaves (now these are a great aromatic flavour - get frozen ones rather than dried)
Add some fresh chopped chilli

Cook for a long time (1.5 hours - 2.5 hours)  on a VERY low heat, covered (you want that cheap cut of beef to be very very well cooked and really tender) - check that it doesn't dry out once in a while. In the end you want a fairly thick sauce - if it's too wet after 2 hours boil down a bit with the lid off - and as I said - if it's getting too dry just add some water. Depending on the curry paste you used you may need to season with salt and pepper but do this at the end.