Unusual Food Thread
Nobby-W
Far more clumsy and random than a blaster
Still very much a thing here on Pom Rock, but the local fish and chips are way too fatty for me by and large.
Nobby-W
Far more clumsy and random than a blaster
Rendang - my better half is from Indonesia. This is just a stock photo, but it's fabulous. Trouble is that you have to boil it down at a very low heat, so it takes about 6 or 8 hours to make.
edition.cnn.com
Bonus Rendang recipe
Per kilo of beef:
Rendang is quite happy to be frozen and reheated as many times as you want. In fact, it gets better with re-heating. If it's properly done it can last a month with no refrigeration (it was originally invented as trail rations), but don't try this at home.
Your pick: World's 50 best foods
The world has voted and we now know the name and origin of the world's best food. But have you eaten it?
edition.cnn.com
Bonus Rendang recipe
Per kilo of beef:
- 2" of galangal grated (this can be optional)
- 1-2" of ginger, grated
- 1/2" of turmeric root, grated
- 2 kemiri (candle nuts)
- About 10 red chillies (add another 10 birds eye chillies for extra heat)
- Half a red onion or 10 red shallots
- 6 cloves of garlic
- 1 or two stalks lemongrass
- Half a dozen kefir lime leaves
- 1/2 nutmeg, grated
- Two tins of coconut milk
- Half a lump of brown coconut sugar (about one tablespoon)
- Remove any connective tissue or gristle from the beef and cut into pieces about 2" x 2" x 1" (they need to be big as cooking will shrink them down).
- Peel the garlic, shallots, galangal, ginger and turmeric. Bruise the lemongrass.
- Put the chillies, ginger, garlic, turmeric, kemiri, chillies, shallots, garlic, sugar and nutmeg into a blender and blend until smooth.
- Fry the mixture until aromatic.
- Put the mixture with the coconut milk, lime leaves and lemongrass into a pot/wok and bring to the boil.
- In the meantime, brown the beef (this is a recommendation from the MIL, who is an actual Indonesian chef).
- (Optionally) boil down the coconut milk/spice mix a bit. The process involves slow cooking the meat, and if you are using softer beef like rump, boiling it for too long can make it start to disintegrate. If you're using tougher skirt or stewing steak you can put the beef in right away.
- Add the beef. Simmer until it starts to go dark brown. Stir every 5-10 minutes. You can boil vigourously at first, but as the mixture gets thicker you will need to turn it to a low heat. This process can take 6-8 hours.
- Once the fat starts coming off it, you need to turn it right down and stir every 5-10 minutes until the bumbu is solid enough. It should not be too liquid to stick to the beef. At this point it's done.
Rendang is quite happy to be frozen and reheated as many times as you want. In fact, it gets better with re-heating. If it's properly done it can last a month with no refrigeration (it was originally invented as trail rations), but don't try this at home.
Some things can’t be rushed.
Zardnaar
Legend
Rendang - my better half is from Indonesia. This is just a stock photo, but it's fabulous. Trouble is that you have to boil it down at a very low heat, so it takes about 6 or 8 hours to make.
Your pick: World's 50 best foods
The world has voted and we now know the name and origin of the world's best food. But have you eaten it?
Bonus Rendang recipe
Per kilo of beef:
Steps:
- 2" of galangal grated (this can be optional)
- 1-2" of ginger, grated
- 1/2" of turmeric root, grated
- 2 kemiri (candle nuts)
- About 10 red chillies (add another 10 birds eye chillies for extra heat)
- Half a red onion or 10 red shallots
- 6 cloves of garlic
- 1 or two stalks lemongrass
- Half a dozen kefir lime leaves
- 1/2 nutmeg, grated
- Two tins of coconut milk
- Half a lump of brown coconut sugar (about one tablespoon)
It will look like you're putting an ungodly amount of chilli into the mix, but the cooking takes the edge off the heat, leaving a nice slow burn effect. Serve with rice and something green. Cassava is traditional but cucumber or cabbage works well.
- Remove any connective tissue or gristle from the beef and cut into pieces about 2" x 2" x 1" (they need to be big as cooking will shrink them down).
- Peel the garlic, shallots, galangal, ginger and turmeric. Bruise the lemongrass.
- Put the chillies, ginger, garlic, turmeric, kemiri, chillies, shallots, garlic, sugar and nutmeg into a blender and blend until smooth.
- Fry the mixture until aromatic.
- Put the mixture with the coconut milk, lime leaves and lemongrass into a pot/wok and bring to the boil.
- In the meantime, brown the beef (this is a recommendation from the MIL, who is an actual Indonesian chef).
- (Optionally) boil down the coconut milk/spice mix a bit. The process involves slow cooking the meat, and if you are using softer beef like rump, boiling it for too long can make it start to disintegrate. If you're using tougher skirt or stewing steak you can put the beef in right away.
- Add the beef. Simmer until it starts to go dark brown. Stir every 5-10 minutes. You can boil vigourously at first, but as the mixture gets thicker you will need to turn it to a low heat. This process can take 6-8 hours.
- Once the fat starts coming off it, you need to turn it right down and stir every 5-10 minutes until the bumbu is solid enough. It should not be too liquid to stick to the beef. At this point it's done.
Rendang is quite happy to be frozen and reheated as many times as you want. In fact, it gets better with re-heating. If it's properly done it can last a month with no refrigeration (it was originally invented as trail rations), but don't try this at home.
I would give that a shot. I've discovered I like SEA food more than the Chinese/Japanese people are more used to.
Except maybe Thai not a massive fan. Cambodian, Vietnam, Indonesia, Malaysia and Phillipines have a few winning dishes.
I love most asian cuisine. with Vietnamese, Japanese, and Chinese usually jockeying for 1st. Indian is in the top 5 conversation.
I like Thai a lot, and have found a couple really good places near me, but usually gave to fine alone. And I’m still trying to figure Korean out. I keep missing out on opportunities to try Nepalese.
But damn if I haven’t fallen for Burmese! The best description I csn give is what the owner/chef at Inlay told me the first day I walked into her place: it’s a little like Chinese, a little like Indian, a little like Thai...and different from al, of them.
I like Thai a lot, and have found a couple really good places near me, but usually gave to fine alone. And I’m still trying to figure Korean out. I keep missing out on opportunities to try Nepalese.
But damn if I haven’t fallen for Burmese! The best description I csn give is what the owner/chef at Inlay told me the first day I walked into her place: it’s a little like Chinese, a little like Indian, a little like Thai...and different from al, of them.
Zardnaar
Legend
A lot of Thai cooking uses coconut cream. Not a fan of it.
Korean seems a bit more grilled, Chinese usually not that authentic or that good. Lots of regional variety if you can find the semi authentic stuff
Haven't tried burmese. We have Cambodian. It costs the same as a Big Mac combo. Satay is the big Cambodian thing but my local does this ginger beef dish I really like.
Took mum there when she was getting cancer treatment. Out of some of the nicer places (read expensive) she liked her simple $7 whatever on rice Cambodian meals over Turkish and Korean although she liked Korean as well.
Japanese places here seem to be owned by Koreans. Waitress said she was from Beijing so go figure.
Local fish and chip shop dies some Malaysian dishes, apparently they're good.
Satay burgers are also a thing here at Cambodian places and rarely a fish and chip shop.
There was a short-lived asian restaurant @30min from where I live now. It’s been replaced by a damn good Thai place that makes a pho-like duck soup that I’m totally addicted to. I order it nearly every time.
The place that used to be there also had a destination dish: it was a small whole chicken roasted in a covered clay pot with rice, mushrooms and garlic. The whole pot was brought to the table. Fall off the bone tender.
And I've never seen it anywhere else.
The place that used to be there also had a destination dish: it was a small whole chicken roasted in a covered clay pot with rice, mushrooms and garlic. The whole pot was brought to the table. Fall off the bone tender.
And I've never seen it anywhere else.
Zardnaar
Legend
Some things I had from places that closed.
Saffron chicken dish from an Iranian place. Never seen it before or since. They said not many people ordered it since they sold $7 wraps but it cost $17 fifteen years ago.
They made this amazing chicken burger as well.
Phillipines place also operated that was great but only went there once. Decor was this amazing 19th century wood paneling and the roof was designed to evoke a ships keep. Some sort of lemon chicken dish.
Also have 7 or 8 Turkish places more or less on top of one another almost one every block. One street has 3 of them on a 100 meter stretch.
