Red Cooked Beef

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RED COOKED BEEF (DAGING MASAK MERAH)

One of the special dishes served during Eid celebrations in Aceh is Red Cooked Beef (Daging Masak Merah). During Meugang—a local tradition of cooking large meals before Ramadan and Eid—nearly every household prepares this dish. Apart from holidays, it is also a staple menu item at traditional Acehnese weddings.

Ingredients

⏱️ Prep Time: 1 hour
🍽️ Serves: 15–20 people

1. 1 kg high-quality beef, cut into chunks
2. Juice from 1 lime
3. 3 pods of tamarind
4. 3 tbsp toasted grated coconut
5. 3.5 tsp salt
6. 1.5 liters water
7. Cooking oil (canola or regular) as needed

Ground Spices:

8. 10 cloves shallots
9. 4 cloves garlic
10. 3 heaping tbsp ground red chili
11. ½–1 tbsp green bird’s eye chili paste
12. 1 heaping tbsp ground coriander
13. ½–1 tsp ground white pepper
14. 1.5 tsp turmeric powder
15. 1 thumb of ginger
16. ¼ tsp cumin
17. ¼ tsp fennel seeds

Aromatic Spices:

18. 5 cloves shallots, thinly sliced
19. 3 stalks curry leaves
20. 3 pieces pandan leaves, tied into knots
21. 2 stalks lemongrass, bruised
22. 5 cm piece of galangal, smashed
23. 5 pods cardamom
24. 5 pieces cloves
25. 3 star anise
26. 5 cm stick of cinnamon

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Instructions:

1. Prepare all ingredients beforehand.

2. If using pre-ground chili, cumin, fennel, and coriander, you only need to blend the shallots, garlic, and ginger.
   • Note: Toasted grated coconut is used to add flavor and thickness to the sauce. If unavailable, you can make your own by dry-roasting grated coconut until brown and blending it.

3. Cut the beef into pieces, wash thoroughly, and drain. Marinate with lime juice, tamarind, and 2 tsp of salt. Mix well.

4. Add the ground spices and toasted coconut to the beef mixture. Mix until evenly coated. Set aside.

5. Heat oil in a pot, sauté the sliced shallots until fragrant and golden. Add all the **aromatic