Serundeng

Method

1. Put 120 g of beef into a small saucepan with 200 ml of water, 1 stalk bruised lemongrass stalk, 2 salam leaves and a pinch of the salt. Bring to the boil, skim, then cover and simmer very gently for 45 minutes, until a skewer slides through the meat with no resistance and the liquid has reduced by about half.
2. Lift the beef onto a board and let it cool for 10 minutes, then tear it along the grain into fine shreds or slice it thinly. Keep the lemongrass and salam leaves, and reserve 60 ml of the cooking liquid.
3. Pound 2 shallots, 1 clove of garlic, 10 g of galangal, 1 tsp of ground coriander, 0.25 tsp of ground cumin and 0.5 tsp of salt in a mortar to a smooth wet paste (a small blender works, with a splash of the reserved stock to get it moving).
4. Dry-toast 20 g of raw peanuts in a wok or heavy frying pan over medium heat for 5-6 minutes, shaking often, until the skins colour and they smell nutty. Tip them out and set aside.