Beef rendang is a beloved Malaysian and Indonesian curry dish made with slow-cooked beef in a rich and fragrant coconut milk sauce. Known for its complex layers of flavor and melt-in-your-mouth texture beef rendang is definitely a crowd-pleaser. But what if you make a big batch and can’t finish it all? Can you freeze beef rendang?
The good news is that you can freeze beef rendang and enjoy it later! In fact, freezing is a great way to save time and still enjoy this delicious dish whenever you want.
We’ll tell you everything you need to know about freezing beef rendang, from why you should do it to how to do it right and how to reheat it too. We’ll also tell you how to make beef rendang ahead of time so that you can enjoy a tasty home-cooked meal with little work in the future. Let’s dive in!.
Why Freeze Beef Rendang?
Here are some of the top reasons to freeze beef rendang
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Saves time Beef rendang is labor intensive, requiring hours of slow cooking to let the flavors develop fully Freezing portions means you can enjoy it later without repeating the lengthy cook time
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Avoid waste: Leftover beef rendang won’t keep long in the fridge. Freezing ensures you can finish it later instead of having to throw it out.
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Always have a quick meal: Keep frozen beef rendang on hand for instant access to a tasty homemade meal, even on your busiest days.
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Meal prep: Make a big batch of rendang on the weekend to portion out for easy weeknight meals. Freezing is key for meal prepping.
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Travel-friendly: Bring frozen beef rendang on trips or vacations so you can enjoy a homemade dish while away from home. It reheats easily.
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Flavor develops: The flavors in a rendang intensify over time. Freezing gives time for the sauce to permeate the beef even more.
Over all, freezing beef rendang makes this incredible dish much more convenient to enjoy whenever the craving strikes!
How to Freeze Beef Rendang
Follow these simple steps for freezing beef rendang perfectly:
1. Let It Cool
It’s important to let the beef rendang cool completely before freezing. Transferring a piping hot curry into the freezer can cause moisture to condense, leading to freezer burn.
Allow the rendang to come to room temperature, then refrigerate until chilled through, at least 2-3 hours. Chilling first prevents excess moisture from evaporating into ice crystals during freezing.
2. Portion It Out
For easier thawing and reheating, divide the beef rendang into meal-sized portions before freezing.
Use airtight containers, freezer bags, or freezer-safe zip-top bags. Glass or plastic containers with lids work well. Allow about 1 cup of rendang per portion.
3. Remove Air
Eliminate as much air as possible from the containers before sealing to prevent freezer burn. For bags, use the water immersion method: submerge the filled bag in water to force out air before sealing.
4. Label & Date
Be sure to label each container with the contents and freeze date. Beef rendang will keep well frozen for 2-3 months. Dating lets you keep track of freshness.
5. Freeze Immediately
Transfer the containers or bags to the freezer right after portioning. Freeze beef rendang as fast as possible for best results. Arrange packages in a single layer so they freeze quickly.
And that’s it! With these simple steps, your beef rendang is ready to freeze. Now let’s go over the best ways to thaw and reheat it.
Thawing Beef Rendang
Always thaw frozen beef rendang properly before reheating. Never thaw at room temperature or reheating from frozen, as this risks unsafe bacterial growth.
Here are a few recommended thawing methods:
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Fridge thawing: For best flavor and texture, thaw beef rendang overnight in the refrigerator. Transfer frozen packages to the fridge 1-2 days before eating.
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Cold water thawing: For faster thawing, seal the frozen rendang in a watertight plastic bag. Submerge in cold water, changing the water every 30 minutes until thawed. Cook immediately once thawed.
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Microwave thawing: Microwave frozen beef rendang at 30% power in 1 minute increments, checking often. Rotate and break up pieces as needed. Cook immediately once thawed.
Thaw only what you plan to eat within the next couple days. Don’t refreeze beef rendang once thawed. Portioning out the curry initially makes it easy to only thaw what you need.
Reheating Beef Rendang
Gently reheat thawed beef rendang using one of these methods:
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Stovetop: Heat rendang in a saucepan over medium-low, stirring occasionally, until hot throughout. Add a splash of water if it seems dry.
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Microwave: Reheat in 30 second increments in a microwave-safe dish, stirring between each, until hot. Cover with a lid or vented plastic wrap.
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Oven: Place rendang in a baking dish, cover with foil, and bake at 300°F until heated through, about 20 minutes.
The key is to reheat gently to prevent the sauce from separating or the beef from becoming dry. Bring it up to temperature slowly for best results.
Let sit for a few minutes before serving so the textures can reintegrate. Garnish with chopped fresh cilantro and serve with rice!
Tips for Making Beef Rendang Ahead
Planning to prep beef rendang in advance? Follow these tips:
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Pick the right cut: Choose well-marbled beef chuck, brisket, or short ribs for the best texture after freezing.
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Toast the coconut: Lightly toast the coconut flakes to draw out oils for better flavor.
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Make the paste: Prepare the spice paste (rempah) ahead of time for richer flavor. It keeps well refrigerated.
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Brown the beef: Take the time to slowly brown the beef before braising for greater depth.
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Simmer uncovered: Cook uncovered initially for faster reduction. Then cover and cook low and slow.
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Let flavors develop: Hold for 8+ hours or overnight in the fridge before freezing for fully developed flavor.
Putting in some extra effort when prepping beef rendang ahead of time means tastier results after freezing and reheating later on.
Frequently Asked Questions
How long does beef rendang last in the freezer?
Properly stored, beef rendang will maintain best quality frozen for 2-3 months. It will still be safe to eat beyond that but the flavors may start to fade.
Can you freeze beef rendang with coconut milk?
Yes, beef rendang freezes well with the coconut milk included. Be sure to cool it thoroughly before freezing to prevent excess moisture from forming ice crystals.
Does beef rendang freeze well?
Beef rendang actually freezes very well! The rich sauce helps prevent freezer burn, and the intense spices and slow cooking process means the flavors hold up beautifully.
How do you store leftover beef rendang?
For short term storage, refrigerate leftover beef rendang for 3-5 days. For longer term storage in the freezer, portion into airtight containers and freeze for up to 3 months.
Should you freeze beef rendang hot or cold?
Beef rendang should be chilled completely in the refrigerator before freezing. Freezing piping hot food can lead to unsafe bacterial growth as well as compromised texture.
Enjoy Delicious Beef Rendang Anytime!
Beef rendang is truly one of the world’s most spectacular beef curries, with complex aromatic flavors and sublimely tender meat. Fortunately, this incredible dish also happens to freeze incredibly well, making it easy to keep on hand.
Now that you know how to properly freeze and reheat beef rendang, you can look forward to enjoying this restaurant-quality meal in the comfort of your own home. No more searching endlessly for the perfect rendang—just defrost a batch of your own homemade anytime!
So next time you make beef rendang, go ahead and double it to freeze half. Your future self will thank you. With a tasty batch of rendang waiting in the freezer, you’re never more than a few minutes away from an amazing homemade curry.
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When we were all a little younger than we are now (i. e. , college-aged), it seemed that everyone fell into two camps on the subject of New Year’s resolutions. We were ardent believers, list-makers, inquisitive interrogators (“what are your New Year’s resolutions?”). Or we were hardened cynics. New Year’s resolution haters. I have to confess I fell more into the first category. If I hadn’t made my New Year’s resolutions by Christmas, I was very worried, and I took them very seriously. The problem is that it’s not the best time to be strong the day after one of the busiest nights of the year for parties. Nor was it possible (for me, anyway) to rectify personality defects by sheer force of will. By mid-February, if I made it that far, like almost everyone else I invariably had broken my resolutions.
Most of us can only handle a dry January now that we are older and the shine of our youthful zeal has worn off from years of hard living. So, I think we should take a cue from the United Nations and make New Year’s resolutions that don’t have to be kept. The high-minded sentiment is there, without the guilt.
This year, I have made a couple of non-binding blog-related resolutions. They are rather earnest. I will do my best to keep them, but don’t castigate me if I don’t.
- I will cook other people’s food. I’m going to really try to cook the recipes that my favorite bloggers have written, instead of just saying I will.
- I will push my boundaries. I’m going to push myself by cooking new foods with new ingredients and totally failing at it sometimes. This should mean that I will be posting new and interesting recipes that you haven’t seen a million times on the web.
That’s it. But I’d also like to get really good at this food photography thing, which I still find hard.
Which brings me to rendang, a dish I’ve wanted to cook properly for at least a year or more. Rendang is a gorgeous curry that originated in Indonesia, although it is now made in Malaysia, Singapore, Brunei and southern Thailand. It is traditionally prepared with beef, which is slowly cooked with coconut milk and a variety of spices and aromatics – lemongrass, garlic, shallots, kaffir lime leaves, galangal, star anise, tamarind, cinnamon, cardamom, and chillies, to name a few – until the liquid mostly or entirely evaporates, the meat fries in the rendered fat, and becomes saturated with flavor and coated with spices. A rendang which has been reduced like this is a dry rendang. (The hilariously biased Wikipedia post on rendang makes the case that this is the true rendang and “the most delicious version … quite different than rendang from other Malay realm.”)
Before I set out to create this dish, I probably read 40 recipes for rendang, although none quite so closely as the venison and ox cheek rendang created by captivating Singaporean cook and blogger Shuhan Lee. I owe her a debt of gratitude, even though I’ve modified her recipe. (As she says, a lot of Asian cooking is “agak agak” so I’m sure she’ll applaud my going off-piste, as it were.)
There are, essentially, three stages to a rendang. To begin, the spice paste is fried over high heat to season the pot and lay the groundwork for the dish. Then the meat, coconut milk, and other spices are added. The food is cooked very slowly until the sugars turn into caramel and the sauce changes color from gold to brown to brownish-black. In Malaysia and Singapore at least, a few hours into the cooking, toasted coconut is stirred in. Then the dish goes through a final stage of reducing. It is as delicious as it sounds. Like I did, you should start making your rendang a few days before you want to serve it and stop just before the last step. On the day that you intend to serve it, reduce it to your desired consistency. When making rendang or any stew, it’s best for the meat and spices to have some time to get to know each other.
You should use beef stewing cuts that are still on the bone, like shin, if you can find them. If not, add a few beef bones for flavor. Last thing: I did something very bad and out of the ordinary right at the last minute: I threw some pork cheeks from my freezer into the pot. HARAM. I’m going to hell on fire! But it was really cool how the pork fell apart and stuck to the beef chunks. I hasten to say that I do not necessarily recommend that you compromise your authenticity in this way. I’m just telling you what I did.
Ingredients:
For the spice paste:
3-4 cm (about two inches) galangal, peeled and cut into chunks
2-3 cm (about an inch) ginger, peeled and cut into chunks
2 cm, or about an inch, of fresh turmeric, peeled. If you can’t find fresh turmeric, use about a teaspoon of turmeric powder instead.
120 grams (about ¼ pound) of shallots (two large), peeled and cut into chunks
One small bulb of garlic, cloves peeled and cut into chunks
About 8-10 hot red chillies, seeded
2-3 lemongrass stalks, but only the white part should be cut up; throw away the tough green part and the rough outer layer.
For the pot:
3-4 tbsp coconut oil
6-7 green cardamom pods
1 black cardamom pod
3 tablespoons tamarind concentrate, or tamarind pulp, softened in water and strained
5-6 whole star anise
1 kg (2. 2 pounds of stewing beef, preferably on the bone and cut into small pieces, or 1 kg of stewing beef and a few beef bones
2 pork cheeks (totally optional)
50 g (about two ounces, or ¼ cup) palm sugar or unrefined sugar
2 lemongrass stalks, coarse outer layer and green part removed, white part cut into finger length pieces
3-4 cm (about an inch and a half) galangal, peeled and thinly sliced
400 ml coconut milk
1/2 tablespoon of salt plus more to taste (it sounds like a lot, but you need the salt to make the flavors work together).
To finish:
1/3 cup dessicated coconut, toasted in a pan until it is golden
10-15 kaffir lime leaves
Fresh coriander (to garnish)
Method:
Or, use a mortar and pestle to pound the spice paste ingredients together until they form a fine paste. You can also use a food processor to make the paste. Heat the coconut oil in a large heavy-bottomed stewing pot or casserole dish until it is very hot. Stir in the spice paste and cook, stirring constantly, until it is brown and aromatic. Over medium-high heat, add the meat, cloves, star anise, cinnamon stick, and both kinds of cardamom. Toss the meat with the spice paste for about four or five minutes, or until it starts to turn color. (Use additional coconut oil if the meat is sticking to the pan. Mix the sugar, tamarind, lemongrass, galangal, water, and coconut milk. Cook until the mixture starts to bubble. Stir in the salt, reduce heat to a low simmer, and cover the pot.
For about three hours, stir the meat every so often so it doesn’t stick to the bottom of the pan, until it’s soft. Add the lime leaves and toasted coconut, and keep simmering the sauce, this time without the lid on, until it is very dark brown. You will need to use a wooden spoon to scrape the bottom of the pan often at this point, but be careful not to break up the meat.
You can chill or even freeze your rendang at this point until you’re ready to serve it. Or you can keep on cooking. In either case, for the last step, cook the rendang over low heat for at least one more hour, or until the sauce is thick and very dark brown. If you wish, you can continue to cook until the sauce has evaporated completely. Or not.
Congratulations! You did it. Serve with rice, sprinkled with fresh coriander, with sliced cucumber on the side. You don’t have to serve this with a coriander chutney or a chili-garlic hot sauce. Everything else is up to you.
Makes about 6 servings.