I was
reading a culinary review recenly, which I find it pretty impressive and informative.
However, prior to the reading, I was sold by a friend whom always mentions the
dish every time we had a chat, saying all the deliciousness of the dish over
and over again.
My
curiosity was undoubtedly overhead and decided to visit the restaurant and
reached out beyond my own review, it doesn’t take me dilly-dally to say that
the food discovery was indeed satisfying!
This dish
is actually a smart invention, which later has become a “raising-star” dish
amongst other Indonesian food at that time.
Fried beef ribs (Iga Penyet), is typical Indonesian food, delicious yet tasty and is
a decent craves for a meat lover.
For you
to know, Penyet is actually Javanese dialect literally means flattened or
smashed, which is referring to its cooking process and presentation.
The
marinated meat is smashed or flattened in a mortar that is plate alike and then
lightly smashed with a wooden pestle after deep-frying.
Basically,
fried beef ribs (Iga penyet) were conceive first time in Surabaya-East Java,
which I believe it twisted by a deathly creative person that is extremely cool.
The ribs
processed with some aromatic Indonesian spices, slow-cook until tender and
flavorsome, as the spices have absorbed through the meat and then deep-fried to
perfection
Following
the delectable fried beef ribs, it has to have scrumptious sambal to go with,
is actually making the whole dish special and even more exciting.
The
sambal made from a mixture of red chili, bird eye chili, tomato and toasted
shrimp (terasi/belachan)
With NO
half-hearted, this is my home-cook style of fried beef ribs (Iga penyet),
served traditionally in the mortar completed with lip-smacking sambal, some choices
vegetables and crispy garlic bits as topping. Enjoy!
Fried
Beef Ribs (Iga Penyet)
Ingredients
4 beef ribs
approx 400g
4-5
cloves garlic
1 cm
turmeric root, substitute turmeric powder
1/3 cup
coconut water, optional
Salt and
sugar to taste (I used coconut sugar substitute brown sugar)
Sufficient
amount of water to boil the meat until tender
Oil for
frying
Whole
spices
1
Indonesian bay leaf
2 kaffir
lime leaves
1
lemongrass
2 medium
slices galangal root, substitute galangal powder
For the
sambal
4 red
chilies
5 bird
eye chilies
¼ slice
fresh tomato
1
teaspoon toasted shrimp paste (terasi/belachan)
Salt and
Sugar to taste
1
tablespoon vegetable oil for frying
Assorted
vegetables of your favorites
Crispy
bits garlic (made from 5 cloves garlic)
Steamed
jasmine rice
Preparation
Rinse
well the beef ribs under cold running water.
Peel the
garlic and turmeric root.
Making
the spices paste:
Process
the garlic, turmeric and coriander seeds to a paste using mortar and pestle
Take the
white part from the lemongrass and lightly bash using a kitchen tool or a
pestle
Direction
Place the
ribs in a pot, add enough water to cover the ribs, add whole spices ingredients,
spice paste, salt and sugar. Stir well
Heat up
the pot on the stove, cook over medium fire for 25-30minutes.
Reserve
the liquids from aromatic broth approx. 1 cup, add coconut water and continue
to cook until the liquids has reduces or until tender.
Off the
heat and let the ribs cool down.
To fry
Heat up
the oil in a wok over medium heat, fry the ribs until lightly crisps at both
side.
Once its
done, remove from the hot oil using a thong and place in a plate lined with kitchen
towels.
Making
Crispy bits fried garlic
Peel 5
cloves garlic, bash them up on the chopping board with a kitchen tool or a
pestle
Heat up
oil in a wok, add garlic and fry until golden brown and crispy.
Remove
the garlic form the hot oil with a metal sieve and place on a plate lined with
kitchen towels. Keep it in the airtight jar for later use as toppings.
Making
the sambal
Halved
the red chili and removed the seeds out, cut into smaller size
Heat up a
small amount vegetable oil in a wok.
Add slice
chili and bird eye chili, fry approx 1 minute. Remove from the wok and place in
a mortar.
Add
toasted terasi/belachan, slice tomato, salt and sugar
Pound until ground fine using mortar and pestle
Tips:
Prick the
flesh of bird eye chili with the tip of a kitchen knife, in purpose to prevent
the chili burst from the hot oil and splatter around
To serve
On a
plate, arrange fried beef ribs along with steamed jasmine and assorted vegetables.
Toppings
the fried ribs with crispy garlic and reserve the sambal on the side.
Serve
immediately
Other way
to serve fried beef ribs (Iga Penyet) is, after pounding the sambal mixture and
then let the sambal stays in the mortar, reserve the ribs along with assorted
vegetable and serve with steamed jasmine rice in the separate serving plate
