Semur / Indonesian Stew is a type of meat stew that is braised in thick brown gravy commonly found in Indonesian cuisine. The main ingredient used in semur gravy is kecap manis (sweet soy sauce), shallots, onions, garlic, ginger, candlenut, nutmeg and cloves, sometimes pepper, coriander, cumin and cinnamon might be added. Soy sauce is the most important ingredient in the Semur-making process because it serves to strengthen the flavor, but it should still feel blends harmoniously with other ingredients. In addition to the main ingredient, semur might also consists of wide range of variation in the presentation, such as the addition of meat (mainly beef), beef tongue, potato, tofu, tomato, tempeh, eggs, chicken, fish and often sprinkled with bawang goreng (fried shallot) or other variations according to the tastes of the communities in each regions.
Centuries of interactions between the Netherlands and Indonesia has contributed to the development the stews flavor. Javanese stew that in the earlier served as the main menu in the banquet of the Dutch is derived from the word ‘smoor‘ (Dutch: ‘stew’). ‘Smoor‘ in Dutch means food that has simmered with tomatoes and onions in a long cook process. Over time, semur was incorporated into Indonesian tradition and served in a variety of traditional events. Javanese with their preference on sweet dishes has favoured semur and consider it as part of Javanese cuisine. Betawi people in Jakarta has adopted semur as part of their tradition that always served during weddings, and any important celebrations. Not only Betawi culture, semur are also often appeared on the celebration events in various parts of the archipelago such as Kalimantan and Sumatra, with the flavor and appearance that suit local tastes.
The best beef cut for braising is the not tender part like the belly or brisket and the Shank. Hours of cooking in low tempetarure will break down the collagent and make a heavy broth and spoon brakeable meat. I prefer use a beef shank instead of brisket because the fat in the belly part will make a mess around the dish.
- 500 gr daging sapi betis/ beef shank
- 3 cm jahe/ ginger, dihaluskan/mashed
- 2 siung bawang putih/garlic
- Merica bubuk/ pepper
- 1 sdm margarine, untuk menumis
- 6 siung bawang putih/ garlic, diiris tipis/ sliced
- 10 butir bawang merah/shallot, diiris tipis/sliced
- Air kaldu/ beef stock
- 5 sdm kecap manis/ sweet soy sauce
- 1/2 sdt kelapa sangrai halus/ mashed toasted sheddered coconut*optional
- 3 cm kayu manis/ cinnamon
- 2 butir cengkih/ cloves
- ½ sdt pala bubuk/ nutmeg powder
- 1 buah tomat/tomato, potong2/ chopped
- lumuri dagding dengan jahe dan bawang putih halus serta 1 sendok teh merica bubuk. Diamkan selarna 1 jam menit agar bumbu meresap.
Marinade the beef shank with mashed garlic and ginger, pepper and salt about 1 hours
- Panaskan margarine, tumis irisan bawang putih sampai harum, lalu masukkan bawang merah. Aduk sampai layu, lalu masukkan daging.
Heat the margarine, saute the garlic and shallot until browned, put the beef shank into the pot
- Masukkan kaldu dan semua bahan lainnya, didihkan. Tutup panci dan kecilkan api, masak sampai kuah mengental dan daging empuk selama 1-1,5 jam
Add the beef stock and the rest ingredient, bring to boil. Close the pot and simmering byser the flame intothe lowest temperature. Let it stand about 1-1,5 hours until the meat is tender and the stock is thick.
- Sajikan dengan bawang goreng
Serve with fried shallot
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