Tiyula Itum

Ingredients

• 1 kg beef short rib or brisket, cut into 4 cm cubes
• 2 cups freshly grated coconut
• 1 whole head garlic, peeled
• 6 shallots, peeled
• 40 g fresh ginger, peeled
• 30 g galangal (lengkuas), peeled
• 30 g fresh turmeric, peeled, or 1 tbsp ground turmeric
• 2 stalks lemongrass, bruised and knotted
• 1 tsp whole black peppercorns
• 2 tbsp neutral oil
• 2 litres water
• 2 tsp salt
• Calamansi halves and siling labuyo, to serve

Before you cook

• Cut the beef into even cubes, keeping any fat and connective tissue on.
• Peel the garlic, shallots, ginger, galangal and turmeric and keep them together.
• Bruise the lemongrass and tie each stalk into a knot.
• Open a window before you start the coconut, because it will smoke.

Steps

1. Put the grated coconut in a dry heavy frying pan over medium heat.
2. Stir the coconut constantly for about 10 minutes, watching it move from white to pale gold to deep brown.
3. Keep stirring for another 10 to 15 minutes as it goes past brown to genuinely black, lowering the heat if it starts to smoke violently.
4. Stop the moment it smells like dark-roast coffee rather than ash, and tip it onto a cold plate to halt the cooking.
5. Pound or blitz the blackened coconut to a coarse, oily black paste.
6. Pound the garlic, shallots, ginger, galangal, turmeric and peppercorns together into a rough wet paste.
7. Put the beef in a large bowl and rub in half the black coconut paste, all of the spice paste and the salt.
8. Leave the beef to sit for 20 minutes so the spices work into the surface.
9. Heat the oil in a heavy pot over medium-high heat.
10. Add the coated beef in batches and fry each batch for 5 minutes, turning, until the paste toasts and darkens on the meat.
11. Return all the beef to the pot and add the lemongrass knots and the 2 litres of water.
12. Bring it to the boil and skim any foam from the surface.
13. Lower the heat and simmer covered for 90 minutes, until the beef gives easily to a fork.
14. Stir the remaining black coconut paste into the pot.
15. Simmer uncovered for a final 20 minutes so the broth thickens slightly and turns properly inky.
16. Fish out the lemongrass and check the salt.
17. Ladle into bowls over rice and serve with calamansi halves and whole chillies for crushing in.