Name: Indonesian-Style Beef Stew (Semur Daging)
Yield: Makes 4 servings as part of a multicourse meal
Cuisine: Indonesian
Ingredients: 1 lb (450 g) stew beef, such as boneless chuck or brisket, trimmed of excess fat and gristle, cut into 1-inch (2.5-cm) cubes; 4 medium-hot finger-length red chilies, such as Fresno, serrano, or cayenne, seeded (optional) and chopped; 2 tablespoons shaved palm sugar or brown sugar; 1 lb (450 g) yellow gold potatoes, cut into 2-inch (5-cm) cubes; 3 cups (700 ml) water; Fried shallots for garnish; 1 Roma tomato, chopped; 2 salam leaves or bay leaves; 1½ teaspoons fine sea salt; ½ teaspoon ground white or black pepper; ½ cup (120 ml) kecap manis; 3 tablespoons vegetable oil, divided; 6 Asian shallots or 3 European shallots, chopped; 1 thumb-size piece fresh ginger, smashed; 3 cloves garlic, smashed; 2-inch (5-cm) cinnamon stick

Preparation info

Makes
4
servings as part of a multicourse meal

Difficulty
Easy

Appears in

Mortar and Pestle

By Patricia Tanumihardja

Published 2024

About

This dish has been around in the Indonesian culinary lexicon for a very long time but didn’t always have a proper name. When the Dutch colonists arrived, they really liked the dish and dubbed it “smoor,” which refers to a slow-cooking method. Over the years, the word smoor was transliterated to the Indonesian semur. Sweet and a little soupy, semur is quite unlike a Western stew.

Because it’s an easy dish to prepare in large quantities, Julia often made