Pappardelle With Braised Short Rib 'Rendang' and buffalo mozzarella

Serves 6

Ingredients

500 g good-quality fresh pappardelle pasta

3 pieces buffalo mozzarella, roughly torn

6 Tbsp store-bought fried shallots, blended into a powder

1/4 bunch Vietnamese mint leaves

3 limes, cut in half

Beef ‘rendang’

500 g beef short ribs, cut into 5 cm cubes

1 lemongrass stalk, white part only, finely chopped

2.5 cm piece turmeric

30 g galangal, finely chopped

30 g ginger

3 medium-hot red chillies, coarsely chopped

3 cloves garlic, peeled

3 eshallots, finely chopped

3 Tbsp desiccated coconut

40 ml extra virgin olive oil

5 macadamias, chopped

250 ml coconut milk

250 ml coconut cream

1/4 whole nutmeg, finely grated

1 stick cinnamon

Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Method

In a hot frying pan with a little olive oil, seal the beef pieces until nice and brown.

Remove the beef from the pan, along with the juices.

In a food processor, blend the lemongrass, turmeric, galangal and ginger into to a fine paste.

Add the chopped chillies, garlic and eschalots and process again to a fine paste.

Dry-fry the desiccated coconut in a clean frying pan over medium heat for about 3–5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until golden. Set aside.

Heat the oil in a large saucepan over medium heat.

Fry the spice paste mixture for about 3–4 minutes, until aromatic.

Add the macadamias and cook for a further 1 minute.

Add the browned beef to the pan with the coconut milk, coconut cream, nutmeg and cinnamon stick and bring to the boil, stirring frequently to prevent the coconut milk from splitting.

Reduce heat to low and leave to bubble gently for about 1ó–2 hours, stirring occasionally, until the meat is tender and the coconut liquid turns to oil.

Remove the saucepan from the stove, add the toasted desiccated coconut, season and set aside.

To serve

Place a large saucepan of salted water onto the stove top, bring to the boil at high heat, turn down to a simmer and add the pasta.

Cook until al dente.

Place the beef back on the stove at medium heat and warm through, stirring.

Add the pasta and mix in carefully to coat.

Remove from heat and divide the pasta among 6 bowls. Garnish with the torn buffalo mozzarella, fried shallot powder and mint leaves.

Serve with lime halves.