D is for Dugong and Daging Bumbu Bali

The Dugong is a large marine mammal which is being hunted to extinction for its meat and oil. It is the only completely marine herbivore and has a tail like a dolphin but otherwise no fins. It has paddles which it uses to help swim. Its relative, Steller’s Sea Cow, was hunted to extinction in the 1800s. It is such a peaceful animal that it seems such a shame that man is causing it to disappear. Destruction of habitat is another problem for the dugong. Its range spans 37 countries throughout the Indo-Pacific, but the main distribution today is in Australia between Shark and Moreton Bay. Another animal we are causing the possible loss of in the future.

Just in passing, and as a tribute to Al Diaz, D is also for Dragon. Father Dragon of course.

This time we go to Indonesia for a spicy meat stew.

Daging Bumbu Bali - Indonesian meat-dish

By Pets'R'us on October 07, 2002

Photo by kiwidutch

• Servings: 4

 

"I have cooked this dish for more then 25 years and the only thing I have changed about it is that I don't eat it on the day I cook it. I put it in the fridge for up to 2 days or freeze it, (leaving the leaves in), until I need it. This has two reasons, the flavors improve and as the cook I find you can enjoy it more because the smell of the spices, when cooking lessens your appetite."
 

Ingredients

• 1 lb lean stewing beef, cut in chunks
• 2 medium onions, chopped
• 2 tablespoons sambal oelek  (any store stocking Asian foods)
• 3 -4 birds eye chilis
• 4 cloves garlic
• 1 teaspoon shrimp paste
• 4 kaffir lime leaves
• 3 bay leaves
• 1/2 cup ketjap manis ( sweet soya sauce)
• 1/3 cup oil ( for frying)
• vinegar
• salt
• sugar

Directions

1. Add enough water to the beef to cover, bring very slowly to a simmer and cook until done, (as with making any stock, this can take a few hours).
2. Put in the food processor: onions, sambal, chilies, garlic and shrimp paste.
3. Process until you have a paste.
4. Fry this paste in the oil on a medium heat for a few minutes together with the kaffir and bay leaves.
5. Add the soja sauce, a little vinegar, the cooked meat and 1 to 2 cups of the meat stock.
6. Simmer for approx 15 minutes, and then taste for salt, sugar and maybe more vinegar.
7. Serve this with rice and other Indonesian dishes, what is really great as a little side dish is to quarter a few bananas and quickly fry them in butter until brown and starting to soften, keep warm in the oven until you are ready to serve.
8. The little chilies make this dish pretty hot and I sometimes leave them out.

Have a great day