Ingredients
Meat
- 1 kgbeef brisket
- 500 gbeef offal such as tripe, lung and heart, cleaned
- 200 gbeef liver
- 3 litreswater
Paste
- 8shallots
- 6 clovesgarlic
- 100 groasted peanuts
- 2 tspcoriander seed, toasted
- 1 tspcumin
- 1 tspblack peppercorns
- 3candlenuts
- 2cm galangal
- 2cm ginger
- 1 tspturmeric
Pot
- 3 tbspoil
- 500 mlrice washing water
- 2 stalkslemongrass, bruised
- 4kaffir lime leaves
- 2bay leaves
- salt
To serve
- ketupat or burasa
- fried shallots
- spring onion
- sambal taoco
- lime wedges
- sliced chilli
Directions
- Clean the offal thoroughly, then blanch the brisket and the offal separately in boiling water for 10 minutes and throw both lots of water away.
- Simmer the brisket in 3 litres of fresh water for 1 hour 30 minutes, adding the tougher offal after the first 30 minutes.
- Add the liver only for the final 15 minutes, because it toughens quickly and goes grainy if it is cooked as long as the rest.
- Save the water from rinsing rice and let it settle before using it. This starchy water is what gives coto Makassar its cloudy body, and it is the detail that separates it from every other Indonesian beef soup.
- Grind the paste ingredients, including the roasted peanuts, to a smooth blend.
- Fry the paste in the oil for 10 minutes, until it darkens and the oil visibly separates out at the edges.
- Add the fried paste to the broth along with the lemongrass, lime leaves and bay leaves, then pour in the rice water.
- Simmer for 30 minutes, stirring from time to time so the peanut and the starch do not settle and catch on the base.
- Slice the meat and offal and return them to the pot to heat through.
- Season, and serve in bowls with ketupat, fried shallots, spring onion, sambal taoco, lime and chilli.
- It is said to date from the Gowa sultanate, when the court kitchens took the prime cuts and the palace staff cooked what was left to them.
Technique
- The rice water is not a substitute for anything. It is a deliberate thickener and it makes the broth look and taste the way it should.
- Ground peanut gives body and a faint sweetness. It should not be identifiable as peanut in the finished bowl.
- Sambal taoco, made with fermented soybeans, is the standard accompaniment and is worth seeking out.
Substitutions
- Macadamias in place of candlenuts, at twice the quantity.
- Cornflour slaked in water if you have no rice washing water, though it is a poor stand-in.
- Brisket alone, without offal, which is a common concession.
Variations
- Made with beef only, for those who will not eat offal.
- With extra peanuts for a thicker broth.
- Konro, the related Makassar rib soup, made with a darker spice blend.
History
Makassar dish said to date from the Gowa sultanate, when court kitchens took the prime cuts and palace staff cooked the offal.
Frequently asked questions
What is Coto Makassar?
Coto Makassar is a soup & stew from Indonesia: beef and offal soup thickened with ground peanuts and rice water, eaten with ketupat. Makassar dish said to date from the Gowa sultanate, when court kitchens took the prime cuts and palace staff cooked the offal.
How long does Coto Makassar take to make?
Coto Makassar takes 40 min of preparation and 2 hr 30 min of cooking. The recipe makes 8 servings. It is rated hard to make.
What can I substitute in Coto Makassar?
Yes, within limits. Macadamias in place of candlenuts, at twice the quantity. Cornflour slaked in water if you have no rice washing water, though it is a poor stand-in. Brisket alone, without offal, which is a common concession.
What is the most important thing to get right in Coto Makassar?
Simmer for 30 minutes, stirring from time to time so the peanut and the starch do not settle and catch on the base.
