Beef rendance is traditionally cooked in curry sauce, but chef Alec Martin prefers adding the curry sauce after cooking.Moe Doiron/The Globe and Mail
I recently savoured the best dish of beef rendang I have ever eaten, even better than versions I have tasted in Malaysia. Chef Alec Martin is the man behind the masterpiece, which is made with tender beef cheeks immersed in a spicy, tart sauce. He oversees Hawker Bar, an amazing little spot on Toronto's Ossington Avenue that specializes in sublime Singaporean cuisine. Martin learned his craft in his native Australia, a country that has adopted and adapted many Asian cuisines with great gusto.
Traditional beef rendang is cooked in curry sauce, but Martin prefers to braise the beef in stock to maintain its tenderness, adding the curry sauce after.
Lucy Waverman