Gore Gore Daging - spiced beef with sweet potato

Ingredients

• 500 gbeef
• 750 mlwater
• 2Indonesian salam leaves
• ½ tbspsalt
• ¼ tspground cinnamon
• 2cloves
• 1 tbsppalm sugar
• 3 cmfresh ginger
• 4 tbsptamarind water
• ½sweet potato
• As needed; 3 tbsp to brown the beefoil
• 7shallots
• 5 clovesgarlic
• 2red chillies, deseeded
• 11curly red chillies
• 2 cmgalangal
• 1lemongrass stalk, white part only

Instructions

1. 1

   Fry the sweet potato

   Cut the sweet potato into julienne strips. Heat oil in a pan and fry the strips until golden and crisp, then lift them out and set aside.

2. 2

   Make the spice paste

   Pound or grind the shallots, garlic, both types of chilli, galangal and white part of the lemongrass into a paste.

3. 3

   Simmer the beef

   Bring the water to a simmer in a pan with the beef, salam leaves, salt, cinnamon, cloves, ginger and tamarind water. Cook until the beef is tender, then remove it and cut it into pieces.

4. 4

   Fry and combine

   Heat 3 tbsp oil in a pan and brown the beef, then set it aside. Fry the spice paste in the pan for 5 minutes, add the beef and palm sugar, and mix well. Stir in the sweet potato and serve.

What is Gore Gore?

Gore Gore is an Indonesian beef dish built around a spice paste and tender pieces of meat. Recipes vary, and this version pairs the beef with sweet potato fried until crisp.

The method gives the beef time to soften in a seasoned simmer, then adds the punchier flavours of the fried paste. Palm sugar and tamarind bring sweetness and tang to the savoury, chilli-rich mixture.

Nutrition and macros by portion

The nutrition label shows one serving as written: 1750 calories, 0g protein, 0g carbs, 0g fat.

The beef supplies most of the protein, while the sweet potato and palm sugar contribute carbohydrates. Oil used for frying contributes fat, and the beef also adds fat depending on the cut. Serve a moderate portion with steamed greens or salad to add vegetables to the plate.

The spice paste

Chillies: the two deseeded red chillies and the curly red chillies form the heat and colour of the paste. Adjust the amount only if you are intentionally changing the recipe’s spiciness.

Aromatics: shallots, garlic, galangal and lemongrass make up the rest of the paste. Grind them thoroughly so they cook evenly in the pan.

Simmering the beef

Seasoned liquid: water, salam leaves, salt, cinnamon, cloves, ginger and tamarind water infuse the beef as it cooks. Keep the heat gentle enough to simmer rather than boil vigorously.

Tenderness: the recipe gives no fixed simmering time, so check the meat as it cooks. It is ready for the next stage when it is tender enough to cut into pieces.

Getting the sweet potato crisp

Even strips: cut the sweet potato into similar-sized julienne pieces so they cook at much the same pace. Fry until golden and crisp, then set aside while you prepare the beef and paste.

Keep it separate: add the fried sweet potato at the end, as directed. This helps it retain some crispness instead of softening throughout the cooking.

Balancing the flavours

Sweetness: palm sugar rounds out the heat of the paste and the tang of the tamarind. Mix it thoroughly with the browned beef so it is distributed through the dish.

Salam leaves: these are Indonesian leaves used for their distinctive aroma, rather than an exact substitute for European bay leaves. If you cannot find them, the dish will still cook, though its flavour will differ.

Serving the dish

Gore Gore is served after the sweet potato has been mixed through the spiced beef. Steamed rice makes a straightforward accompaniment and soaks up the sauce.

For a fresh contrast, serve it with a simple salad or lightly cooked greens. Add them alongside rather than into the pan so the beef and sweet potato remain the focus.

Recipe notes & tips

• Cut the sweet potato into even strips so they brown at a similar rate.
• Fry the sweet potato until crisp before setting it aside.
• Grind the spice paste finely for an even texture.
• Simmer the beef gently and check it for tenderness before removing it.
• Brown the cooked beef in batches if the pan is crowded.
• Stir in the sweet potato just before serving to help it stay crisp.

Variations

• Milder paste: use fewer chillies if you want less heat.
• More tang: add tamarind water only in the stated amount, then serve with an extra wedge of lime if desired.
• Rice accompaniment: serve with steamed rice to make the meal more filling.
• Green side: add lightly cooked greens alongside for a fresh contrast.
• Different beef cut: choose a cut suited to slow simmering so it can become tender.

Common mistakes to avoid

• Uneven sweet potato strips: cut them to a similar thickness so they cook at the same pace.
• Soft fried potato: fry until golden and crisp before removing it from the pan.
• Rushed simmering: cook the beef until tender before cutting it into pieces.
• Burnt spice paste: keep it moving in the pan as it fries for 5 minutes.
• Crowded pan: brown the beef in batches if it cannot sit in a single layer.
• Early mixing: add the sweet potato at the end so it has less time to soften.

How to store

Refrigerate leftovers in a covered container and use within 3 days. Reheat thoroughly in a pan or microwave; the sweet potato may lose some crispness after storage.

Frequently asked questions