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Soto Padang (Padang Beef Soup) originated in Padang in Sumatra island. Unlike Western soups, this dish is considered as main dish and served with glass noodles and Perkedel (Fried Potato Patties) because it is very filling. It takes time to make perkedel kentang since you will need to fry the potatoes, mash them, shape the patties out from the mashed potatoes, and fry the patties. So, you could either make the patties the day before and store in in the fridge or you can make them while you are simmering the beef stock. It takes about 2 hours to simmer the stock since it needs time to get the beef fork tender. So, this dish is not something you make when you are in a hurry. Since it takes about 3 hours to make this dish, this is not something I make every month. However, since the soup is so flavorful and delicious, I try to make it at least two or three times a year. If it takes too much efforts for you to make the patties, you can just fry the diced potatoes and serve the soup with them. Also if you want to save the time, you can also skip frying the cooked beef. Frying the beef provide texture to the soup since you fry the beef until it is crispy.

Like other Padang dishes, the dish is also spicy since it is served with chili sauce on the side. The spice paste for the soup also uses chili peppers. If you don't like it hot, you can reduce the amount of the chili peppers. In my recipe, I make the spice paste mild. So, if you like it very hot, use more chili peppers. While the spice paste is made mild, the chili sauce is made hot since it is served on the side. If you don't like it hot, you can skip making the chili sauce altogether. Since it is difficult to find chili peppers in Asian stores in my area, I substitute red chili peppers with sambal oelek made by Huy Fong brand. Their chili paste doesn't use garlic and shrimp paste and thus, I don't get additional flavor I don't want.

This recipe serves 4 people.

Ingredients:

• For beef broth: 1 lb beef tenderloin
• For beef broth: 1 liter water
• For beef broth: 2 cloves garlic, mashed
• For beef broth: 1/2 teaspoon coriander seeds, toasted
• For beef broth: 1/2 teaspoon salt
• For beef broth: 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• For chili sauce: 3 small shallots or 1 large shallot, sliced
• For chili sauce: 4 tablespoons sambal oelek or to taste. You can instead use fresh red chili peppers if you can find it in the stores.
• For chili sauce: 1 tablespoons vegetable oil
• For chili sauce: pinch of salt or to taste
• For chili sauce: 1/2teaspoon sugar or to taste
• For spice paste: 5 small shallots, sliced
• For spice paste: 3 cloves garlic, sliced
• For spice paste: 1/2 inch ginger, sliced
• For spice paste: 1.5 tablespoons vegetable oil
• For spice paste: 1 teaspoon sambal oelek or to taste. This recipe is mild. So, you can add more if you like it hot. Instead of using sambal oelek, you can use fresh red chili pepper if you can find it in the store.
• For spice paste: 1/4 teaspoon turmeric powder
• For spice paste: 1/4 teaspoon galangal powder
• For spice paste: 1 bay leave
• For spice paste: 3 kaffir lime leaves
• For spice paste: 1 lemongrass (white part only), smashed with the back of your knife to release the oil. Discard the green part of the lemongrass
• To fry the sliced cooked beef: vegetable oil
• For the soup: 1 clove
• For the soup: 1 teaspoon salt or to taste
• For the soup: 1/2 teaspoon sugar or to taste
• For the soup: pinch of black pepper
• 4 bunches or personal serving of glass noodles. Glass noodle package normally consists of several bunches or personal serving.
• perkedel (fried potato patties). Follow this recipe to make it. You can make perkedel while you are simmering the beef stock or you can make it a day ahead. You can also skip making perkedel and use fried diced potatoes instead.
• 1 green onion, sliced
• lime wedges
• Optional: fried onions

Methods:

1. Place all the beef stock ingredients in a pot. Cook it over high heat until it is boiling. Once it is boiling, reduce the heat to simmer and cover the pot with the lid. Cook it until the beef is fork tender (about 2 hours). Once the beef is fork tender, strain the liquid into a bowl. The liquid will be used for the soup. You can throw away the solid on the strainer, except the beef. Slice the beef thinly along the grain.
2. While making the beef stock, you can use the time to make chili sauce. To make chili sauce, place the shallots in the food processor. If you are using fresh red chili pepper, make sure you also put them in the food processor along with the shallots. Grind it until it is smooth. Heat up vegetable oil on a pan over medium high heat. Add ground shallots and sambal oelek. Saute it until shallots become soft. Add salt and sugar and mix to combine. Taste it and add more salt and sugar if needed. remove it from the heat. Transfer it to a small bowl.
3. While making the beef stock and after making chili sauce, you can use the time to make spice paste. To do that, add shallots, garlic, and ginger into a food processor. Process it until it becomes smooth paste. Heat vegetable oil on a pan over medium high heat. Add the ground paste into the pan. Saute it until the shallots becomes soft (about 5 min). Add sambal oelek, turmeric powder, galangal powder, bay leaves, kaffir lime leaves, and lemongrass into the pan. Stir fry it for about 1 min. Remove from the heat.
4. Heat vegetable oil on a frying pan over medium high heat. Using paper towel, pat dry sliced cooked beef. Fry the sliced cooked beef until it is crispy. There will be some splattering during frying, so make sure you put splatering screen on top of the frying pan to contain the oil. Once the beef is crispy, remove it using slotted spoon to drain excess oil as much as possible. Place the beef on a plate lined with paper towel. If you are pressed with time, you can skip frying the beef and serve it as is. Frying it adds crispy texture to the soup.
5. Transfer the cooked spice paste and beef stock into a pot. Add clove into the pot. Cook the soup until it is boiling. Once it is boiling, add salt, sugar, and pepper. Taste it and add more seasoning if needed. Put the lid and let it simmer for 15 min.
6. To serve it, place 1 personal serving of glass noodles in a bowl. Pour the soup liquid into the bowl. Top it with perkedel, fried beef, fried onions, green onion, and lime wedges. Serve it with chili sauce on the side.

Notes:

• If you are in a hurry, you can skip making perkedel by using diced potatoes and frying them instead. However, if you decide to make it, you can either make it a day ahead and store it in the fridge or make it while you are making the beef stock since it takes about 2 hours for the stock.
• If you are pressed with time, you can also skip frying the sliced cooked beef and serve it as is on top of the soup. If you decide to fry it, use splattering screen to prevent the oil from splattering all over the place.

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