The Rice Table Recipe #1: Iga Bakar Konro

In the Makassar language, “konro” refers to beef. When visiting the capital of South Sulawesi, you’ll encounter various konro dishes, such as konro soup and iga bakar konro (grilled ribs), offered at numerous restaurants and street food spots.

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For Chef Vindex Tengker, who was a judge on Season 1 of MasterChef Indonesia and served as the Vice President of Inflight Services at Garuda Indonesia, iga bakar konro holds a special place as a cherished family dish. Although his ancestors are Manadonese from Tana Toraja, they have a deep appreciation for this dish, which boasts a unique blend of flavours. The ribs are seasoned with an array of spices, including the kluwak fruit, and coated with peanut sauce before being grilled, creating a harmonious mix of savoury, sweet, and smoky aromas.

To achieve the best results, choose beef ribs with a higher meat-to-fat ratio. For quicker tenderisation, you can use a pressure cooker and refrigerate the ribs overnight to enhance the texture, ensuring they remain firm and intact during grilling.

Ingredients

1. Boil the cut beef ribs for three minutes, then rinse with clean water
2. Prepare a large pan, sauté the ground spices until cooked, then add 2 liters of water
3. Add the boiled beef ribs and coarse spices. Let it boil and reduce the heat
4. Cook the beef ribs until tender. Or you can use a pressure cooker for a faster process
5. Remove the beef ribs and coat with the seasoning spread. Grill until browned
6. For peanut sauce, puree all ingredients and cook with boiled rib water. Cook until thick
7. Serve Iga Konro Bakar with peanut sauce, buras and sambal colo-colo.

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