Soto Kudus: The Buffalo Soto

Ingredients

• 800 g water buffalo meat, bone-in, for broth
• 2 litres water, cold, for broth
• For the spice paste
• 4 cloves garlic, peeled
• 6 shallots, peeled and halved
• 3 cm fresh ginger, peeled and sliced
• 3 cm fresh galangal, peeled and sliced
• 2 stalks lemongrass, bruised
• 4 candlenuts, roughly crushed
• 1 tsp ground turmeric
• 1 tsp ground coriander
• For the garnishes
• 100 g bean sprouts, briefly blanched
• 4 hard-boiled eggs, halved
• 3 stalks spring onions, finely sliced
• 2 tbsp crisp-fried shallots
• 2 tbsp sambal, to serve alongside
• 4 portions steamed white rice, or rice vermicelli, to serve

Method

1. 1
   Place the buffalo meat and bones in a large pot with the cold water. Bring slowly to a simmer over medium heat, skimming the surface repeatedly until the broth runs clear and no further grey foam rises. The clarity of the broth at this stage determines the cleanliness of every bowl.
2. 2
   Pound or blend garlic, shallots, ginger, galangal, candlenuts, turmeric, and coriander into a coarse paste. Heat a small amount of oil in a pan and fry the paste with the bruised lemongrass over medium heat, stirring constantly, until the raw smell has fully departed and the paste is fragrant and slightly deepened in colour — this is where the dish lives or dies: an under-fried paste will leave the broth raw and flat; an over-fried paste will make it bitter.
3. 3
   Add the fried spice paste to the simmering buffalo broth. Continue to cook at a gentle, steady simmer until the meat is fully tender and yields without resistance when pressed, and the broth has taken on a velvety, gelatinous body from the buffalo's high collagen content.
4. 4
   Lift the meat from the broth. Shred or slice it against the grain into manageable pieces, discarding any bones. Return the meat to the strained broth. Taste and adjust for salt. The broth should coat the back of a spoon lightly — noticeably richer and more unctuous than a standard beef soto.
5. 5
   Arrange blanched bean sprouts and sliced spring onions in each bowl. Ladle the hot broth and buffalo meat over them. Crown with halved hard-boiled eggs and a scattering of crisp-fried shallots. Serve with steamed rice or rice vermicelli and sambal on the side. The broth should arrive at the table steaming, its surface glistening with a faint golden sheen from the turmeric.