There are several good recipe references on prior threads (see here, here, here. The restaurant versions I’ve enjoyed have a complexity of spices that I’d look for or adjust for in a recipe – star anise, clove, cinnamon, pepper, maybe more (often there are recipe simplifications that leave them out).
But also, if you don’t already stock most of the ingredients, there are at Malaysian rendang pastes available at Asian stores (same idea as Thai curry paste, except these are packets, not cans or jars) that would much simplify the exercise of trying the dish! (This and this are available near me.)
I believe lamb is traditional, but I have eaten mostly beef rendang near me in nyc.
Finally, the dish really benefits from a rest to let everything meld – so make extra so you have leftovers if you can’t resist digging in the first day!
