Happy Easter friends! Okay, my post is not something or any way related to eggs. Eggs is so popular during Easter because of the Easter Egg Hunt that kids really enjoy. Here in the Philippines, well in our family, Easter means meat day! It’s the day we can eat meat again.
My mom bought a kilo of beef yesterday and she wants beef caldereta for lunch. Being a cook and I don’t have anything in mind to write about, I gladly volunteered. Yup, its saves me money since I don’t have to buy my ingredients.
Beef caldereta is a Filipino beef stew in tomato sauce. It is a town fiestas and party staple dish. The beef is simmered for hours until fork tender and the sauce is of a drier to thicker consistency. That’s how I want my beef caldereta and that’s how I know beef caldereta. I don’t want the soupy type of caldereta. I want my beef caldereta similar to that of the Batangueno’s version. However, for today I decided to go with the thicker type of sauce. I also added some black olives and just for a change, I added a cup of red wine to the dish.
This is a simple dish and you can use a pressure cooker to shorten the cooking time. In my case, I decided to slow cook the meat so the beef could slowly absorb the flavor of the sauce. It took me 2 hours and a half to cook this dish but if you use a pressure cooker, it would be an hour less.
Ingredients
Olive oil
1 kilo Beef, cut into chunks
1 Tablespoon Olive Oil
2 pieces Chorizo, shredded
6 cloves Garlic, chopped
2 bulbs Onion, chopped
Black Pepper
2 Tablepsoons Fish Sauce (Patis)
2 Tablespoons Soy Sauce
2 Tablespoons Oyster Sauce
1 cup Red Wine
3 to 4 cups Water
115 grams Tomato Sauce
2 pieces Potatoes, cut into wedges
1/2 cup Frozen Peas
1 piece Bell Pepper
2 pieces Carrots, cut into chunks
1/4 cup Black Olives, sliced
1/4 cup Pickles, sliced
3 Tablespoons Liver Spread
Pinch of dried chili flakes, you can add more if you want it spicy
Salt to taste
Shredded quick melt cheese (Optional)
Procedures
Sear beef chunks in olive oil until brown on all sides. Set a side.
Stove grill the green pepper until the outside is tinted with char black color. We just want a hint of smokiness in the dish. Scrape of the charred skin, remove the seed and sliced. Set a side.
Saute the chorizo in olive oil. Keep stirring the chorizo to avoid burning and in a minute or two, the fat form the chorizo will started to come out. Add the garlic and onion one at a time until cook. Season with black pepper. Add in seared beef. Season with fish sauce, soy sauce and oyster sauce. Pour in red wine, two cups of water and tomato sauce. Simmer for 2 to 2 12 hours. Remember to check from time to time, roughly 20 minutes if the water is still enough. Add a cup at a time.
About 30 minutes before the cooking time is up, add potatoes, peas, and bell pepper and continues to simmer for 15 minutes. Add carrots, olives, pickles, liver spread and dried chili flakes. Season with salt. Simmer for another 15 minutes or you achieved your desired sauce thickness. Add the cheese. Served with ht steamed rice.
