Easy Beef Pares Recipe

Beef Pares is a Chinese influenced Filipino dish. The meat is stewed for several hours in a soy sauce – based broth, usually flavored with star anise. You can literally find beef pares anywhere in the Philippines. Yup! You read it right. Even in the busy street of Manila, you can find this manong pushing a cart selling beef pares.

Beef Pares is always paired with fried rice or noodle soup. Well, that’s what I usually see. I like it more with fried rice. You drizzle the beef pares with calamansi and few chili paste or oil and it is good to go.

I first tried it was several years ago with a friend at manong kariton or the beef pares found along the street and sold in a push cart. The street version beef pares is made up of beef meat and ligaments swimming in a thick sweet savory brown – colored broth. He’ll ask you if you want it with rice or noodle. You will be satisfied how affordable it is.

Hygienic aside, I don’t care. He has many suki or regular customers and nobody had complained of getting sick. And besides, some of the best foods can be found on the street, right? I’ve tried several beef pares and all of it has the distinct taste of star anise. Some are sweet, fatty and savory.

Well, after several years, I suddenly craved for beef pares and I decided to make my own beef pares. Usually, beef pares recipe used beef brisket as the main meat but I decided to use beef ribs instead. Everyone will agree that those extra bones will surely give additional flavor to the dish, right?

Ingredients

750 grams	Beef Ribs, chopped or Beef Brisket, cubed
3 Tablespoons	Olive Oil
6 cloves	Garlic, minced
1 bulb	Onion, chopped
2 Thumb – sized	Ginger, chopped
3 cups	Water
1 piece	Beef Bouillon Cube
1/4 cup	Anisado Wine
1/4 cup	Soy Sauce
1/2 teaspoon	Ground Black Pepper
3 pieces	Star Anise
1 Tablespoon	Dried Shrimp
1 Tablespoon	Sesame Oil
2 Tablespoons	Cornstarch
1/4 cup	Water
Salt
Chopped Green Onions

Procedure

Thoroughly clean the beef, drain and set aside.

Heat the pot and saute garlic, onion and ginger. Add the beef, water, bouillon cube, anisado wine, soy sauce and black pepper. You can add the star anise at this stage for a stronger flavor, although I decided to add it at the last stage since I want just a subtle flavor.

Boil and simmer the beef until it is tender. Maybe, about an hour to an hour and a half. Now add the star anise and dried shrimp, and simmer for another 15 minutes.

Remove the beef meat and drain the broth to remove the other solid. Bring the broth back to the pot and simmer. Premix cornstarch and water. Slowly add into the broth to thicken. Add back the beef meat and season with salt to taste. Garnish with chopped green onions.

Beef Pares is best served with drizzled calamansi and a little chili paste on the side if you want some kick. Pair it with warm fried rice for more enjoyable experience.