Braised Oxtail

There are many people that I know,  including a good number of FF's own family and most of my foreigner friends,  don't like oxtail dishes. For them, it's either too bony or too fatty and not to mention , they abhor that gelatinous texture of the  a slow and thoroughly- cooked meat .

I on the other hand, love oxtail meat for exactly the same reasons. Meat closest to the bone is always the tastiest  in my opinion. The fat and the tendon, which is abundant in this particular cut of meat , give the  dish an extra fall-of- the- bone texture and is just perfect for...gnawing.

The best part is, compare to filets, tenderloin  and other prime cuts of meat, oxtail  is relatively cheap. So, gather your oxtail loving brood and give this recipe a try!

Ingredients:
Serves 6

1.5 Kgs Oxtail, washed and pat dry

1/4 cup olive oil for frying

3 medium sized onion, diced

6 clove of garlic, minced

500 g tomatoes, chopped

400 g tomato sauce

1 tbsp. Thymes

3 bay leaves 

2 star anise

800 ml beef broth

salt and pepper to taste

Coriander for garnishing

Method:

1. Wash and pat oxtail meat dry. Cut off excess fat if necessary. Season generously with salt and pepper.
2. Heat olive oil in casserole dish. Once hot, brown meat on all sides. Take out from the pot and set aside.
3. Add onion and garlic into the casserole. Saute until aromatic. Put the meat back into the casserole. Stir in tomato. Add in tomato sauce and broth, bring to a boil then cover.   Lower the heat.
4.  Add in thymes , star anise and bay leaves. Simmer meat under medium low heat for 2-1/2 to 3 hours or until meat is fork tender. Check sauce, it thickens as it cooks. If the dish becomes too dry, add a cup of broth while cooking .
5. Season with salt and pepper. Garnish with coriander leaves and serve with your favourite sides. Potato , pasta or rice. Your call!

Bola Bola Recipe

Some like 'em big, while others prefer 'em pop-in-the-mouth-small. Beef, pork, veal or poultry , anything slaughtered and minced could be turn into this bite size delectable treats. Deep fried or baked, spicy or not, dry or with sauce, making Meatballs or ''Bola Bola'' as Filipinos fondly call it,  is as versatile as it could get.

The are probably thousands of Meatball recipes out there, but this I keep. I got it from my husband's aunt. You know those terse and tight lip Tantes, who spend most of their lives in the kitchen, making sure that the rest of the family is well fed and deliciously so? She is that kind of Tante. A Tante who plays deaf to this silly little nonsense called   '' diet'' and doesn't tolerate '' too-much-carbs'' or '' too  much butter'' gibbering at her dining table either. No wonder everybody and I mean everybody in the family is keen to be in her kitchen..on diet or not!

Ingredients:

Extra-virgin olive oil

1 large onion, finely diced

4 cloves of garlic, minced

400 g minced beef
200 g minced pork

2 large eggs

1 cup Parmesan cheese

a handful of parsley, chopped

1 bun or 2 slices of loaf bread, soaked in 1/4 cup of milk

1 tsp. of Worcestershire sauce

salt and pepper

Tabasco sauce, optional

 1. Soak bun or loaf bread slices in milk until it absorbs the liquid.

2. Heat olive oil in a pan, sauté onion until soft and translucent. Add in minced garlic. Take out from the heat and let it cool. 

 3. In a mixing bowl, put together minced meat, cheese, parsley, eggs and milk- soaked bread. Mix  everything until well combine.

 4. Add in sautéed onion, garlic and Worcestershire sauce and tabasco sauce , if using.  Season generously with salt and pepper. Form into balls. I like them not too small and not too big. About the size of a golf ball.

6. Heat olive oil in a pan, brown meat balls .

7. Transfer in a baking pan, lined with baking paper. Bake in a preheated oven ( 180° C) for about 15 minutes.

Serve on rice with ketchup like any sensible Pinoy, or go Italian and eat it with tomato sauce and spaghetti. Your call!

Malay Beef Curry

Spices intimidate the bejesus out of me. Pretty normal if one has to deal with something unfamiliar  .  Like, driving a car for the first time, pricking a stranger with a sharp, pointy object as student nurse or  cooking a foreign  ingredient. I wish,  I could say that  I grew up watching my own mother cook or have anybody in my family taught me the ways of the kitchen. But, it was not the case . Numerous cookbooks and food blogs helped me feed my husband through the years. Looking at his and my now- widening girth, I guess, I'm not doing a bad job. But truth remains, I still don't know what herb goes well with what meat. Equally clueless at  what and how much spices I should use in a particular dish. Unlike most Asian cuisines, Filipino kitchen is not as spice laden as its neighbor. We  rarely use cloves, cardamom ,nutmeg and the likes in our cooking, thus making me, an ultimate but average asin (salt) at paminta(pepper) Jane. 

Now, my good Friend Nancy is just the opposite. Being Malaysian, she is expose to the amalgam of her Malay roots, as well as Chinese and Indian influences that are well represented in her country. The contents of her German kitchen is as diverse as her heritage. Glasses are filled with all things aromatic and pungent, spices and herbs she had long mustered and used. She makes impressive curries. Rich, earthy,  very flavourful, enough heat to tickle the palate and  simply über-delicious . It's so good, people ask her a potful of that  for birthdays as a present! 

Her famous Kari Lembu ( Malay Beef Curry) is phenomenal. Secret? Confluencing Malaysian cooking and Indian spices. I have been begging for recipe since I've tried it . Finally,  last month, I was greatly rewarded. I went home with a copy of that recipe, a pack of her Indian curry powder , a bottle of filled with different spices and the widest grin my mouth would allow. My husband was ecstatic ! He loves Indian food and Nancy's curry! 

It was a sunny and warm Saturday but instead of going out and soaking up Vit. D, I was busy in the Kitchen like a woman possessed. FF was breathing on my neck, cutting onions, peeling potatoes, washing dishes and throwing speculative glances on the wok . As the wondrous smell starts to waft  through the Kitchen, he whiffed and sigh looking relieved and hopeful. Hmmm, smells like we're at Namaskaar . Our favorite Indian Restaurant. I grew an inch taller. We ate it for lunch on Sunday, for like all stews, this curry tasted much much better on the next day.We had some home-made , still pipping hot Naan bread and mango lassi with it. This was the very first Indian inspired meal I cooked at home. FF said, it was his best meal at home so far. I grew another mm taller and few inches rounder. Thank you,Nancy!

 Kari Lembu ala Nancy

1 kg beef for stewing, cubed. ( could be replaced with chicken or lamb)

1 stalk lemon grass, crushed and sliced

Spices ( 1 cinnamon stalk, 3 Star anise, 4-5 Cardamon pods, 5-6 cloves)

1 big onion, peeled and finely diced.

5-6 tbsp. Mandras Indian Curry Powder ( mild )

5 tbsp. oil for sautéing 

4 tomatoes, sliced into wedges

4 medium sized potatoes, peeled and sliced

300 ml water

1 small can coconut milk

Salt and pepper
few sprigs of curry leaves

Optional* dried chili's

Cooking Procedure:

1.Heat oil in the pan/wok. Sauté onion and lemongrass until aromatic. Stir in curry powder and the spices. Add chili powder/flakes if using. Be careful not to burn the curry.

2. Add the meat ( beef, chicken or lamb). Stir well until each piece of meat is slathered in aromatic curry. Turn heat to high, keep stirring until meat is thoroughly brown . Add in tomato wedges. Pour water into the meat and spices mixture. Bring to a boil the lower the heat , cover and let the dish simmer gently until meat is fork tender. I cooked my beef for about 2 1/2 hours. Chicken cooks faster. I haven't cooked lamb at home so I can not tell. Stir once in a while to prevent meat from sticking at the bottom of the pan. Add half a cup of water if dish turns too dry.

3. Once meat is just tender, add in sliced potatoes and coconut milk. Cook dish for another 15 minutes . Stir in Curry leaves .Check potatoes for doneness. Season dish with salt and pepper and enjoy!

Malay Beef Curry

Thick, rich, aromatic and so, so yummy!This recipe is a keeper!

Bistek Tagalog

I saw a picture of this dish on the Internet last week and  decided to give it a try. The whiff of lime and soy sauce emitting from the kitchen was so comforting.  It felt like I'm back home at my Nanay's kitchen. How I treasure those worry-less days. Nothing but finishing a homework is expected of me.  Mothers are really astonishing creatures. Nobody irritates a growing child more than their constant nagging and fast tract lecturing . My Nanay is renowned for her well developed bronchi. She could out-bellow a howling yeti any day. She's louder than any alarms I know every existed and  I swear, if she were born 2000 years ago, she could have risen Jesus on the second day. My brothers and I used to call her " Ang Kanyon" or  " The Machine Gun "  behind her back.  Yup, artillery,  for we go spread out faster than  any germs, cowering to dodge her booming vocal bullets, every time her infamous alto zooms  our way . Fast forwarding 25 years. Now,  I run my own household, pay my own taxes, settle my own bills, solve my own problems, find my own stuff , clean my own mess and cook for my own family . I somehow misses the time when she shrieks my name when dinner's getting cold and I'm still in my room, reading Tagalog pocket books. Aaahh those were the golden days. Why do we have to grow up and so, so damn fast?

Ingredients:

500 g sirloin or tender cut beef, sliced thinly

Juice from 3 limes

5 cloves of garlic, crushed 

1/2 cup light soy sauce , 1/4 cup dark soy sauce

1 tbsp brown sugar

1 tbsp corn starch

2 large onions, cut into rings

Oil for sautéing

Salt and lots and lots of pepper.

1.Marinate beef in lime juice, garlic, soy sauce and lots and lots of pepper. It's my personal preference by the way. Cover and refrigerate for few hours or overnight. Strain meat, keep the marinade.

2. Dissolve sugar and starch in the soy sauce and lime mixture. Set aside.Heat a bit of oil in a pan. Sauté onion rings until aromatic. Don't let it soften too much. Take out from the pan and set aside.

3.On the same pan, add a bit of oil and stir fry beef  with crushed garlic under high heat. Takes about 3 minutes. Don't overlook the beef otherwise , it turns tough and leathery. Put sautéed  onions back into the pan. Season with salt. Add in more pepper if you prefer it peppery like me.

4. Mix the soy sauce and lime juice mixture thoroughly, then,  add into the pan. Toss and stir. Done!

 Goes well with blanched broccoli and garlic rice. Enjoy!

Beef Caldereta

Calderetang Baka or beef stew is probably my husband's favorite Filipino dish. We consider it so special , we usually serve it here at home, in many occasions. That fact that it taste way better when reheated the next day, makes it a great and time saving party alternative.

There are few tricks that I've come up with, during my years of cooking caldereta. I enjoy food, that's no question. I'm also quick to compliment anybody,  friend , chef or relative , who could cook and serve an excellent dish. But,  I never claim to be a good cook myself  and even admit that I'm a mediocre baker. However, I'm telling you now, I make mean Caldereta ! It's so good, I managed to feed the pickiest eater in my husband's family, Princess L. She usually turns her nose to almost everything served to her, expect those cooked by her own mom. Having her eat anything in party, may it be at a relative's home or restaurants, is as easy as convincing  a cat to eat a carrot. 
She came with her grandma and grandpa at FF's birthday celebration.  I made some Caldereta among other things.  Like always, everybody's already busting a carotid just to have her eat or at least try anything. Spring roll, satays, curries and many things, most European like having since they can't have it at home. She skeptically surveyed the spread, hesitantly ordered some potatoes from the Caldereta . ''Just potatoes, please!'', she says. So 2 sauce-laden potato wedges were placed on her plate, which she first nibbled timidly , then swallowed. Then she stated eating, with less reluctance, if I may add. ''More sauce, please.'', she asked for picky as she is, Princess L is one sweet girl. Then comes the sauce. ''Can I some pasta too?''. Before we know it, Princess L got a full serving of Pasta Calderta! Beef, sauce, peas and all!  I felt like superwoman that day, almost grew another nice taller. That's one achievement , many great aunties still have to accomplish. 

Anyway, back to the home tricks that I developed:

* Instead of frying potatoes, boiled it whole, with skin on. Many recipes ask for fried potatoes. Potatoes tend to break apart and become starchy when cooked in stews. That's why, to hold its shape, many cooks fry it. Boiling the potatoes the day before make it firmer, plus it's healthier too. The potatoes stay firm even after it is served the next day.

* Use beef leg shank. It has lots of tough and leathery connective tissues. Is it bad? No! Once cooked well and throuroughly, it becomes tender and almost gelatinous, adding not only richness but flavour to the dish as well.

* Marinate beef chunks few hours or preferable overnight. Marinated meat taste better.

* Use beer during stewing. Alcohol with be cooked and evaporates during the cooking process, making it child-friendly, but beers flavor sticks to the dish. It will be robust and rich, plus it adds great color too . It also helps tenderize the meat.

* Use lot and lots of onion. If you don't intend to  French kiss your hot neighbor while cooking, put enough onions into the dish. Onion gives it sweetish flavor and make the dish aromatic.

* Lastly,Cook caldereta long and slow. Like every good stews, it need time. Don't rush it . Let the meat and the spices, dance and party  together , sweating it out and bring each other to a placid and tender end. 


Now, there goes the secret of my happy marriage. Let's start cracking!

Ingredients:

1,5 - 2 kg beef shank, cubed and bones removed

2 large onions, chopped ( when I say large, I mean really large, each weigh more than 300 g)

2 whole heads of garlic, mashed

1/4 cup soy sauce

2   limes or calamansi

Oil for sautéing 

5 cooked potatoes

4 big carrots

4 stalks celery

5 medium sized  tomatoes, chopped

Few bay leaves
1 cup green peace
a handful of olives,sliced.

1 bottle beer ( 400 ml) 

1 L warm beef stock or water

5 tbsp Tomato purée/Paste or 1 can  ( 350 ml) of tomato sauce

1 can liver pate ( pate has a milder flavor. I don't like the caldereta to have a strong liver-y taste)

Instructions:

1. Boil the potatoes in water with skin on until cooked. Takes about 15 - 20 minutes depending on the potatoes' size . To test , prick cook potatoes with the tip of a knife. If it could be pierced, with little  pressure halfway through, then it is cooked. Discard water, keep potatoes. Cool off completely before peeling and cutting. Could be made a day ahead.

2.Remove bone from the beef shank. By Thor's mallet, don't you dare throw those bones! You see that marrow? That's gold mine you're holding. Cut meat into 2-3 inches cubes.

 3.Marinate meat in 2 whole and mashed garlic, juice of  the limes and 1/4 cup soy sauce for few hours or overnight.  

You could also use Paprika powder and chili flakes for some spicy kicks.

4.Heat oil in the pan. Brown meat along with the crushed garlic. Keep the marinade. 

 5.Add in chopped onion , stir until aromatic. Add in chopped celery. Putting celery stalks is a personal choice. I like the aroma and taste it renders to the stew. Sauté for about 5 minutes.Add in marinade into the pot. Stir until well blended. Let it cook for few more minutes. Chop tomatoes and add into the pot, stir well.

6.Pour the beer into the meat. Let it boil uncovered until liquid reduces into half. Dish will be very aromatic by then.  Throw in bay leaves.

7.Dissolve tomato purée/paste in broth or water. If using tomato sauce, just add into into the meat.Add about 800 ml tomato and broth mixture into the pot. Remember those bone I'm practically begging you to save? Throw it in to pot! Season dish with  salt and pepper. Bring to a rolling boil, once boiling, cover pot. Turn heat to medium low and let it simmer gently until beef is tender. Takes around 3 1/2  hours . If the dish become too dry and too thick, just add cup full of water, stir once in a while. 

8.Dissolve the liver pate in the remaining tomato broth.  Add into the pot.Crack up the heat. Let it simmer for another 15 minutes . Be careful not to burn the meat at the bottom of the pot. Some people stir in cheese in their Caldereta, if you want a cheesy note in your stew, feel free to stir in some cheddar cheese.

9.Add peeled boiled potatoes, then carrots, . Let it simmer for  around 10 more minutes. Few minutes before serving, stir in the bell peppers, green peas and sliced black olives. Test taste and season again with salt and pepper if necessary. Serve with white rice or your favorite pasta.

Pasta Caldereta with cheddar cheese.

Culinary Adventure: Cuba

In my first culinary- adventure post, I took a tiny peek into the Mexican culture by trying out and cooking a dish common in that land. Since the result of that gustatory experiment was more than just satisfying, I decided to seach another spanish speaking region and see if I could dig a bit deeper into its cuisine (which is in some way  influenced mine by the way). The mexican Quasadilla  was to my opinion quite easy to make.Since I have few days off this week, I decided to take on a more hmmm challenging task . This time, I am off to discover latin America through my tongue.

I found myself wandering in the land of sunshine and beautiful shores,rum and refreshing cocktails, cigars and coffee,  drums, music , sexy latin dances and the home of Fidel Castro ....yes peeps, I landed ( virtually of course)  in Cuba!

Que bola, asere?

            

Although, everything mentioned above are worth discussing, I would stick to my goal since this is a rather short trip.That is :to   stop by, look around ( thanks Google!) eat and savor something which is common in this country and go. Wow, if only life would be that easy! To be honest, I haven't tried any cuban foods before ( which makes it more exciting) so I can't say much about its cuisine in general. This is actually the first time that I tried, cooked and tasted Cuban Food.
The expereicment was fun but  although the result of the  hours and hours in the kitchen was devinely delicious, I must admit that, I did bite more than I could chew. The whole preparation was time consuming and very messy. Yes, It was a hand job and I  have to use my upper limbs ( all 6 of them) to make these yummy treats. So ladies and gentlemen, since I can't have some of those cubanese sunshine, bathe in its powdery shores and and learn salsa from a local then I might as well bring something from that land closer to me.And so  I made:

                                Papas Rellenas de Picadillo  

           ( Meat stuffed Potato croquettes)

I started off by making Picadillo. It is similar to Filipino's giniling recipe. First I browned ( 300 g) of grounded beef in a bit of oil. Then season it with salt and pepper.

In anothe pan, I made  Sofrito. Heres how to do it. Heat oil and suatee 1 small chopped onion until translucent. Add in 3 finely chopped garlic cloves and 2 medium sized  diced tomatoes, 1 red bell pepper,chopped.  Add in cooked ground meat.Stir in some oregano and 1 or two bay leaves.

Let the meat simmer for few minutes until bell pepper is tender. Add in 1 small can of diced tomatoes and season Picadillo with salt and pepper. Set aside and cool completely. 

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I then prepared the mashed potato dumpling. I peeled about a kilo of it, boil it in salted water until fully cooked. Took about 30 minutes.

I needed some extra muscle so I asked FF to use our potato masher.  Here's how it was done. Sprinkle enough flour on a working surface. You could use a big mixing bowl but I prefer to knead things on a flat surface. I let the mashed potato cool off for a while (hot ingredients + hand = self inflicted pain ) . Then I season the potatoes with enough salt, white pepper and paprika powder. I then cracked three eggs into the potatoes.It will bind the mixture together.

Knead the whole mixture until mashed potatoes firm up. If its necessary, add in few more mashed potatoes or flour. You probably need the second pair of hand for that. Once the mashed potato is of right consistency, firm but not dry, still soft but not mushy, let it cool off complety. You could refrigerate it as this point.

Prepare three large bowl, fill the first one with flour, the next with 2 beaten eggs and the last with bread crumbs. With your (third) hand, use a spoon to scoop a handful of mashed potato. Flatten it at the palm of your hand . Make a dent at the center and  spoon in a tablespoon of Picadillo stuffing ( you probably need a fourth hand to do that). Enclose the filling by forming a ball, sealing it carefully ( adding a spoonful of mashed potato if necessary). Then dip the potato ball in flour, then carefully into the beaten eggs. Lastly roll it into the bowl of breadcrumbs.
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Heat enough oil in the fryer . Deep fry the patato balls until golden brown. make sure to constantly turn it around since it tend to burn fast.

 Papas rellenas is a texural delight. There was a barely- there  hint of crusty exterior that gives way at the lightest of touch revealing a  tantalizing  layer with a smooth and velvety insides. The Picadillo was bursting with flavor and blends perfectly well with the mashed potato giving the whole dish a succession  of crunchy- gooey-savory sensation. Kanin at ulam in one!I could almost hear some cuban beat in every mouthful!  Muy delicioso!