Beef Pares

During my college days in UST, it was said that you’re not a real Thomasian if you’ve never tasted Beef Pares at the Original Pares House along Espana near Maceda St. in Sampaloc, Manila. I remember being first introduced to this place by my boyfriend (now, my hubby) and his friends, and how it became our most frequent dining place. Their beef pares is the best! It has the right blend of sweetness that makes it so delicious!!!

So what is Beef Pares? Beef Pares is a juicy tender stewed beef in sweet brown sauce, which is one of the most famous street foods in the Philippines. It is called pares which means “pair”, because this meat dish is served with a pair of garlic fried rice (sinangag) and beef soup. What makes the beef pares stand out from other beef-and-rice dishes is its very tender meat and its aromatic sweet sauce.

One very important consideration when cooking this is the right cut of meat. Beef brisket for me is the ideal cut for making beef pares. It has lots of ligaments (litid)) which will help achieve a texture that is tender and sticky at the same time.

Beef Pares has become a comfort food to the rice loving Filipinos. Try this beef pares recipe. I’m pretty sure you’ll fall in love with it! I included here the procedure on how to make the garlic fried rice & beef soup that you have to serve with the beef stew. After all, it can’t be called pares without the rice & the soup.

Prep Time: 10 mins          Cook Time: ~2 1/2 hours           Servings: 6-8                      

Ingredients: 

For beef stew:

• 2 lbs. beef brisket, uncut
• ½ cup soy sauce
• ½ cup brown sugar
• 3 pcs. star anise
• 1 tsp ginger, minced
• 1 bay leaf
• ½ tsp black pepper
• 1 stalk green onion,  chopped (for garnishing)
• Salt to taste

For the soup:

• 3 stalks green onions, cut into 2-inch length
• 1 medium size onion, quartered
• ½ head garlic, chopped
• 1 pc beef cube
• 1 tsp peppercorns
• 1 stalk green onions, finely chopped (for garnishing)

For the garlic fried rice:

• 5 cups cooked rice
• 6 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 Tbsp olive oil
• Salt to taste

Ginataang Kalabasa at Sitaw (Squash & String Beans in Coconut Milk)

Ginataan is a Filipino term which refers to food cooked with gata, which is the Filipino word for coconut milk. You can cook anything with gata: beef, pork, poultry, seafood, vegetables, and fruits...so in the Philippines, ginataan is a name shared by various desserts and viands.

Here’s a very simple but delectable vegetable dish cook with coconut milk. It is called Ginataang Kalabasa at Sitaw (Squash & String Beans in Coconut Milk). It is my favorite Filipino vegetable dish. Some cook this as ginataang kalabasa or ginataang sitaw alone. I prefer cooking them together because I love the healthy combination of kalabasa & sitaw as well as the very appealing color of these vegetables when cooked together.

Ginataang Kalabasa at Sitaw is a healthy dish and is a real crowd pleaser!  See for yourself!

Prep Time: 10 mins          Cook Time: ~25 mins           Servings: 6                             

Ingredients:

• 1 small kalabasa(squash), peeled, seeds removed and cubed
• 12-15 pcs. sitaw (string beans), cut into 2 ½ inch length
• 1¼ cup coconut cream/kakang gata (I used 12-oz can coconut cream.)
• ½ lb. pork liempo, sliced into 1½ inch strips
• ¼ lb. shrimps, peeled & deveined
• 1 small onion, sliced thinly
• 5 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 thumb-sized ginger, cut into 1 inch strips (optional)
• 1 Tbsp sautéed shrimp paste (I used Barrio Fiesta’s bottled Sauteed Shrimp Paste.)
• 2 Tbsp fish sauce
• salt and pepper to taste

Chicken Arroz Caldo

Arroz Caldo which literally means "rice soup" is a favorite comfort food among many Filipinos. Despite its Spanish name, this dish is actually an adaptation of the Chinese congee or porridge. It is flavored with chicken, garlic, ginger, and safflower (kasubha). The latter is our local saffron which gives arroz caldo an appealing aroma, not to mention the bright yellow tinge.

Arroz Caldo, which best represents the mixture of Filipino heritage combining Spanish, Chinese and Filipino flavors is perfect for someone having a bad cold. It's also great during rainy weather. It is one dish that you can eat any time of the day. We, Filipinos eat it for breakfast, lunch, dinner and even merienda (snack).

A hot bowl of arroz caldo with a squeeze of calamansi or lemon is my family's favorite during winter season here in Texas. It can truly give us warmth and comfort. Try it!

Prep Time: 10 mins          Cook Time: ~50 mins           Servings: 8-10                            

Ingredients:

• 1 whole cornish chicken (about 1 ½ lb), cut into serving pieces then sprinkled with a pinch of salt & pepper (Some prefer boneless chicken breast. You can use any part you prefer. As for me, I use Cornish chicken most of the time.)
• 2 Tbsp olive oil
• 6 cloves garlic , minced
• 1 medium sized onion, minced
• 2 thumb sized ginger, julienned
• 2 pcs. Knorr chicken cube
• 2 cups uncooked rice (I use 1 cup jasmine rice and 1 cup glutinous rice)
• 8 cups water
• 3 Tbsp fish sauce
• 1 Tbsp safflower (kasubha)
• 5 stalks green onion, chopped
• 4 Tbsp fried garlic, for garnish (You may used store-bought or you can make your own. Simply stir-fry 1/2 cup chopped garlic in 1/8 cup olive oil until golden brown. Drain and allow to completely cool down before storing in a tightly sealed container)
• 6 pcs hard boiled eggs or a dozen hard boiled quail eggs, peeled (My daughters love quail eggs. I use 1 can quail eggs to eliminate the hassle of boiling then peeling them one by one.)
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 2 pcs Lemon (optional) 

Easy Filipino Paella

Paella is a saffron-flavored Spanish dish made with varying combinations of rice, vegetables, meat, chicken and seafood. It takes its name from the paellera, the two-handled frying pan in which the dish is traditionally cooked. We Filipinos have created our own version of paella and it differs in every region.  This recipe that I’m going to share with you is for me, the easiest of them all. In this one, you can precook the rice using mussels and chicken broth instead of plain water. Precooking the rice will allow you to cook the rice according to the consistency you want and using broth will give the rice the tasty flavors of mussels & chicken. And whether you use a paellera or just an ordinary pan, you’ll surely get a delicious paella. Try it!

 Prep Time: 25 mins          Cook Time: ~25 mins           Servings: 6-8                             

Ingredients:

• 5-6 cups of cooked rice (cooked in tahong and/or chicken broth)
• 12 pcs. tahong, cleaned & boiled
• ½ lb shrimp, cleaned
• ½ lb squid, cleaned and cut into rings
• 1 chorizo de Bilbao or Chinese chorizo, sliced diagonally
• 1 boiled chicken breast, cut into strips (sprinkle chicken with salt & pepper then boil until cooked)
• 6 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 onion, chopped
• 1 Tbsp ginger, minced
• 1 *8-oz. can tomato sauce
• 1 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce
• ½ red bell pepper, cut into strips (I prefer using Jalapeño pepper sliced into rings and seeds removed because I like it mildly hot. But if you prefer a light sweet flavor, use red bell pepper, or you can use both. )
• 1 pc bay leaf
• ½ cup fresh or frozen green peas
• a pinch of saffron
• salt and pepper to taste
• 3 Tbsp olive oil for sautéing
• 2 pcs lemon, sliced

Binagoongang Baboy (Pork in Shrimp Paste)

Another all-time favorite recipe of Filipinos, especially in Central Luzon is the Binagoongang Baboy or Pork in Shrimp Paste. There are those who like their binagoongan succulently soft while there are others who love theirs with a crispy bite. My daughters don’t like the pork crispy so I frequently cook this deliciously tender version, and they just love it with hot rice! 

It is true that Binagoongang Baboy is one of the considered wickedly delicious Filipino dishes, but for the shrimp paste loving Filipinos, this dish is simply irresistible! This is one dish that my youngest daughter describes as “yummy in my tummy”. I love cooking my binagoongan with vegetables like pechay (bok choi) and string beans. You should try it!

Prep Time: 10 mins          Cook Time: ~50 mins           Servings: 6                                 

Ingredients:

• 2 lbs. pork, any cut of your choice though liempo (pork belly) is most commonly used (I use country style ribs which has less fat than liempo to reduce the wickedness of this dish) 
• 6 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 medium size onion, chopped
• 2 Tbsp sauteed bagoong alamang (I use Barrio Fiesta’s bottled Sauteed Shrimp Paste which adds mild sweetness to this dish.)
• 2 Tbsp salted shrimp paste (this is the regular shrimp paste that we can buy in public markets in the Phils., the one that is really pink in color. I use bottled Pangasinan Salted Shrimp Fry)
• 12 pcs. string beans, cut to 2 in length
• 3 bundles small pechay (bok choi)
• 1 pc jalapeño pepper, cut into rings and seeds removed
• 1 Tbsp brown sugar
• 2 tbsp olive oil for sautéing
• ¼ cup water
• a pinch of black pepper

Tinolang Tahong (Mussels in Ginger Broth)

Tinola which is a ginger based soup, is an authentic Filipino dish that can be cooked with either meat or seafood. One of my favorite variations of it is the Tinolang Tahong or Mussels in Ginger Broth. This is a very nutritious and delicious soup that is basically made with mussels, garlic, onion, ginger and leafy greens like pechay, spinach, or chili leaves. In the Philippines, it is a favorite during rainy season. It is the simplest and inexpensive Pinoy way of cooking tahong that gives a very refreshing broth.

I'm sure you will love it!

Prep Time: 5 mins          Cook Time: ~15 mins           Servings: 6                             

Ingredients:

• 2 lbs shelled tahong (mussels) - I use boxed blanched half shelled mussels since fresh tahong isn’t available here.
• 1 thumb size ginger, sliced into strips (You can use more ginger if you want to add more zest to your soup)
• ½ head garlic, minced
• 1 medium size onion, sliced
• 3-4 bundle small Pechay (Bok Choi) or 1 bundle spinach, washed and trimmed (I prefer pechay because of its crunchy texture)
• 2 Tbsp fish sauce
• 2 Tbsp vegetable oil
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 4 cups water (You can use 3 cups water & 1 cup sprite if you want mild sweetness in your soup. I prefer the zest so I just use more ginger instead)

Bistek Tagalog

Bistek Tagalog or Filipino Beefsteak is a very delicious beef recipe that is so easy to prepare and doesn’t require much ingredients. Basically, you can cook this with just beef, soy sauce, kalamansi(a small citrus fruit that is very popular in the Philippines) and onions. But to enhance the taste, I add pineapple juice to the marinade, and because kalamansi is not so common here in Texas, I use lemon instead. For this recipe, you can use any of the following beef cuts: chuck, flank, skirt or sirloin steaks. Most of the time, I use beef chuck. As long as you tenderize your beef well enough, the type of cut won't really matter.

You should really try this simple yet great tasting recipe! You won’t regret it!

Prep Time: 2 hours & 30 mins          Cook Time: ~45 mins           Servings: 6                 

Ingredients:

• 2 lbs beef sirloin (or other cuts like chuck, flank or skirt), thinly sliced and tenderized
• 2 pcs. lemon, squeezed and strained (or 5-6 pcs. kalamansi)
• 1 cup soy sauce
• ½ cup pineapple juice
• ½ tsp ground black pepper
• 6 cloves garlic, minced (3 cloves for marinade & 3 cloves for sautéing)
• 2 large red onions, sliced into rings (you can also use white or yellow onions. I just prefer red onions because of its very sharp flavor)
• 2 Tbsp vegetable oil
• salt & pepper to taste

Brazo de Mercedes

Brazo de Mercedes is a soft meringue roll with custard filling which is popular in the Philippines either as dessert or snack. As for me, I enjoy it as a dessert. I love it because it's not only heavenly, it is also easy to prepare and doesn't require that much ingredients.

The only tricky part in making brazo de mercedes is how to attain the perfect consistency of the meringue and how to keep it moisture free so it won't fall flat. Well, just see to it that you won't over beat the meringue, and be sure that everything you will use in making it is dry, from the bowl, the whisk to the spatula...and I assure you that you'll come up with the perfect brazo de mercedes! :) 

So what are you waiting for??? Try it now!

Prep Time: 10 mins          Cook Time: ~25 mins           Servings: 8                             

Ingredients:
For Meringue:

• 10 egg whites
• ½ tsp cream of tartar
• ¾ cup granulated sugar

Filling:

• 10 egg yolks
• 1 *12oz. can condensed milk
• 2 tsp fresh lemon extract 

Topping:

• 5 Tbsp confectioners sugar

Pancit Palabok

For my first recipe here on Pinay In Texas Cooking Corner, I want to share with you one of my husband's favorite, i.e., Pancit Palabok. 

Pancit or pansit is the term for noodles in Filipino cuisine. Noodles were introduced into the Philippines by the Chinese and have since been adopted into our local cuisine. According to Wikipedia, the term pancit is derived from the Hokkien pian i sit (Chinese: 便ê食; Pe̍h-ōe-jī: piān-ê-si̍t) which means "something conveniently cooked fast."

There are a lot of pancit variations in the Philippines and pancit palabok is one of them. The name "Palabok" which means "garnishing" in Filipino refers to the topping ingredients such as cooked shrimp, boiled pork, crushed chicharon, tinapa flakes, green onions and fried garlic that are used in this noodle dish. But the garnishings in Pancit Palabok are more than just decorations, they're what make this dish incredibly delicious. 

I remember how much my husband & I love to go to Goldilock's España across UST just so we could eat Pancit Palabok. During our college days, that was the most delicious pancit palabok we could afford with our tight student budget. When we got married, it's one of the first dishes that I tried to learn to cook, and has been a favorite weekend meal for us. 

If you love Goldilock's pancit palabok, I guess you'll love this even more. Check it out and see for yourself!

Prep Time: 20 mins          Cook Time: ~25 mins           Servings: 6                              

Ingredients:

• 1 lb rice noodles (bihon)

For the Sauce:

• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 Tbsp olive oil
• ½ lb ground pork
• 1 Tbsp anatto powder or 1 Tbsp annatto seeds soaked in 3 Tbsp water
• 2 cups pork broth (you may used the water from the boiled pork for topping or you may dissolve 2 Knorr pork cubes in 2 cups warm water)
• 1 cup shrimp juice
• 3 Tbsp cornstarch dissolved in ¼ cup water
• 2 Tbsp fish sauce
• salt and pepper

For the Toppings:

• ½ lb shrimps, peeled and sauteed in oil just until it turns pink (reserve heads and peels for juice)
• ½ cup tinapa (smoked fish) flakes
• ½ cup ground chicharon
• 1 cup boiled pork, thinly sliced and sauteed in oil until golden brown
• 3 hard boiled eggs, sliced
• 3 stalks green onions, finely chopped
• 3 Tbsp fried garlic (you can use ready made fried garlic or you can fry about 9  finely chopped cloves of garlic)
• sliced lemon to sprinkle on top (optional)