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"Arroz TapLog" - Beef and Egg Arroz Caldo for KCC Challenge

Today, I bring to you my take on this month's Kulinarya Cooking Club Challenge. For those of you who haven't heard of Kulinarya Cooking Club, it is a group of foodies who are passionate about the Filipino culture and its colorful cuisine. You know that my blog's main objective is to share the goodness of Filipino Cuisine, so I'm sure you can imagine how proud I am to be a member of this awesome club! 

Each month, the club showcases a Filipino dish with the hope of sharing its members' passion and love for Filipino food. For this month, the chosen theme is Arroz Caldo which is one of the most favorite comfort food among Filipinos. Arroz Caldo which is often thought of as one of those Filipino dishes that's of Spanish origin came from the Spanish words, Arroz which means "rice" and Caldo which means "broth"), but is actually an adaptation of the Chinese congee or porridge. It is a thick rice porridge that is flavored with garlic, ginger, onion and safflower (kasubha). The latter is our local saffron which gives Arroz Caldo an appealing aroma and a bright yellow tinge.

In the Philippines, when you say Arroz Caldo, you are actually referring to chicken rice porridge because that's the most common version of this dish. But I've already posted my Chicken Arroz Caldo recipe during my first month of blogging...
...so for this month's Kulinarya Challenge, I thought of making another version which I call "Arroz TapLog". It's Arroz Caldo with Tapa (Cured Beef) and Itlog (Egg). It's kinda like my favorite breakfast, Tapsilog, but in this one, I paired the beef and egg with Arroz Caldo instead of sinangag (fried rice).
Back when I was growing up, my mom loved making Arroz Caldo especially during tag-ulan or rainy season which is from June to November and during tag-lamig or cold season which is from December to February. The Chicken version is what my mom cooked often...but I remember how she would make Beef Arroz Caldo whenever any family member was feeling under the weather. I guess for her, serving this version of Arroz Caldo makes a sick person feel more special and cared for because beef is a lot more expensive than chicken. :) 

Thoughts of my mom's tender loving care inspired me to create this Arroz Taplog for Kulinarya. The flavor of beef tapa gave a twist to the usual Arroz Caldo that my family enjoys.  But I must tell you that no matter what meat is in your Arroz Caldo, it will always bring that comforting and healing effect to your body! The flavors of garlic, ginger, onion and safflower combined with rice and broth is what makes it so filling and satisfying! Whether you're feeling under the weather or just having a tough day, a nice hot bowl of Arroz Caldo will definitely make you feel better!


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Ingredients:
*Serves 8-10
  • 2 cups uncooked rice (I use 1 cup jasmine rice and 1 cup glutinous rice)
  • 1 lb. beef tapa (see recipe here)
  • 6Tbsp olive oil
  • 6 cloves garlic , minced
  • 1 medium sized onion, minced
  • 1/4 cup ginger, minced
  • 3 pcs beef cube
  • 14 cups water
  • 3 Tbsp fish sauce
  • 1 Tbsp safflower (kasubha)
  • 5 Stalks green onion, sliced (white and green part separated)
  • 4 Tbsp fried garlic for garnish (see how to make fried garlic here)
  • 4 – 6 pcs hard boiled eggs, peeled and sliced
  • Salt and pepper to taste
  • 2 pcs Lemon or 4-6 pcs calamansi (optional)


    Procedure:
    1. In a large soup pot over medium heat, saute garlic in 2 Tbsp. olive oil until light brown.
    2. Add ginger and onion, and sauté for a minute.
    3. Add beef cubes and stir until it melts.
    4. Add rice, water and fish sauce. Mix well. Cover and simmer in medium heat for about 40 minutes or until rice is fully cooked. Stir occasionally.
    5. Meanwhile, in a skillet over medium heat, fry beef in remaining olive oil until cooked. Remove from skillet and set aside. Chop about 6 strips and add to the rice soup.
    6. When rice is cooked, add safflower and white part of the green onions. Add salt and pepper to suit your taste. Simmer for another minute. If rice soup becomes too thick, add a little water to thin it a bit. 
    7. Remove from heat. Ladle to individual serving bowls and top with tapa and egg slices. Garnish with green onions and fried garlic, and sprinkle with lemon (optional) before serving.


    Don't forget to check out other Kulinarya members' take on Arroz Caldo for our October-November challenge!

    32 comments :

    1. This sounds amazing! Caldo is a staple soup in Puerto Rico, so I definitely recognize the name. I love your spin on it though - I'm going to have to share that with my mom :)

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    2. mmmmmmmmm.....that looks better than Chow King's ;)

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    3. Wow, this is a different twist Tina! And why not put tapa, eggs in a lugaw. It is actually a great idea! I will show my wife this post and your version of arroz caldo. :)

      ~ ray ~

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    4. Tina, I've enjoyed visiting your blog & learning about your culture. Thks for introducing me to Arroz Caldo! Enjoy your weekend, dear!

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    5. Very nice sounding dish and clear instructions to try to recreate it;)

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    6. I have not heard about this recipe before Tina but sure some similarities with our porridge, nice with the eggs on top and a complete meal for the day, saving time then cooking individual dishes to go with the rice.

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    7. you always come up with such amazing recipe and those egg boils are calling me like crazy.
      The presentation and that bowl is a lovely prop you used.

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    8. I like the beef tapa recipe, there is quite a number of dishes you can make with just that.
      The rice dish here does look tasty. Funny that I do not have that many recipes that have a beef broth. It is usually chicken or veggie. However, this dish does inspire and trying out different cuisines in the kitchen is always fun.
      Have a great weekend.

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    9. Tina , that looks mouthwatering ! Really good during this winter and easy to prepare , too ;)

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    10. I love congee, Tina, I am sure I would love this Arroz Taplog too, looks terribly yummy :)!!

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    11. This looks so tasty and comforting! I love thick porridge cooked in clay pot because not only does it tastes great, it warms you up right away! ;)

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    12. Yum, yum...first time I've seen a beef arroz caldo and it looks sooo delicious!

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    13. I have never seen that take. It looks great.

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    14. That version looks great and I love your different take on it

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    15. love you take tina. i would get a spoon and spoon out the taplog goodness! YUM!

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    16. This is so, so delicious, Tina. A double whammy of goodness. Best thing about arroz caldo are the toppings. What else can beat beef tapa?

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    17. Love the beef tapa/egg combo as topping. So yummy!

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    18. Love all those egg slices floating in the lugaw! And all those toppings make it just amazing! And I love your soup bowl with the spoon! Where did you get that? Thanks for sharing the recipe. Glad to cook along with you on this KCC challenge. Happy Thanksgiving!

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    19. WOW! Brilliant twist!Tapa topping!

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    20. Great recipe ! I made it! It`s delicious!!! And it looks great , too!

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    21. Oh wonderful! How delish that dish looks- wow- you continue to amaze me my friend!

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    22. We're on the same page - I love adding eggs in food like this and this looks so delicious! I love the black/yellow bowl with the spoon. Such a cute bowl! I want one...

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    23. fantastic version of arroz caldo Tina, the beef tapa topping is simply awesome and a top favorite of mine .... great entry for this month's challenge ... :)

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    24. wow! this is something i wouldn't have thought of, myself! But definitely worth a try, tapa and lugaw are my eldest daughter's 2 favorite foods so surely she would love this version :)

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    25. Your tapa topping reminds me of beef pares..
      Your arroz caldo looks so yummy!

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    26. I do think that beef is more flavorful when cooked Nilaga or in porridge, haven't tried it yet though but I soon will! Thanks...

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    27. tapa and lugaw.. two of my fave dishes in one! thanks for sharing!

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    28. Yes, arroz caldo gives comfort when the weather is cold or someone's under the weather. I love your version with the Tapa pieces topping, it gives that extra flavour that wakes up the overall taste of the congee=)

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    29. saktong-sakto ang taplog arrozcaldo mo dito sa baguio since it's very, very cold here already.

      thank you for the good recipe! :)

      jiz

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