BEEF CALDERETA

BEEF CALDERETA

#SIAintheKitchen

One of my favourite childhood dishes…AND I’M FINALLY MAKING IT!!! That dish, my friends, is beef calereta, a rich beef stew with vegetables in a thick tomato sauce. Filipino Fridays continues in my kitchen and going on what, 5 weeks strong now? So proud of myself.

My dad used to always cook this dish as a kid. It was my favourite. One of the most comforting things to eat, doused over a bowl of white rice. Even to this day, I still view it as a signifier of my childhood and one of those dishes that simply just takes me back to quieter times.

I had called my dad to ask what his recipe and, of course, what I received was a mish-mash of things. No actual measurements or specific directions - “just a little bit of this and a little bit of that”. I was left to my own devices. Luckily, there are a number of recipes available online. I was able to take what my dad told me and combine it with all of the recipes I’ve gathered.

I did have to, again, put my own spin on it. I did add a bit of red wine and homemade vegetable stock to add to the richness of the dish and used aged white cheddar instead of the yellow cheddar everyone seems to use. My dad also advised me to use a cut of beef that has a bit of fat on it. He told me he usually used blade steak which to me, as I understand it, is more gristle than actual fat. Since there is a bit of simmering time in this dish, I went with stewing beef which had a little bit of fat. I think the next time I make this I’d like to use brisket for a super, melt-in-your-mouth rich dish. And double the amount of meat.

As for secret ingredients, liver pate and cheese! I know, right?! The pate helps thicken the stew and give it some extra “meatiness”. The cheese I thought was odd but totally gave it the flavour I was looking for. Absolutely need these ingredients. That, and the pepper are absolutely essential. And a bit of the olive juice. Seriously…I am so happy with how this turned out!

BEEF CALDERETA - makes 6 - 8 servings

• 4 tbsp vegetable oil

• 1 onion, diced

• 6 garlic cloves, minced

• 1/2 tsp dried red chili flakes

• 1 lb stewing beef, diced into 1” cubes

• 1 tbsp fish sauce

• 3 bay leaves

• 1 tsp whole black peppercorns

• 1 (6oz) can tomato paste

• 2/3 cup liver pate

• 1/2 cup heavy red wine

• 1 large yellow potato, diced into 1” pieces

• 2 carrots, diced into 1” peces

• 1 red pepper, diced

• 1 green pepper, diced

• 1 cup tomato sauce

• 1 quart homemade stock

• 1 cup green olives, including a few tbsp of the olive liquid

• 1 cup green peas

• 2 tsps granulated sugar

• 1 tsp kosher salt

• freshly ground black pepper, as needed

• 2/3 cup aged white cheddar cheese, grated

1. In a Dutch oven, heat the vegetable oil over medium-high heat until glistening. Add the onions, garlic and chili flakes and sauté until softened and translucent, about 1 minute. Add in the beef and bay leaves and begin to brown.

2. Once the meat begins to brown, add the fish sauce and allow it to cook off, 1 minute. Stir in the tomato paste and live until thickened. Add in the potatoes and carrots and stir to ensure that they are coated in the tomato liver mixture.

3. De-glaze the pan with red the red wine, and allow for it cook off - this should be happen pretty quickly, 30 seconds. Continue to de-glaze with the stock. Stir in the tomato sauce. Add in the sugar, salt, and freshly ground black pepper and bring the mixture to a boil.

4. Add in the bell peppers, green peas and olives. Stir and gradually add in the cheddar cheese until dissolved completely in the sauce. Decrease the heat to low and simmer for an hour. Serve wth white rice.