Life Begins at 30

I am not exactly sure if Kaldereta is a Filipino original, but for sure it is a classic dish that is never missing in most Filipino feasts. It is a dish that uses tender cuts of beef as its main ingredient, stewed with carrots, potatoes, peas and tomato sauce. In some parts of the Philippines, it comes with goat meat (kambing) instead of beef. I find kaldereta to be one of the easiest dishes to cook. The secret is to make the meat really tender without breaking off. Here’s to share my version of the Spanish-inspired Filipino dish called Kaldereta (Beef Stew).

Beef Kaldereta

Beef Kaldereta

Ingredients:
1 kilo beef, cut into cubes
2 squares beef buillon
4 pieces medium sized potatos, cubed
2 medium-sized carrot, cubed
1/2 cup Spanish Olives
1 large red bell pepper
3 pcs bay leaves
3 cups water
2 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp butter
1 head medium-sized garlic, minced
1 head red onions, finely chopped
1 cup green peas (optional)
1/2 cup pineapple chunks (optional)
6 pcs hand crushed soda crackers (Skyflakes, Jacob’s)
1 cup red wine of 1 small bottle of beer or 1 cup cola
1 small can tomato paste
salt and pepper, to taste

Procedure:
Put olive oil in a pan and melt butter in it. Saute beef with garlic and onions, until the meat is golden brown. Season with salt and pepper. In a separate pot, mix water, red wine/beer, soy sauce, beef buillon, bay leaves, whole pepper. Add the sauteed beef and cook in slow fire for at least an hour or until beef is tender. If needed, add more water. Add carrots and potato to the pot and cook until tender. Take extra care that potatoes are not overcooked as it will affect the consistency of the sauce. Add peas, olives, red bell peppers, pineapple chunks. Stir in tomato paste and let it simmer for 2-3 minutes. Throw in the handcrushed soda crackers. Let it simmer for another 2 minutes.

If you fancy, you can also bake the meat for another 5 minutes and top it with grated cheese. I have done this a few times, but even without baking, kaldereta is something I will never pass up on.