Tag Archives: beef

Ginger and Basil Oxtail

There are two beef cuts where one cannot go wrong cooking, so as long as there is time to spare. Oxtail, like short ribs (here and here), are flavorful pieces of bone-in meat that only need to be slow cooked with minimal seasoning to produce a tender and tasty dish that but packs a flavor punch.

The bones add a rich and marrow-like flavor to the stew whose sauce is good enough to mop bread or rice with. It’s common to find oxtails used in peanut stews like kare-kare, or in Spanish dishes as stews and sauces for mofongos and the like.

Ginger and basil oxtail is one of those dishes with limited ingredients, but with an amazing and layered taste.

Oxtail, ginger, onion and oyster sauce are simmered in a pot.

Thirty minutes.

One hour.

Two hours.

Carrots and basil are added.

Simmer some more until carrots are cooked.

Served with snap peas.

Ginger and Basil Oxtail

Ingredients:

5-6 pieces 1-inch thick oxtail
1 whole onion, cut in quarters
2-inch piece of ginger, sliced
1/4 cup oyster sauce
1 cup water
2 medium carrots, sliced into 1-inch rounds
1/2 bunch basil leaves, washed

In a pot, simmer first five ingredients covered over low heat until meat is tender, about two and a half hours. Stir occasionally, adding carrots in the last thirty minutes and the basil fifteen minutes before serving.

Serve with vegetables and rice. Serves 3-4.

Short Rib Adobo With Coconut Milk – When The Whiteys Cooked Filipino Food

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I won’t make ramen for a Japanese friend, nor will I cook pasta for an Italian chef. As a food enthusiast I know my place and know enough to not to make something for someone if they already make the exact same dish perfectly.

Except that I said yes when our friend Jessica told me about the adobo recipe she found in the New York Times. I wrinkled my forehead when I heard “coconut milk,” imagining Thai food or some kind of strange milky variation. I tried not to flinch when I saw shoyu (Japanese fermented soy sauce) as an ingredient. I didn’t butt in and say you can only use Filipino soy sauce! The meat of choice was short rib. It was hard to go wrong.

But I was wowed, no, floored with delight when the dish was done. The shoyu and chicken broth allowed for the saltiness while keeping the light color of the stew. The coconut milk added a subtle depth to the dish, the apple cider vinegar created a whole new dimension to the acid, and the searing and broiling process made the meat delectably golden and crispy. I was sufficiently and pleasantly impressed.

Served over rice with a side of steamed bokchoy. Yes, those are whole cloves of garlic.

We soaked our rice with the sauce and ate more than we should. This is how one honors a chef (myself included). In the morning we turned the leftover sauce and rice into Adobo Fried Rice. During both meals we shared great conversation and an even greater love for life.

These whiteys can make me my cuisine anytime.

More on adobo here. My Crispy Pork Belly Adobo recipe here.

Short ribs are browned on all sides.

The rest of the ingredients are added: shoyu, vinegar, coconut oil, broth, bay leaf, garlic.

The Dutch oven is covered and made to simmer in the oven for two hours.

The meat is removed from the pot and transferred to a pan to broil until brown and crispy.

It is returned to the sauce before serving.

Heavenly perfection.

(Incidentally, this recipe comes from Amy Besa and Romy Dorotan, owners of the Brooklyn joint Purple Yam.)

From The New York Times

Beef Short-Rib Adobo

Time: 2 1/2 hours

3 pounds short ribs

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

Black pepper

3 tablespoons oil

1 cup chicken stock

1 cup coconut milk

1 cup cider vinegar

1/2 cup soy sauce

1 head garlic, cloves separated and peeled

3 bay leaves.

1. Heat the oven to 275 degrees. Season the ribs all over with salt and pepper. In a large Dutch oven over medium heat, pour in the oil. When it is warm but not smoking, add the ribs to the pan, in batches if necessary, and brown well on all sides, 4 to 6 minutes. Remove the ribs from the pan and pour out the oil.

2. Add the remaining ingredients and 1 teaspoon black pepper, stir well, and add the ribs back in one layer. Use two pans if necessary, distributing the liquid. Bring to a boil over high heat. Turn off heat, cover the pan and put it into the oven. Cook until the meat is tender and falling off the bone, about 1 1/2 to 2 hours. The liquid should only simmer very gently. Skim off excess fat when you check on it.

3. Transfer ribs to a broiling pan. Put the braising liquid over high heat; boil for 10 to 15 minutes to thicken it. Meanwhile, put the ribs under the broiler until brown. (You can dispose of the bones if they become loosened.) Put ribs on a platter; pour sauce on them.

Yield: 4 servings.

Note: You can double the recipe, and cook the ribs in two layers. Cooking time will be a bit uneven, though, so it’s best to try to turn over the ribs halfway through the cooking.

Kimchi Restaurant’s "Korean Beef"

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One of the treats I had growing up in Manila in the late 80s was to visit a restaurant called Kimchi, a Korean restaurant similar to the California fast food chain Yoshinoya. They had two main specialties: BBQ Chicken and “Korean Beef,” a stew of the most tender short ribs swimming in the rich thin sauce that was dark, sweet, and slightly hot, topped with chopped scallions and sesame seeds.

It was my favorite but was twice as expensive as the barbecued chicken I often settled for. The chicken was good in its own right but did not provide the same kind of close-your-eyes flavor explosion as the sesame short rib stew. The Korean Beef’s sauce was good enough to fight for and drizzle on unlimited bowls of rice. It was so delicious and multi-faceted that never in my wildest dreams did I think it could ever be replicated in any home kitchen, much less in mine.

Fast forward to a couple of decades and a whole continent later, I made my first attempt based on an old recipe I found online, and after years of trial-and-error revisions, now I get to share my version with you! Enjoy!

We begin by placing the short ribs meat-side down in a good pot.

Add all the other ingredients: one whole sliced onion, one head peeled garlic, one chili pepper, bay leaves, and peppercorns.

Add the sugar. Don’t be shy.

Add equal parts soy sauce and water. Simmer on low heat covered for about 2 hours.

After thirty minutes.

After one hour.

And done. The meat is falling off the bone and has achieved an almost gelatinous texture.

Roast some sesame seeds in a pan until brown. This releases the flavor of the seeds and gives it a nice roasted flavor when you bite on them. Try it!

The secret of this stew is the slow cooking time. Keeping it in a low simmer allows the meat to soften without falling apart or burning, meshing with the flavors of the sauce. Here it is served with a topping of roasted sesame seeds and chopped scallions.

Serve with rice. This sauce, I swear to God, is worth fighting for.
I use the leftover sauce and pieces of meat in a noodle dish I like. Enjoy!

Kimchi Restaurant’s “Korean Beef” Stew

1-2 lbs beef short ribs, cut crosswise (not flanken)
1 part dark soy sauce (Filipino brand preferred, Chinese variety is okay. Do not use Kikkoman!)
1 part water
1 part white or brown sugar
1 head garlic, peeled
1 onion, cut in half
1 piece ginger, the size of two thumbs, quartered
4 bay leaves
1 large Korean or Jalapeno pepper cut in half
10 peppercorns
1 tablespoon sesame seeds, roasted in a pan until brown

In a good pot, combine all the ingredients except for the sesame seeds and the scallions. Simmer on low heat for two hours or until the meat is tender. Top with roasted sesame seeds and scallions and serve with rice.

You can add some vegetables on the side at the last minute.

Here I added broccolini, but choy sum and bokchoy would also work.

Here are the leftovers served over vermicelli and a side of sauteed bokchoy.

Recipe here.

Incidentally, upon searching for the original source of this recipe to credit, I stumbled across a distant cousin of mine who actually obsessed about the same dish too! Here is her version.

Chili With Batangas Tablea Chocolate

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For Superbowl Sunday, our tradition is to invite a few friends over for some homemade chili made with unsweetened chocolate tablets from the Philippines.

My mother often sends us packs of Batangas Tablea de Cacao to use for hot chocolate (tsokolate eh) or chocolate rice porridge (champorado). We often have a surplus of tablets so we use them to make our chili dark and rich. The chocolate adds a deep extra layer to the strong flavors of chili powder and tomatoes, as in some Mexican molé sauces.

Other than the chocolate, this chili cannot be far from traditional, calling out for the bold flavors of chili, paprika and cumin, as well as the meaty taste of ground beef.

We begin by sautéing our usual suspects, garlic and onion.

The spices are our friends, and we use them like there’s no tomorrow.

Mix in the spices, creating a deep, rich color and aroma.

Add the ground beef and saute until brown.

Browned ground beef is separated and tender.

Whole peeled tomatoes are manually crushed.

Pour in the tomatoes.

Simmer the stew.

Grate the chocolate tablets into the stew.

Add the red beans.

Stir well.

Add the black beans.

Stir well.

Simmer for 2-3 hours on low heat.

Serve with cilantro leaves, cheese, onions and yogurt (in place of sour cream).

For Superbowl Sunday, we made a side of coleslaw.

We also served a tray of cornbread.

The evening’s offerings. Go Giants!

Chili with Batangas Tablea Chocolate

1 whole red onion, chopped
1 head garlic, chopped
3 large cans whole canned tomatoes
2 cans red kidney beans, washed
1 can black beans, washed
1 beef boullion
2 pounds ground beef
1/3 cup chili powder
2 tablespoons ground cumin
1 tablespoon paprika
2-3 tablets Batangas tablea, available in good Asian/Filipino markets
(if not available, substitute 3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder. Do not use Spanish tablea with cinnamon!)
Chopped onions, cilantro leaves, and 0% plain Greek yogurt for topping.

In a large pot, saute garlic and onions. Brown the ground beef and add the spices. Crush the whole canned tomatoes with your hands and add to the mixture. Stir and add tomato paste, tablea or cocoa, and bouilllon. Let simmer covered on low heat for 2-3 hours, stirring occasionally. Adjust seasoning to taste.

Serve hot topped with cilantro, onions and Greek yogurt (in place of sour cream).