Beef Caldereta

05 May 2008 10 comments

Caldereta As with most Filipino food, Caldereta originated in Spain. They have the same dish and almost all the ingredients are similar with the exception of Cinnamon stick, which is called for in the Spanish recipe. This dish can be made with beef, goat meat or even chicken. I prefer using beef for my version of Caldereta. Some recipes call for the use of vinegar as a marinade, along with salt, garlic and pepper. This is advisable if you are using a tough part of the beef as vinegar acts as a meat tenderizer.

Browning the beef as the first step of the cooking is very important. Do not use a non-stick pot or pan for this since you want the brown bits that stick to the bottom of the pan. These will add a lot of flavor to your Caldereta (or any kind of beef stew). Instead of tomato sauce, I prefer to use tomato paste (about 2-3 tbsp depending on how much water you add and how much sauce you want at the end) since I find that the resulting sauce has more depth and flavor. It is also important to let it simmer for a long time since this will allow all the flavors to meld and make the sauce thicker (you don't want a sauce that is watery).


The nice thing about Caldereta is you can omit some or most of the ingredients. As long as you have beef and tomato sauce, you'll still end up with a good dish. It's okay if you don't have liver sauce or olives or green peas. I for one do not add green peas, just because dh does not like it. If you like a Caldereta with a kick, add some chili pepper flakes or chili peppers.

This recipe is a combination of recipes from my mom, aunts and cook books. You can tweak this recipe to accomodate your taste


BEEF CALDERETA
Coooking Caldereta
2 lbs beef cubes
1/4 cup soy sauce
1 tbsp garlic, crushed
1/2 tsp ground pepper
1/4 cup cooking oil
1 medium sized onion, chopped
1 can tomato sauce
1 3/4 cups water
2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
additional 2 1/2 cups water Caldereta
3 medium-sized potatoes, quartered

1 large carrot, chopped
1 red Bell pepper, chopped
1 tsp salt
1/4 cup canned liver spread
1/2 cup green peas
1/2 cup whole olives (optional)
Chili pepper flakes (optional)


- Marinate the beef in soy sauce, garlic and pepper for at least 1 hour. Drain and reserve the marinade.
- Heat the oil in a large pot.
- Fry the beef cubes until brown in all sides. Set aside.
- Add the onion and saute until limp. Caldereta
- Pour in the tomato sauce, water, Worcestershire sauce and reserved marinade.
- Bring to boil and then lower the heat to simmer until the beef cubes are tender (approximately 1 1/2 hours). Add more water if needed. You should end up with an oily and thick sauce just like what is shown in the photo at the right. Skim the fat off the sauce.
- Add potatoes and carrot, cook for 10 minutes.
- Add Bell pepper and cook for another 5 minutes.
- Add the rest of the ingredients. Add salt if needed.
-Serve over rice.

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10 comments: to “ Beef Caldereta so far...

  • Pinay May 05, 2008
     

    Hello madame,isa ba ito sa niluto mo sa birthday ni Tim?:)Hope you all of ur family had a great time yesterday.

    Hindi ako marunong magluto nito,niluluto ko lang ay yong parang afritada style.

    Sensya na if ngayon lng ako nakabalik,medyo busy lng talaga.Have a nice day Barb.

  • haze May 05, 2008
     

    This is one Filipino food I miss! I know how to cook this but I don't have my magic touch :D ! Will try this out, thanks Barbs !

    BTW, I linked your to other site :D !

  • Gene M. May 05, 2008
     

    wow what a yummy food here :-)
    makes my mouth watering.
    have a nice day.
    Everything is Simply Amazing
    Amazing Life
    Dasstar Shine On Me

  • Keith May 05, 2008
     

    Babette, you know I am often just approaching a meal time when I pass your blo9g. I have the most challenging experience loooking at your e=recipes, and your experiences without becoming overwhelmed with hunger. You're passion for good food is infectious, and my desire to enjoy much of the foods I have had on the islands makes me coming back to here. Thank you

  • Mira May 05, 2008
     

    Barb, I've been thawing chicken here, and funny Caldereta entered my mind too, LOL. My dad makes great beef caldereta, very spicy, the way Rob likes it.
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  • Babette May 05, 2008
     

    Hello Amor, oks lang yon madame, I know busy kayo sa pag-pack since malapit na ang move ninyo. hindi kami nagparty for his bday, low-key lang itong asawa ko kaya kami lang sa bahay. nag-grill lang ako ng lapu-lapu, ang sarap. :)

    Hi Haze,merci beaucoup for the link madame. :)

    Thanks for the visit Ricka. :)

    Keith, you should visit after lunch! LOL Thanks for dropping by. :)

    Mira, yung father mo gaya ng brother ng daddy ko, mahilig rin magluto. How is your father?

  • Amy May 06, 2008
     

    wow, sarap! perfect for my lunch here:)

    mareng barb, silingan unta ta no? hehehe*

  • Chibog in Chief May 07, 2008
     

    hmmm, yum!! one of my fave fiesta dishes!!

  • Sam February 10, 2009
     

    Hi Mama,

    This dish has a different twist. I'll follow this when I make one.

    Hugs and kisses!

  • Anonymous September 04, 2010
     

    is it best if i use pressure cooker? how long?..i thinking of sear the beef coated with floor, set aside and then saute garlic, onion, sear beef, veggies, tomatoe paste, etc. then put water and let it slow cook with pressure cooker...