Beef Pares

• 500g beef casserole chuck steak (or brisket if available), cut into chunks
• 1 small onion
• 1 liter beef stock
• ¼ cup light soy sauce
• 1-2 tbsp dark soy sauce
• 1 tbsp oyster sauce
• 3 tbsp rice cooking wine
• 1 tsp sesame oil
• 3 slices of ginger, crushed
• 3 cloves of garlic, crushed
• 2 star anise
• Black peppercorns
• Freshly ground pepper
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 cinnamon stick
• ½ tsp cinnamon powder
• ½ tsp five-spice powder
• 2 tbsp brown sugar
• 2 tbsp cornstarch
• Spring onion, chopped into ringlets

1. Heat a tbsp of oil in a pot. Pan-fry beef in batches until browned. Scoop out and set aside.
2. Add a bit of oil to the same pot and sauté onions until caramelized.
3. Pour stock to deglaze. Add soy sauce, oyster sauce, cooking wine and sesame oil. Bring to boil. Lower heat and throw in ginger, garlic, star anise, peppercorns, some freshly ground pepper, bay leaves and cinnamon stick. Dump in the browned beef as well.
4. Simmer, adding more stock if necessary, until beef fat is melt-in-your-mouth tender but the meat is just right – not falling apart. It took about 1½ to 2 hours.
5. Scoop out beef pieces and transfer to a serving platter. Strain broth through a sieve or strainer to remove chunks and return broth to the pot (should be cleaned of bits and pieces as well). Broth should be at least 2 cups if you like more sauce. Bring to boil then simmer.
6. Combine cornstarch with little water in a small bowl. Stir to dissolve and set aside. You may also start scooping steamed rice into rice bowls and arranging beef pieces on top.
7. Add brown sugar, cinnamon powder and five-spice powder to the simmering pot. Taste. I’m pretty sure it’s just right at this stage but feel free to season more with soy sauce or anything you want. Simmer for about 5 minutes.
8. Pour cornstarch mixture and stir until the sauce thickens.
9. Remove from heat. Drizzle over cooked beef and garnish with spring onions.

Beef with Ampalaya

• 1/2 lb beef sirloin, sliced into thin strips
• 1 large bitter gourd (ampalaya); cleaned and sliced
• 1/4 cup soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon sesame oil
• 1 medium-sized onion, thinly sliced lengthwise
• 1 small thumb ginger, julienned
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tablespoon cornstarch
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 5 tbsp cooking oil

1. Combine beef, soy sauce, salt, ground black pepper, cornstarch, and sesame oil. Mix all the ingredients until evenly distributed and marinade for at least 1 hour.
2. Heat a frying pan or wok and pour-in 3 tablespoons of cooking oil.
3. When the oil is hot enough, pan fry the marinated beef in medium heat until the outer part turns medium to dark brown (about 3 to 5 minutes per side).
4. Add water and simmer until the beef is tender.
5. Heat a separate pan or cooking pot then pour in the remaining 2 tablespoons of cooking oil.
6. When the oil is hot enough, sauté the garlic, onion, and ginger.
7. Add the sliced bitter gourd and stir fry for 5 minutes.
8. Turn off the heat and transfer to the pan with the tender beef. Stir and cook for 2 to 3 minutes more.
9. Transfer to a serving plate then serve.
10. Share and enjoy!

Pancit Bihon Guisado

A Filipino celebration would not be complete without it.

• 1/2 kilo rice stick noodles (bihon)
• 1 medium sized chicken breast, boiled & shredded
• 1/4 kilo pork pigue or kasim, diced
• 1 cup uncooked shrimps, shelled and de-veined (optional)
• 1 small cabbage, shredded
• 1 medium carrot, julienned
• 1 celery stalk, sliced thinly
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 large onion, minced
• 4 tablespoon cooking oil
• 1/2 cup soy sauce
• 2 cups chicken broth
• Salt and pepper to taste

PROCEDURE :
1. Put the rice stick noodles in a clean basin and soak in water to soften.
2. In a wok or large frying pan, heat the oil and saute the garlic and onion until soft.
3. Add the pork and stir fry for about 3 minutes or until cooked.
4. Add the chicken, shrimps and vegetables and continue stir frying until the shrimps turn pink and the vegetables are half cooked.
5. Add 1 cup of the chicken broth and soy sauce and simmer for about 1 minute.
6. Remove half of the ingredients from the wok and set aside as topping for the noodles later.
7. Remove the noodles from the soaking water and add to the ingredients remaining in the wok.
8. Stir constantly until the noodles are cooked and dried.
9. If it becomes dry before the noodles are cooked, you can add the remaining broth as needed.
10. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
11. Arrange the cooked noodles in a big platter and put the topping.
12. Serve with slices of calamansi.

Pinakbet

Native vegetables such as eggplant, okra, string beans, and squash, among others are cooked together in shrimp paste (bagoong) to come up with this exquisite recipe.

• 1/4 kilo pork belly, cut into small pieces
• 3 tablespoons oil
• 1 1/2 cup water
• 2 medium ampalaya, cut into serving pieces
• 2 medium eggplants, cut into serving pieces
• 1/4 medium squash, cut into serving pieces
• 5 pieces string beans, cut into serving pieces
• 6 pieces okra, halved
• 6 pieces tomatoes, sliced
• 1 head garlic, minced
• 1 big onion, diced
• 1 small ginger, juliened
• 4 tablespoons sauteed shrimp bagoong
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon monosodium glutamate (MSG)

PROCEDURE :1. In a skillet, saute the pork in oil until lightly browned, set aside.
2. Saute ginger, garlic, onion, and tomatoes in the skillet and mix in the pork.
3. Add the water and shrimp bagoong and let boil.
4. Add the ampalaya, eggplant, okra, squash, and string beans and simmer until cooked.
5. Season with pepper and MSG to taste.

Laing

Taro leaves cooked in coconut milk, from the Bicol region.

• 20 pieces gabi leaves, dried and shredded
• 1/2 kilo pork belly, diced
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 small ginger, minced
• 2 large onions, chopped
• 5 jalapeno pepper, sliced
• 1 cup coconut cream (kakang gata)
• 2 cups coconut milk (gata)
• 1/4 cup shrimp bagoong
• 1/2 teaspoon monosodium glutamate (MSG)
• 1 teaspoon salt

PROCEDURE :
1. In a casserole, mix together the gabi leaves, pork, garlic, ginger, and onions.
2. Pour in the coconut milk, bring to a boil then simmer for 15 minutes.
3. Add jalapeno, bagoong, MSG, and salt to taste and simmer for another 5 minutes.
4. Add the coconut cream and until oil comes out of the cream.

Ginisang Munggo

This is one way of cooking mung beans that Filipinos, for some reason, loves to cook during Fridays.

• 1 cup munggo, washed
• 1/4 kilo pork belly, cut into small pieces
• 5 cups water
• 1 head garlic, minced
• 1 small onion, minced
• 4 pieces tomatoes, sliced
• 1 cup malunggay leaves
• 1 Knorr pork cube
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 2 tablespoon cooking oil

PROCEDURE :
1. In a casserole, put water, munggo, and Knorr pork cube.
2. Bring to a boil and simmer for 30 minutes or until the munggo is cooked.
3. In a skillet, heat the oil and saute the garlic, onion, and tomatoes.
4. Add the pork and saute until lightly browned.
5. Add in the munggo and stock.
6. Season with pepper and add the malunggay leaves.

Sinigang Na Bangus (Milkfish)

The pinoy national fish (bangus) cooked in sour soup base.

• 1 piece large bangus, cleaned and sliced into serving pieces
• 5 cups water
• 1 small ginger, sliced
• 2 pieces tomatoes, quartered
• 1 medium onion, sliced
• 2 medium eggplants, cut into serving pieces
• 5 pieces string beans, cut into serving pieces
• 2 cups kangkong leaves
• 1 small pack tamarind powder
• 1 teaspoon salt

PROCEDURE :
1. In a casserole, bring water to a boil together with the ginger.
2. Add the bangus, tomatoes, and onion and simmer for 10 minutes.
3. Add the tamarind powder and salt to taste.
4. Add the eggplant and string beans and simmer for another 5 minutes.
5. Remove from heat, add the kangkong leaves, and let stand covered for 5 minutes.

Fish Escabeche

Fried fish, such as lapu-lapu or tilapia, with sweet and sour sauce.

• 1 large fish such as lapu-lapu or tilapia
• 1 large onion, sliced
• 1 each of red and green bell pepper, julienned
• 1 cup grated unripe papaya
• 4 cloves garlic, crushed
• 2 tablespoons ginger, julienned
• 1 cup vinegar
• 1 tablespoon salt
• 3 tablespoon sugar
• 1 tablespoon cornstarch, dissolved in 1/2 cup water
• 1/2 teaspoon MSG or vetsin
• 1 cup cooking oil

PROCEDURE :
1. Clean the fish and rub with salt and vetsin.
2. In a frying pan, heat the oil and fry the fish until golden brown.
3. Place the fish in a serving dish and set aside.
4. Remove the used oil from the pan and put in about 1 tablespoon of fresh oil.
5. Saute the garlic, ginger, and onion.
6. Add the bell peppers and grated papaya and saute until half-cooked.
7. Put this mixture on top of the fish in the serving dish.
8. Return the pan to the heat and put the vinegar, salt and sugar.
9. Bring to a boil and thicken with the dissolved cornstarch.
10. Pour this sauce over the fish and serve immediately.

Tokwa't Baboy

This dish goes well with porridge or a cold bottle of beer.

• 1/4 kilo pork (preferably the ear and face part)
• 2 big pieces tokwa (dry tofu)
• 2 cups cooking oil
• 6 cloves garlic
• 2 small onions
• 5 whole peppercorns
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 cup vinegar
• 1 tablespoon soy sauce
• 1 teaspoon brown sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper, ground

PROCEDURE :
1. Put the pork in a small pot or casserole and pour in enough water to cover the pork.
2. Add in 3 cloves of garlic, 1 whole onion, the whole peppercorns and salt.
3. Bring to a boil skimming off scum as it rises, then lower the heat and simmer for about 1 hour.
4. Remove the pork from the pot and let it cool.
5. Strain and reserve 1/2 cup of the pork broth for the sauce.
6. In a small pan, heat the oil and fry the tokwa (dry tofu) until golden brown on both sides.
7. Drain the fried tokwa on paper towels and let it cool.
8. Mince the remaining 3 cloves of garlic and 1 onion.
9. In a large bowl, prepare the sauce by thoroughly combining the minced onion and garlic, vinegar, soy sauce, brown sugar, ground black pepper, and the reserved pork broth.
10. Slice the pork and the tokwa into 1/2-inch cubes and combine with the sauce.
11. Serve with porridge, or a cold bottle of beer.

Pork Barbecue

The tangy sweet favor of this grilled street food is a favorite among Filipinos.

• 1 kilo pork belly (liempo), sliced to desired size
• 1 cup 7-UP
• 1/2 cup soy sauce
• 1/4 cup vinegar
• 1/4 cup banana ketchup
• 5 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 teaspoon pepper, ground
• 1/2 teaspoon MSG (optional)

PROCEDURE:
1. Mix all the ingredients in a large bowl and marinate for at least 8 hours.
2. Use barbecue sticks to skewer the meat or you may grill the meat as it is, if the pork slices are big.
3. Grill the meat until well cooked.
4. Enjoy with or without rice. Use vinegar as dipping sauce, if preferred.