Afritadang Manok 2

Chicken not pictured - this was a meatless helping for breakfast.

Based on the contents of our fridge, I refined this afritada recipe, with happy results. Turned out perfectly, with the vegetables cooked through but still firm. And like all good stews, it tasted even better the next day.

3 T vegetable oil
4 chicken thighs, skin-on (about 1.75 lbs.)
1 head garlic, minced
1 large onion, chopped
1 14.5 oz. can diced tomatoes
3 T fish sauce, plus more to taste
1 cup tomato sauce (I used about 5 oz. tomato paste and 3 oz. water, seasoned with salt and pepper)
2 cups chicken stock (used Better than Boullion)
5 carrots, chopped into 1-1/2 inch pieces (about 1 lb.)
6 small red potatoes, quartered/eighthed (about 1 lb.)
1 green pepper, cut into strips

Brown the chicken thighs in the oil then set aside.

Saute the onion and garlic till they begin to soften, 3-5 minutes. Add the diced tomatoes and stir them around the bottom of the pot, making sure to loosen all the browned chicken bits.

Add the fish sauce, tomato sauce, stock, carrots and potatoes. Bring to a boil, then lower to a simmer, cover and cook till vegetables and chicken are almost done, about 30 minutes.

Add green pepper strips and cook a few minutes more to desired doneness. Tweak seasoning if necessary. Serve over rice.

Chicken Adobo 5: The Saga Continues

It's been quite a while since I've made adobo for myself. But now that my tweaking of the spicy souse soup recipe is almost complete (need to post the modded version soon), I'm taking a break from pig's ears (much to John's relief) and moving on to a childhood favorite: chicken gizzards. Though I found some promising recipes that involve two hours of simmering and optional deep-frying, I decided to start with the classic: adobo. Since I actually have Filipino cane vinegar and soy sauce at my disposal, I decided to tweak this recipe, skipping the sugar and salt and more than doubling the garlic. It's one of the more delicate takes on the dish, but still satisfying. Next time I'll add some pork and make a few other tweaks for extra oomph.

• 2.5 lb. chicken thighs, skin-on (about 6 thighs)
• 1/2 lb. chicken livers
• 1/2 lb. chicken gizzards
• 2/3 c water
• 2/3 c cane vinegar
• 4 T soy sauce
• 2 bay leaves
• 6-7 cloves garlic, minced (about 3 T)
• 2 t black peppercorns

Combine all the ingredients in a pot and let sit for at least half an hour.

Bring the pot to a boil; simmer till the chicken's done (about 20-30 minutes).

Optional steps: Remove the chicken and reserve it. Bring the sauce back to a boil and reduce till it's thick enough to coat with a spoon. Brown the chicken in a tbsp. of oil (or stick it under the broiler for a bit), then return to pot.

Serve over white rice.

Lengua Estofada

Lengua was always one of my favorite childhood dishes - my lola used to put extra button mushrooms in it for me. Finally I decided to try my own version of it - not a recreation of the beefy richness I remember, but something to tweak and turn into an occasional indulgence. I started from a recipe in Let's Cook with Nora, and made several changes - most notably trebling the amount of mushrooms (what? I love them). It turned out wonderfully - the meat was tender, the sauce (more of a broth by thickness) rich and tangy but sweet from the carrots and leeks. I may try a more umami-laden version in the future, but this recipe is a keeper.

Since this is the first time I've ever tried this (and since I had an epic, 20-minute battle with the leathery outer coating of the tongue), I've felt obliged to document (and share said documentation of) the process.

• 1 beef tongue (2.6 lbs. or so)
• 1/4 cup vinegar
• 1-2 T salt
• 1/2 cup olive oil
• 2 medium onions, quartered
• 1 head garlic, cloves peeled and crushed
• 1 t peppercorns
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 clove
• 2 carrots, cut into rough chunks
• 3 leeks, cleaned and sliced
• 1 28 oz. can whole tomatoes, including juice
• 1/2 cup white wine
• 1 to 1-1/2 cup water
• 3-4 cups mushrooms, cleaned and trimmed (used a mix of white and cremini)

Here are most of the assembled ingredients.

Rub tongue with salt and vinegar (pre-boiled tongue below - doesn't look very different after this step). Rinse, then boil for 10 minutes.

Scrape off leathery coating on surface. (Mind, this took me 20 minutes with three different knives. It got pretty gnarly in the end, but I triumphed. It probably would have been much easier if I'd boiled the tongue for the whole time first, but I wanted it to braise with the sauce.)

Brown tongue in oil (5-10 minutes.)

Transfer to plate, then brown the onions and the garlic.

Return tongue to pot, then add everything but the mushrooms. (I may try adding less water next time.) Bring to a boil then simmer gently till the tongue is tender (recipes say three hours, it took me more like four).

Slice tongue into pieces and set aside (when I gave John a taste at this point, he said it was just like brisket or pot roast).

Strain sauce (skipped this step). Add mushrooms; turn heat to medium or high and cook for a few minutes, till sauce is reduced and mushrooms are done. Return tongue to pot and warm through. 

Serve with rice and garnish with parsley. Enjoy!

Sauteed Green Beans, Filipino-Style

Had a big bag of green beans from the farmer's market and a super-cheap bunch of bacon ends ($1 for over a pound!), so I thought I'd make this favorite. Using canned shrimp instead of fresh made for a bit of a crumbly texture that wasn't unpleasant, though next time I'll try with fresh shrimp and a bit more patis or perhaps anchovy paste. Regardless, this turned out to be a good combination of fresh, green taste and porky richness. Never mind pancetta or regular bacon - for this dish, this stuff is the way to go!

• 4-5 oz. bacon ends, chopped into small pieces (I used a mix of pure fatty pieces and some with some meat and skin on them)
• one small onion, chopped (didn't have one, so substituted a shallot)
• 3-4 plump garlic cloves, minced (about 2 heaping tbsp.)
• 1 medium tomato, chopped (used 1 small heirloom and 4-5 grape tomatoes)
• 1  4.25 oz. can of tiny shrimp, drained
• 1/2 tsp. sugar
• 1 tbsp. patis
• salt and pepper to taste
• about 1 or 1-1/2 lbs green beans, trimmed
• 1/2 cup water or broth

Put chopped bacon ends in a pot with about 1/4-1/2 cup of water. Turn the heat to medium and cook till the water's gone and the fat's rendered, about 5-10 minutes. Remove the meat from the pot and set aside.

Saute onion in the rendered fat till translucent, about 2-5 minutes. Add garlic and cook till it begins to soften, about 2-3 minutes. Add tomato and cook till it becomes mushy, about 5-7 minutes. Add shrimp, sugar, fish sauce and salt and pepper to taste, stirring to mix everything evenly.

Add green beans and 1/2 cup water or broth. Bring to a boil, then lower to a simmer and cook, covered, till beans are tender but not mushy (I like mine with a little bite left in them), about 7-10 minutes.

Simple Chicken Soup (Nilagang Manok)

This simple but nourishing soup (pictured at the noon and 3 o'clock marks) served as a light dinner for two people fighting off a bug, a breakfast and three days of lunch. A few splashes of salty, savory fish sauce make it sing, so make sure you have your favorite (nuoc mam, patis, whatever) on hand.

My [vegetable] mise en place, let me show you it

The recipe can vary widely depending on  your mood and what you have on hand (for example, I replaced the traditional cabbage with baby bok choy); the following  is just what went into this particular iteration. I forgot to separate and weigh the potatoes and green beans (which came with a tomato in a farmer's market grab bag), so all measurements are approximate.

• 2-2.5 lbs. chicken thighs (five plump ones in this case)
• 5 cups water
• 1/2 head garlic, cloves peeled and smashed (about 7 fat cloves)
• 3 young onions, sliced, with greens washed and tied together
• 1-1.5 tsp. salt
• 5-6 young potatoes,  quartered
• 2 medium-sized carrots, peeled and chunked
• 10-12 oz. green beans, sliced
• 6 baby bok choy, stems and leaves separated and roughly chopped
• salt to taste
• patis to taste (I like about a tbsp. per small bowl)

Put the chicken, water, garlic, onions and onion greens in a large pot. Bring to a boil then simmer till chicken's fairly well cooked but not yet done, about 20 mins. Remove greens and discard.

Add salt, potatoes and carrots. Cook till the vegetables start to soften, about 7-10 minutes. Add green beans and bok choy stems; cook till beans are becoming tender, but still have a bite to them (about 5-7 minutes).

Taste and adjust seasoning. Add baby bok choy leaves, cover and remove from heat. Serve with rice and patis on the side.

Caldereta

The dish so nice I packed it twice - pictured here with the rest of today's bento: rice and a spinach-red onion salad with homemade red wine-Dijon mustard vinaigrette.

I was hankering for some home cooking, and so created a riff on this recipe. Alas, the butcher stand was out of goat, but I made do with what was left of the stew lamb and some beef to make up the difference. Turned out wonderfully - rich and umami-filled from the long-simmered meat and soy sauce, tangy from the vinegar and tomato sauce, and just a tad sweet from the vegetables. Next time, I'll probably add another bell pepper, more peas and carrot; I'll also add some garlic during the vegetable sauteing process and remember to use either liver pate or the liverwurst we had in the fridge.

• 2 lbs. stew meat, cubed  (I used 1-1/2 lb. lamb and 1/2 lb. lean beef and cut it into 1 to 1-1/2 in. pieces)
• 1/4 cup soy sauce
• 1/4 cup white vinegar
• 1/4 heaping cup garlic, minced (most of a plump head)
• 2-3 tbsp. oil (I used peanut)
• 1 medium onion, chopped (about 1 heaping cup)
• 1 red bell pepper, chopped
• 2 cups tomato sauce
• 2 cups water or broth
• 1-1/2 medium carrots, chunked (about 1-1/2 to 2 cups)
• 1-1-1/2 lbs. potatoes, chunked (about 3 heaping cups)
• 1 cup peas (frozen were fine)
• 1 small can liver pate (couldn't find any, alas, so skipped this)

Marinate the meat in the soy, vinegar and garlic for at least an hour. Pat the meat dry (forgot to do this) and put in a bowl; reserve the marinade.

Put the oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Brown the meat briefly, in batches (got about halfway through this and raised a decent amount of fond despite the added moisture from the marinade). Remove from pot and set aside.

Add more oil if necessary. Saute the onion and bell pepper till onion is translucent, about 2-3 minutes.

Add the tomato sauce and simmer till slightly reduced, about 3-5 minutes.

Return meat to pot. Add reserved marinade and water or broth. Bring to a boil, then turn heat to medium-low. Cook, covered, till meat is tender, about 30-40 minutes.

Add carrots, potatoes and peas. Simmer till vegetables are tender, about 30-45 minutes.

Remove from heat. Stir pate (next time!) into dish. Adjust seasoning and serve over white rice.

Chicken Adobo (4) with Livers

This latest in the adobo chronicles is a fairly mellow, but flavorful and rich (perhaps partially because of the chicken livers) version. The base recipe comes via Burnt Lumpia (who adapted it from Steamy Kitchen); I merely fiddled with some proportions and added the livers. Next time I may try crushing the garlic instead (which gives me discrete cloves to nibble on or smash into the rice) and adding gizzards (balunbalunan in Tagalog; grandma used to put an extra helping in her adobo for me).

• about 3 lbs. chicken (4 leg quarters in this case)
• 1/2 lb. chicken livers
• 2/3 cup cider vinegar
• 1/2 cup soy sauce
• 1 cup water
• 6-8 cloves garlic (minced or smashed, as you prefer)
• 2 tsp. sugar
• 2 tsp. black peppercorns
• 4 bay leaves

Combine all the ingredients in a large pot. Marinate for at least two hours.

Over high heat, bring the mixture to a boil. Simmer till chicken is done (about 20-30 minutes).

Remove chicken from pot and reserve. Bring heat to high and reduce the sauce, stirring often, till it thickens to desired consistency (I was getting hungry, and so stopped after about five minutes - perhaps halfway to almost-thick-enough-to-coat-the-back-of-a-spoon. Tasted fine, though.)

Pat the chicken pieces dry, then place them skin-side-up on a baking sheet or in a cast-iron skillet. Place under a broiler and broil till the skin is crisp, about 2-4 minutes.

Serve with white rice, pouring sauce over everything.

Nilagang Baka (Beef Stew/Soup)

My near-constant craving for soup probably has something to do with the encroaching cold and the cold/cough I've been fighting off. I wanted something nourishing but not bland, and so riffed on this recipe for an old comfort food staple. Prep took a little longer than usual - partially because I opted to brown the beef, and I've never been the world's fastest mincer - but was easily accomplished during innings 2-6 of this sad-making game.

• 3 tbsp. vegetable or peanut oil
• 2 lbs. beef, cut into 1-1/2 to 2 in. cubes
• 1 head garlic, minced
• 2 large onions, chopped
• 4 cups water (not enough for the soupiness I wanted - will add 2 or so cups more next time)
• 4 tbsp. patis (will try more next time)
  
• 1 heaping tsp. black peppercorns
• 3 medium potatoes, cut into 1-1/2 to 2 in. cubes
• 1 small cabbage, roughly chopped
• 1 bok choy, chopped (alas, didn't have this)

Place oil in a large pot or Dutch oven on medium heat. Brown beef on all sides (about 5 min.). Remove from pot and reserve.

Add onions and garlic. Saute till soft (3-5 min.), making sure to scrape the pan and free the fond-y goodness from the browned meat.

Return beef to pot. Add water, patis and black peppercorns. Bring to a boil, then turn heat to low, cover, and simmer till beef is tender (1 hour, maybe more).

Add potatoes; return to a boil, then to a simmer till potatoes are nearly done (10-15 min.).

Add cabbage; return to a boil, then simmer till everything's done (10 or so min.).

Correct seasoning if necessary, then serve hot over lots of white rice.

Afritadang Manok (Chicken Sauteed with Tomato Sauce and Vegetables)

Market Manila's discussion of this dish rightly notes that, for such a comfort food, "[o]ne shouldn’t really have a recipe...rather it is done by mood and feel and available ingredients." Nevertheless, I like having jumping off points. A quick Googling revealed a wide variety of recipes - including one with oyster sauce and ginger - but I decided to stick with the basics. The recipe below is based off this one - how could I resist an entire head of garlic to start with? It's now cooling on my stove, and both John and I agree that it tastes good - deep, almost creamy with a tang given to it by the fish sauce. Next time, I think I'll add some peas and more chicken (I only had 1.8 lbs. vs. the recommended 2.2). I'll probably throw in some bay leaves, too.

• 3 tbsp. vegetable oil
• 1 medium head garlic, minced
• 1 large onion, diced
• 2 small tomatoes, sliced (may use more next time)
• 4 chicken thighs, skin-on
• 1 cup tomato sauce
• 2 cups chicken broth
• 2 tbsp. patis (or more to taste)
• 5 medium potatoes, halved or quartered
• 3-5 medium carrots, cut about the same size as the potatoes
• 1 red bell pepper, seeded and sliced into strips
• 1 green bell pepper, seeded and sliced into strips
• salt and pepper to taste

In a large pot, saute the onion and garlic till softening, about 2-3 minutes.

Add the chicken and slightly brown, 4-7 minutes. Remove from pot; add tomatoes and saute till soft - 2-4 minutes. Return chicken to pot. (This came to pass because I forgot about the tomatoes; I assume it's fine to saute them along with the onion and garlic.)

Add tomato sauce, stock and patis. Bring to a boil; reduce heat and simmer for 20 or so minutes, till chicken is almost done.

Add carrots and potatoes to pot. Cook till almost done - 10-15 minutes or so.

Add peppers to pot. Cook till slightly softened - 3-5 minutes. Adjust seasonings, then serve with lots of white rice.

It Started With a Mixx: Sinigang Na Baboy (Sour Pork Soup)

Instead of trying to find the perfect match between pretentious and pop, I'm trying to balance pre-made soup seasoning with from-scratch flavor. Plus, I haven't had the familiar old Knorr sinigang mix in years, and am curious to see if the reality lives up to my fond memories.

• 2 tbsp. vegetable oil
• 5-7 cloves garlic, smashed
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 4 small Roma tomatoes, chopped
• 10 cups water
• 2 to 2-1/2 lbs. baby back ribs
• 1 packet Knorr sinigang mix (ended up using a heaping tbsp. more from another packet)
  
• 1 lb. green beans (12 oz. this time)
  
• 6 oz. spinach, chopped

Put oil in a large pot over medium heat. Saute the garlic, onions and tomatoes till soft, about 3-5 minutes.

Add water. Turn heat to high and bring to a boil. Add the meat, return to a boil, then simmer till the meat's tender - about an hour, maybe more.

Add contents of soup mix packet; stir to mix well.

Add green beans. Return to a boil and cook for 3-6 minutes, till beans are softer but still crisp.

Add spinach. Remove from heat and let stand, covered, for 5 minutes.

11:30 pm: Turned out to be as strong, flavorful (with a smooth, almost creamy undertone - probably from all the pork fat and marrow) and comforting as I remember. While I'll keep making the from-scratch version (and looking out for tamarinds to try another variant with), I'll certainly treat myself to this now and then.

Pesang Manok (Boiled Chicken Soup)

Had a couple of inches of ginger and some softening celery to use up, so I figured I'd order a cabbage and some chicken thighs and make some boiled chicken soup, Filipino-style. Now, I've almost eaten all the soup, but I still have more cabbage than I know what to do with - this monster weighed over seven pounds! (See what can happen when you order produce, sight unseen, from Peapod?) This can result in a dish that's fairly bland on its own, but comforting and delicious when served with a dish of fish sauce on the side. Took Market Manila's suggestion and browned the chicken first, which helped deepen the broth a wee bit.

• 1 tbsp. or so peanut or vegetable oil
• 2"-3" in. ginger root, peeled and thinly sliced
• 1 medium onion, roughly chopped
• 2-3 lbs. chicken (I used thighs)
• 5 cups water
• 1 tsp. peppercorns (next time, I'll use more)
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 stalk celery, cut into 3-4" lengths (used more as I had a bag to get rid of)
• 1 small cabbage, roughly chopped (about 1/4 of that monstrous head)

In a pot large enough to hold all the soup ingredients, saute the ginger and onion till they release their aromas, about 1-3 mins.

Add the chicken. Brown slightly on both sides, about 3-5 minutes/side.

Add the water, peppercorns and bay leaves. Bring to a boil and cook till chicken's almost tender, 20 or so mins.

Add the celery, wait a few minutes, then add the cabbage. Cook till the veggies are tender - another 5-10 minutes.

Serve over white rice with patis and sriracha on the side.

Catfish Sinigang 2: Rhubarb

Made this recipe, sans leafy greens and substituting 5 stalks of rhubarb for the lemon, the day before yesterday. Didn't use enough, at least for my tastes - while the rhubarb did add a nice, subtle tartness to the soup, it wasn't quite the strong sourness I was looking for. Still very tasty, though - tester #1 concurs.

Cut rhubarb into 4-inch lengths. Boil in three cups of water for 15 minutes or until tender.

Remove from water. Strain and mash with a spoon to release additional liquid into the water.

Add green beans, onion and tomato and proceed as usual.

Chicken Adobo, Part 3

Tried the Bittman (2nd ed.) version this time - with rich, silky, decadent gata (coconut milk), to be fair, and broiling the chicken into crispy deliciousness, so it's hardly fair to the other recipes. Will try each again, replicating at least the latter step.

The sauce turned out to be rich but extremely salty; to be fair, the chicken tasted fine, as did judicious application of the sauce on rice. I may try this again with a low-sodium soy sauce, though (used normal Kikkoman this time), or with a soy sauce-water mix.

Eater review: "Simple, savory. As satisfying as any meal I've had in recent memory. I would recreate this, if I were able, on my own in an instant."

• 1 cup soy sauce
• 1/2 cup white vinegar
• 1 tbsp. chopped garlic
• 1/2 tsp. freshly-ground black pepper
• 1-1/2 cup coconut milk (used a can of Taste of Thai)
• 1 whole chicken, 3-4 lbs., trimmed of excess fat and cut into 8 pieces (used 4 whole legs)

Combine soy sauce, vinegar, garlic, pepper, bay leaves and half of the coconut milk in a pot large enough to hold the chicken in a single layer. Bring to a boil over high heat.

Add the chicken. Reduce heat to medium-low and cook, covered, turning once or twice, till the chicken is almost done (20-25 min).

Heat oven to 450. Remove the chicken pieces from the liquid and dry them with paper towels. Grill, boil or roast the chicken till it's brown, crisp and hot (about 15-25 min.), turning as necessary.

Meanwhile, bring the sauce to a boil, adding the remaining coconut milk, over high heat, till it's reduced to about a cup (I love sauce, so went for a cup and a half).

Serve the chicken with the sauce over rice.

Chicken Adobo, Part II

This is the second in a series of cook-by-the-book attempts to establish a new adobo baseline recipe. It's taken from Filipino Cooking Here and Abroad. I've never used sugar in an adobo recipe before, but now I see the advantages to it - this iteration tasted wonderfully complex even without the browning and before being stored for the night.

Future mods? More garlic, maybe a bit more sugar. And definitely some chicken livers. Had some gizzards but figured I'd save them for a night when I'd more time to cook.

• 1-1/2 lb. chicken legs (with some of the backbone and delicious kidneys)
• 1/3 cup vinegar
• 2 tbsp. soy sauce
• 1/3 cup water
• 1 tsp. salt
• 3 plump garlic cloves, minced
• 1 bay leaf
• 1/4 tsp. black pepper (approximated several grinds)
• 1 tsp. sugar (2 lumps)
• 2 tbsp. vegetable oil

Combine all ingredients but the oil in a pot and let stand for at least 30 minutes, turning the chicken now and then.

Bring to a boil, then simmer till the chicken's tender (about 30-45 minutes - could have been done sooner, but Colbert's first Iraq episode was on so I let it ride).

[Didn't do this part, but intend to next time.] Reserve sauce. Brown chicken in vegetable oil, then move to plate.

Pour off some oil if you wish, then add sauce to the pan. Raise heat and stir until the sauce thickens to desired consistency.

Serve with chicken over white rice.

Chicken Adobo, Part I

Recently, I realized that I haven't made adobo in months. In an attempt to earn back my Pinoy card (and use up the chicken thighs in the freezer), I decided to remedy that. Alas, it's been long enough that I've forgotten the proportions of my "baseline" recipe; on the brighter side, this gives me an excuse to experiment with different ones. So, herewith - and just barely beating out Bittman's version, because the idea of a new vinegar picqued my curiosity, is my take on the venerable Burnt Lumpia's chicken adobo.

In retrospect? I would have marinaded, added a bit more garlic and browned the chicken after, not before, for maximum skin crispage. But hey - it was a weekday, and I wanted something fairly low-maintenance.

• 2 lbs. chicken thighs, skin on
• 1 tbsp. vegetable oil
• 7 cloves garlic (about 1-1/2 heaping tbsp.), minced
• 1/2 cup cider vinegar
• 1/4 cup soy sauce
• 1 heaping tsp. black peppercorns
• 2 bay leaves

Put oil in a skillet large enough to hold the chicken pieces in one layer; turn heat to medium and wait till oil shimmers. Add the chicken pieces, skin side down, and brown (about 5-7 minutes); turn, then brown the other side (another 5-7 minutes).

Remove chicken and place in a bowl. Pour off all but a tablespoon or two of the drippings. Turn the heat to low and saute the garlic till it's light brown and fragrant (about 1-3 minutes). Deglaze the pan with the liquids, making sure to scrape with a wooden spoon.

Add the rest of the ingredients and stir to combine. Return the chicken to the pan, skin side up; add any accumulated juices, too. Bring to a gentle simmer, cover the pan, and play Xbo mess around onl- be productive for 25-45 minutes, or till chicken is tender.

Remove chicken and reserve. Turn heat to medium-high and reduce sauce to desired consistency, stirring often and correcting seasoning if necessary.

Return chicken to pan, remove from heat, and serve with white rice, drizzling sauce over both.

You Say Puchero, I Say Pochero (Filipino Beef Stew)

This took quite a bit longer than I had anticipated, and was a bit more complicated than I wanted dinner to be, but turned out wonderfully. And, as it's a stew (albeit a very soupy one, as I used all the delicious broth), I expect it will taste even better tomorrow. It's based on two recipes - one from Filipino Cooking Here and Abroad, and the other from this website - and the usual impulse to use up the greatest number of perishables. Would have rather gotten shanks instead of supermarket-style stew beef cubes, but EM was closed, alas.

• 1.75 lbs. stew beef, cut into inch-square cubes
• 1 tsp. black peppercorns
• 1-1/2 tsp. salt
• 2 medium onions - 1 sliced,1 chopped
• 7 cloves garlic - 4 crushed, 3 minced
• 3 celery stems - 2 cut into 4 in. lengths, one chopped (will probably leave out the chopped portion next time)
  
• 2 chorizos or 4 oz. spicy pepperoni (used the latter since I didn't have any chorizo handy)
• 1 14-oz. can of tomatoes
• 1 14-oz. can of chickpeas
• 2 tbsp. peanut oil
• 1/2 head medium cabbage, quartered
• 1 medium potato, cut into 1-2 in. chunks
• 6 scallions, cut into 2-in. lengths

Place the beef, peppercorns, salt, sliced onion, crushed garlic and 2 celery stems in a large pot or Dutch oven and cover with water (about 4 cups in this case). Bring to a boil then simmer till the beef is tender - anywhere from 1-1/2 to 2 hours. (The recipe to this point makes a nice, tasty beef broth that I'll be using as a base in the future, especially for nilagang baka [beef soup].) Add the chorizo or pepperoni 30 min. before you finish cooking this part.

Place the oil in a skillet over medium heat. Saute the chopped onion and garlic for a few minutes, till the onion turns translucent. Add the tomatoes - crushing or chopping them, as is your preference - and cook till the mixture turns saucy for about 5 minutes (if you're more patient than I was at this point, you can cook them for another 5-10 minutes or so, till they break down and turn saucy). Add the chickpeas and cook for another 5 minutes.

Once the beef is tender and the chorizo/pepperoni has cooked, add the potatoes, chopped carrots and chopped celery. Cook for about 5 minutes, then add the cabbage. Cook for about 10 minutes more or till the vegetables are tender but still have bite to them.

Add the tomato mixture to the large pot. Stir to combine and cook for another minute or two. Correct seasoning.

Remove from heat, add the scallions and cover. Wait 5 minutes, then serve over white rice.

Asadong Manok (Tangy Chicken Stew)

Last night, I was looking for a low-maintenance chicken recipe that would minimize prep and at-stove time while maximizing flavor and Fallout 3: The Pitt-playing. We had everything needed for this simple but flavorful chicken stew (original recipe from Filipino Cooking Here and Abroad; my version - which increases the amount of garlic, tomatoes and vinegar relative to the amount of chicken - below):

• 1-1/2-2 lbs. chicken thighs or other assorted parts
• 1/4 cup vinegar (prefer cane, used plain white since that's all I had)
• 4-6 plump cloves garlic, minced
• salt and freshly-ground pepper to taste
• 2 tbsp. cooking oil (I used peanut oil in this case)
• 2 small onions, chopped
• 1 14. oz. can tomatoes, drained and crushed
• 1 cup water - produces lots and lots of sauce (original recipe has 1 cup of water for 3-4 lbs. of chicken)
  
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 tbsp. paprika

Marinade the chicken with the vinegar and garlic for at least 30 minutes.

Place the oil in a skillet or pot over medium heat. Add the tomatoes and onions, then saute till the former are mushy (4-7 minutes).

Drain the chicken, reserving the marinade, and add it to the pot. Saute, turning the chicken pieces now and then, till the meat colors slightly (5-10 minutes).

Add the reserved marinade, water, bay leaf and paprika to the pot. Bring to a boil, then simmer for at least 30 minutes, until chicken is tender.

Correct seasoning and serve over white rice.

Bistek (Steak with Onions and Citrus-Soy Sauce)

While poking through my Gchat logs for old recipes, I came across this one, courtesy of the wonderful and funny Burnt Lumpia. Though I haven't made the dish since Oct. 30, 2008, I seem to have found it yummy. The version below incorporates my modifications.

• 1 lb. sirloin beef, sliced thinly
• 1/4 cup kalamansi juice (or lemon juice)
• 1/2 cup soy sauce
• 5-7 garlic cloves, smashed
• 1 tbsp. oil (I used peanut)
• 1 large onion, sliced into thin rings
• freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Marinade the beef in the citrus juice, soy sauce and garlic for at least 30 minutes.

Put oil in a large saute pan or skillet over medium-high heat. Remove meat from marinade, reserving the liquid. Sear the meat on all sides (4-5 minutes or so).
Remove meat from pan, place in a bowl, and set aside. Add the onion rings to the pan and saute for 3 minutes, adding more oil if necessary.

Pour the reserved marinade into the pan with the onions. Be sure to deglaze and scrape the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon or spatula.

Bring the liquid to a boil, reduce heat to low and simmer for 10 minutes. Add the black pepper to the sauce and correct seasoning. If the sauce is too salty, or too sour - or if you just want more sauce - add 1/2 cup of water. (Mine turned out a tad salty, but a few more squeezes of lemon fixed that.)

Return the meat to the pan and cook for another 2 minutes. You can also thicken the sauce with cornstarch if you like.

Serve over white rice.

Tinolang Manok (Chicken Ginger Soup)

This is probably one of my favorite dishes. It can be delicate, with minimal amounts of ginger and patis (as with the recipe in Filipino Cooking Here and Abroad). Or it can be intense and flavorful enough to survive being eaten cold from Mr. Bento when I'm too lazy to head downstairs to the microwave. The recipe below is the latter type, with a high broth-to-cluck ratio and more greens (but alas, no chayote or unripe papaya); the original recipe's proportions are in italics.

NOTE: For some odd reason, saltiness seemed to keep fluctuating. A day after, 3 tbsp. patis + 1 tsp. salt seemed too salty; the day after that, it tasted fine. May go back to little/no salt and see how that goes.

• 2 tsp. cooking oil (I use vegetable)
• 3-4 tbsp. (or about a 3 in. by 1-1/2 in. piece) ginger, julienned (original: 2 tsp.)
• one medium onion, sliced
• 3-4 cloves garlic, lightly smashed (original: 1 clove)
• 1-1/2 lbs. chicken (original: 3 lbs.)
• 3 tbsp. patis (original: 2 tbsp.)
• salt to taste (original: 1 tsp.)
• 5 cups water
• 10 oz. spinach, roughly chopped (original: 8 oz.)
• 1 unripe papaya or 2 chayote, peeled and sliced (alas, didn't have these)

Place oil in a pot. Saute ginger, onion and garlic over medium heat for a couple of minutes.

Add chicken pieces and saute till chicken colors slightly, about 3-4 minutes each side. Season with patis and salt.

Add water. Bring to a boil, then simmer till chicken is done (about 20-30 minutes). If using chayote/green papaya, add and cook till tender but still firm, 5-7 minutes.Correct seasoning.

Add spinach. Cover and remove from heat. Serve in 4-5 minutes.

Catfish Sinigang (Catfish in Sour Broth)

I haven't made this lately, but figured it would be a good one to archive here. This recipe is a rather modified version of the "Sinigang na Bangus" recipe in Filipino Cooking Here and Abroad.

• 1-1/2 lbs. catfish fillets
• 2-1/2 cups water
• 4-5 medium Roma tomatoes, cut into eighths
• 1 medium onion
• 3-4 tbsp. lemon juice
• 2-3 tbsp. patis
• salt for fish
• 1 lb. green beans, cut into 2-3 in. lengths (all the better to fit into Mr. Bento's soup compartment)
• 6 oz. spinach leaves (or more if you like), roughly chopped
• 2-4 baby bok choy, chopped - separate stems and leaves (optional but yummy)
  

Cut fillets into serving or half-serving sized pieces, depending on your inclination. Salt them.

Put water, tomatoes and onions in a pot. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to medium and cook till vegetables are getting tender (maybe 5-7 mins).

Add green beans (or blanch them first and reserve till you add the fish - I've never been fancy enough for that option) and baby bok choy stems, bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer and cook for 4-7 minutes more, till beans are softened but not quite done.

Add lemon juice and patis. Correct seasonings.

Add fish. Bring to a boil, then lower heat and simmer for 3-5 minutes or until fish is opaque.

Remove from heat, add spinach and baby bok choy leaves. Cover and let stand for 2-3 minutes. Serve with patis and lemon to pass around.