Category: Ethnic

Filipino Bulalo

Dax Phillips Leave a comment

I often wish that there would always be a pot of soup of the stove. Warm and ready to go any time of the day, all day, and every day. How cool would that be, especially if you had a wood burner or something and it was your task to keep that warm pot of goodness warm all day long. I know I would be into something like that! I don’t want to be premature but I think fall sprung in Wisconsin. What does that mean? Well, what it means every fall Sunday at the Phillips house; comfort food season.

This weekend was no exception. The chicken pot pie came rolling out as did pumpkin spiced ‘you name it desserts’, as well as soup. The thought of soup seemed like a warm blanket on a cold afternoon. Granted chicken pot pie is that thickening agent that just coats your stomach lining, and almost putting you instantly to sleep, but that soup on the otherhand, well that got me thinking. Thinking not only about how delicious each bite would be, but thoughts of making a rustic bread,, and leaving that soup of the stove all darn day only to be had more of later. That’s when I thought of the communal Filipino soup known as Bulalo.

Filipino Bulalo Soup Recipe
Filipino Bulalo Soup Recipe

The thing about bulalo is that it might be intimidating if it is served in front of you without ever have tried it. It’s almost like a Mexican caldo de res where you get large chunks of meat and vegetables. It’s definitely a spoon, fork, knife, and hand meal so probably best to eat around close friends and family in case you get down and dirty and want to roll up your sleeves, not have a care in the world and just get to town on some bone marrow!

Yes, the bone marrow. It’s the luxurious part of this soup and part of the beauty. Beef bones with marrow, cooked really low and slow until pot roast tender. That’s this soup. Simple, delicious, and slurpable.

Let’s get started.

Ingredients:

  • 2.5 lbs of beef shanks
  • water
  • 2 bundles of bok choy, quartered whole
  • 3 ears of corn, cut into half, or quarters
  • 1 medium onion, quartered
  • 2 tbsp black peppercorns
  • pinch of salt, to taste
  • 1 head garlic, top cut off (exposing cloves)
  • 1 tbsp fish sauce, more to your liking
  • 1/2 small green cabbage, roughly chopped
  • limes, optional
  • cooked jasmine rice, per serving
  • fried shallots, optional
  • fried garlic, optional

Start by adding cold water to a stock pot. Add the beef shanks (find these on the cheap at local Mexican grocery stores), and turn on the heat to a medium high heat.

Cook the shanks for about 15 minutes or until they come to a boil for about 5 minutes. During the boil, get a large spoon out and skim the top surface of all of the bone scum. Discard the scum. We are going to discard the water and scum anyway but it’s always nice to get rid of the majority ahead of time.

Put a strainer in your sink and pour the beef and water into the strainer. Rinse the beef well.

Rinse out the stock pot. Place the bones back in the pot along with the onion, garlic, and peppercorns. Fill to cover with water, and return to a boil.

Filipino Bulalo Soup Recipe
Filipino Bulalo Soup Recipe

While the beef is boiling, continue to skim off any scum that comes to the surface and discard. After about 4 hours, remove the garlic, onion, and any peppercorns.

Season the stock with fish sauce and some salt. Stir and taste. If the stock is getting a bit low, add a bit more water to your liking, just keep the beef stock flavored as you add more water.

Add in the corn and cook on medium-low heat for about 10 minutes or so. Once the beef is ultra tender, add in the bok choy and cabbage. I tossed in a small amount of fresh green beans from our garden as well (not necessary), and give that a good stir. Good for another 10 minutes or so, give a taste and adjust salt if necessary.

When you are ready to serve, transfer some of the soup mixture into a soup serving bowl, ensuring some beef bone, corn, and cabbage, then give a good squeeze of lime. Serve alongside a big bowl of cooked jasmine rice, and dig in! I like to top mine with fried garlic chips and shallots, and some fresh chili, but that’s just me.

Not only is this a great communal dish, but it is one that is perfect for long, cold days and evenings, and one that is sure to please a crowd.

Get a plate. Take some rice onto the plate. Slurp some broth. Spoon out some chunks of cabbage or beef onto the rice. Get into it. Repeat.

Hope you enjoy!

Chorizo and Potato Tacos

Dax Phillips Leave a comment

I told you that I am a sucker for tacos. It’s no joke, and I often reiterate to my wife that if I could eat anything any day of the week it would probably be tacos (or pizza).  Once of my most recent taco findings was the Mexican Potato Taco. You would never think that something so simple could be so flipping delicious. As I was thinking about making another batch of tacos de papas (potato tacos), I decided to go another route and marry two ingredients that I knew would really work well together for my taco Monday. Kidding, I am not sure what day I made these but I can probably say it was not on a Tuesday. Not that there is anything wrong with eating tacos on a Tuesday!

Chorizo and Potato Tacos Recipe
Chorizo and Potato Tacos Recipe

These are not the prettiest of tacos, but having been around chorizo for many years I can guarantee there really is no great picture of cooked Mexican chorizo. Taste, however, well that is on a whole other level!

Let’s get started.

  • 2 whole russet potatoes, skin removed, potatoes cubed
  • 1 link of Mexican chorizo, about 2-3 cups
  • 1/2 cup white onion, diced
  • corn tortillas, warmed
  • lime wedges, optional
  • 1 whole avocado, sliced
  • Salsa verde, optional

Start by adding water to a pot. Add in your diced potatoes and bring to a boil. Cook the potatoes until fork tender, about 15 minutes. Once tender, strain and set the potatoes to the side.

While the potatoes cook, add the chorizo to a large skillet on medium-high heat.

Remove the chorizo from the casing and squeeze it into the skillet. Start breaking up the chorizo with a wooden spoon. Add in the diced onions and cook, continuing to break the chorizo along the way.

It will look a bit oily. Don’t worry as the cooked potatoes will soak up all of that spiced goodness.

Add the drained potatoes to the skillet, and give this a good stir. Reduce the heat to low, cook for about 5 minutes, then load your taco.

Take a couple of warmed corn tortillas, spoon in some of the chorizo and potato mixture, and top with avocado, as squeeze of lime, and a wedge of avocado and you have yourself one heck of a great taco. Not only is this super affordable, but it is a nice twist on a standard taco night. Hope you enjoy!

Related Chorizo Links:

Moroccan Beef

Dax Phillips Leave a comment

These past few weeks I have been craving all sorts of foods, most likely because I am limited in going out for some of my favorite things like tacos, Thai food, or heck even some down and dirty Chinese buffet. My diet is not as much limited but I am limited as to where I can go as I continue to tackle this thing called cancer. I’ve been through this routine once before where I know what I can and cannot do, and that my taste buds might be a bit jacked, along with the overall energy to get things on the table, but I have been doing rather well and getting in what I can each and every meal. Lately I was in the mood for all things vinegar and garlic and hence why I was making things like Filipino adobo, and fried bangus for breakfast, and then came the craving for things like Indian curried lentils, among other unique and wonderful flavors.

As we are trying to use what we have around us and limit our shopping to some degree, it has become my daily challenge in a sense to come up with something new (and sometimes not) and exciting for everyone to hopefully enjoy. Not only that my levels in my blood work were screaming some nutrients that I was not getting, and hence a play on this dish. This is when I decided to make some Moroccan beef as it almost reminded me of a Filipino breakfast I once had known as a torta but with a few extra ingredients.

Moroccan Beef Recipe
Moroccan Beef Recipe

Let’s get started.

Ingredients:

  • 1 1/2 lbs ground chuck
  • 2 carrots, peeled, diced
  • 1 rib of celery, diced
  • 2 russet potatoes, peeled, cubed, cooked al dente
  • 1/2 cup green lentils, cooked al dente
  • 2 shallots, diced
  • 4 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1/4 cup dried apricots
  • 1 tbsp berebere spice
  • 1/2 tbsp ground turmeric
  • 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
  • 1/2 tbsp salt, to taste
  •  1 1/2 tsp cracked black pepper, to taste
  • 1/2 cup chicken stock
  • Cooked jasmine rice, optional

Start by heating a large skillet or pot on medium heat. Toss in the ground chuck and start breaking it up with a wooden spoon. Continue to cook until it no longer pink. Retain the fat in the pan, about 2 tablespoons. If there is more, remove and discard.

Moroccan Beef Ingredients
Moroccan Beef Ingredients

Add in the shallots, garlic, carrots, and celery. Give a good stir. Toss in all of the spices and give that a good stir. The seasonings will start to bloom. Cook for a few minutes, then add in the lentils, apricots, and potatoes. Give this another gentle stir, then add in the chicken stock. Another gentle stir.

Give it a taste and see if it requires any additional salt. You should get getting the warm spice from the cinnamon, the color from the turmeric, and the spice from the bebere. Along with the tender potatoes, lentils, and beef, well you have yourself one very delicious dish. Feel free to try with ground chicken, turkey, or heck just go all vegetables and I’m certain you will still enjoy it.

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Moroccan Beef
Author: 
Recipe type: Dinner
Prep time: 
Cook time: 
Total time: 
Serves: 8
 
Ingredients
  • 1½ lbs ground chuck
  • 2 carrots, peeled, diced
  • 1 rib of celery, diced
  • 2 russet potatoes, peeled, cubed, cooked al dente
  • ½ cup green lentils, cooked al dente
  • 2 shallots, diced
  • 4 cloves garlic, minced
  • ¼ cup dried apricots
  • 1 tbsp berebere spice
  • ½ tbsp ground turmeric
  • ½ tsp ground cinnamon
  • ½ tbsp salt, to taste
  •  1½ tsp cracked black pepper, to taste
  • ½ cup chicken stock
  • Cooked jasmine rice, optional
Instructions
  1. Start by heating a large skillet or pot on medium heat. Toss in the ground chuck and start breaking it up with a wooden spoon. Continue to cook until it no longer pink. Retain the fat in the pan, about 2 tablespoons. If there is more, remove and discard.
  2. Add in the shallots, garlic, carrots, and celery. Give a good stir. Toss in all of the spices and give that a good stir. The seasonings will start to bloom. Cook for a few minutes, then add in the lentils, apricots, and potatoes. Give this another gentle stir, then add in the chicken stock. Another gentle stir.
  3. Give it a taste and see if it requires any additional salt. You should get getting the warm spice from the cinnamon, the color from the turmeric, and the spice from the bebere. Along with the tender potatoes, lentils, and beef, well you have yourself one very delicious dish. Feel free to try with ground chicken, turkey, or heck just go all vegetables and I’m certain you will still enjoy it.

 

Filipino Fried Bangus Breakfast (Daing na Bangus)

Dax Phillips 1 Comment

I have always been curious when my Filipino relatives discuss food, whether things they are making at home, or things to try when travelling to the Philippines. It seems like I have only skimmed the top when it comes to making Filipino food. The common ones are lechon kawali, bicol express, kare kare, arroz caldo, lechon manok, paksiw lechon, lumpia shanghai, and their famous adobo.

The reality is that there is so much more, especially with their desserts which I have really yet to try. There have been several occasions when I have heard of a great breakfast, beyond a plate of garlic fried rice and tocino, and it inspired me because it is something similar to what I grew up eating when visiting my grandparents lake house, and that was fried fish with eggs. It was one of my favorites, and this one tops the list as well. A Filipino fried bangus breakfast.

Filipino Fried Bangus Recipe
Filipino Fried Bangus Recipe

The fish takes a bit of preparation but nothing out of the ordinary. A simple marinade, preferably overnight, along with the removal of any bones (you can do this beforehand, or cautiously pick them out as you dig at it after cooking).  The small amount of time pays off.  If you have never heard of bangus, don’t worry. The common name for it is Milkfish.  What is great about this is that it holds the flavor of the marinade, does not take very long to pan fry, and it is a great, white and firm meat. You can find bangus, most likely, in your local Asian market, and typically frozen.

Let’s get started.

Ingredients:

  • 4 filets of bangus, bones removed are optional
  • 1 cup of distilled white vinegar
  • 1 tbsp lightly crushed whole black peppercorns
  • 1 head of garlic, skins removed, roughly chopped
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1 cup canola oil
  • 1 cup of cooked jasmine rice, optional, per serving
  • 2 eggs, cooked to your liking, per serving
  • Thai bird chilies, optional

Start by marinating your fish. To a sealable plastic bag, or medium sized bowl, add the vinegar, garlic, black peppercorns, and salt and mix to combine.  Add the bangus (in my case they came portioned, most likely quartered). Give a good mix, seal or cover, and let everything marry overnight.

The following morning, remove the bangus, and place onto a plate. Pat both sides with paper towel and remove any peppercorns or garlic from the fish. Don’t worry if some stick on the fish. That’s extra flavor in my opinion!

Ingredients for making Filipino Bangus
Ingredients for making Filipino Bangus

Get a large skillet ready, and add in your oil. Bring this to a medium-high heat. After a few minutes of warming the oil, lay in the filets, skin side down, and cook for about 4 minutes or until the skin is nice and crispy. Once the skin is crispy, gently flip it over and cook an additional 4 minutes.

During this time, feel free to plate your cooked jasmine rice, cook your eggs, and plate that, and get ready to feast.

Once the fish is cooked, remove with a slotted spatula, preferably a fish spatula, and place on a paper towel lined plate to remove any excess oil. Remove the filets from the plate and onto your plate along with the rice and eggs, and dig in.

I loved this dish. Not only the flavor of the vinegar, garlic, and peppercorns but when that fish is mixed with the rice and eggs, well you have one heck of a breakfast! If you cannot find the bangus, feel free to try the marinade on another firm whitefish. Hope you enjoy!

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Filipino Fried Bangus Breakfast (Daing na Bangus)
Author: 
Recipe type: Filipino
Cuisine: Asian
Prep time: 
Cook time: 
Total time: 
Serves: 2
 
Ingredients
  • 4 filets of bangus, bones removed are optional
  • 1 cup of distilled white vinegar
  • 1 tbsp lightly crushed whole black peppercorns
  • 1 head of garlic, skins removed, roughly chopped
  • ½ tsp salt
  • 1 cup canola oil
  • 1 cup of cooked jasmine rice, optional, per serving
  • 2 eggs, cooked to your liking, per serving
  • Thai bird chilies, optional
Instructions
  1. The fish takes a bit of preparation but nothing out of the ordinary. A simple marinade, preferably overnight, along with the removal of any bones (you can do this beforehand, or cautiously pick them out as you dig at it after cooking).  The small amount of time pays off.  If you have never heard of bangus, don't worry. The common name for it is Milkfish.  What is great about this is that it holds the flavor of the marinade, does not take very long to pan fry, and it is a great, white and firm meat. You can find bangus, most likely, in your local Asian market, and typically frozen.
  2. Start by marinating your fish. To a sealable plastic bag, or medium sized bowl, add the vinegar, garlic, black peppercorns, and salt and mix to combine.  Add the bangus (in my case they came portioned, most likely quartered). Give a good mix, seal or cover, and let everything marry overnight.
  3. The following morning, remove the bangus, and place onto a plate. Pat both sides with paper towel and remove any peppercorns or garlic from the fish. Don't worry if some stick on the fish. That's extra flavor in my opinion!
  4. Get a large skillet ready, and add in your oil. Bring this to a medium-high heat. After a few minutes of warming the oil, lay in the filets, skin side down, and cook for about 4 minutes or until the skin is nice and crispy. Once the skin is crispy, gently flip it over and cook an additional 4 minutes.
  5. During this time, feel free to plate your cooked jasmine rice, cook your eggs, and plate that, and get ready to feast.
  6. Once the fish is cooked, remove with a slotted spatula, preferably a fish spatula, and place on a paper towel lined plate to remove any excess oil. Remove the filets from the plate and onto your plate along with the rice and eggs, and dig in.