Sinigang na Baka

Note: I just received a note saying this is a common way of cooking beef in the Philippines. I happened to be with a group that had no idea you could cook beef that way. Anyway, read on.

I find that not a lot of Filipinos including myself know that you can cook beef as sinigang. I got invited by a friend at her house for dinner one time and she served us this recipe. I was with a group of Filipinos actually and not any of them were familiar with that recipe as well. She hails from Zambales and she said that this is how her family normally cooks their beef.

There’s nothing extra ordinary in preparing this. It’s like cooking a nilagang baka but instead of adding ginger, bay leaf and black pepper, you put chopped garlic and sliced tomatoes. The vegetables that go with both recipes are the same, pechay or any other green leafy vegetables.

What I put in my sinigang”

1 lb of beef for stewing
5 pieces of taro root (gabi), cut into bite pieces
2 pieces of tomatoes. Sliced
2 cloves of chopped garlic
1 bundle of pechay
chili pepper (optional)
sinigang broth, about 3 tbsps
patis to taste

First, boil in six cups of water the beef together with the taro root for about an hour or until the beef becomes tender The taro root is the one that gives the flavor to this sinigang. Once the beef is tender, add the tomatoes and garlic and simmer for about 5 minutes. Add the pechay and the chili pepper and cook for another 1 minute. Add the broth and the patis to season.