As is expected of Southern California summer, our daily temperatures in my neck of the woods have been in the high 80’s. It’s tolerable weather but still hot enough to have me cooped up in the house with the a/c on 24/7.
I’ve heard, though, that some parts of the Philippines are experiencing strong typhoons and heavy rains so I really shouldn’t be bawling like a teething baby over a bit of July heat. To our kababayans, please keep warm and be safe. 🙂
Hearty soups are my favorite comfort foods and rain or shine, they’re on our dinner table at least 2 to 3 times a week. There’s just something about piping-hot sinigang or tinola that soothes the weary soul.
I had a good chunk of beef brisket thawing in the fridge which I was meaning to make into nilagang baka today for lunch but upon inspection of my produce bin, I realized I didn’t have cabbage, green beans or even potatoes to pull the dish together. What else is new? #storyofmylife. Ugh, I really should have a better handle of keeping my pantry well-stocked.
Anyway, all’s well that ends well because I decided instead to make beef pares and enjoyed it a lot more than I think I would have a bowl of nilaga. I don’t make this dish very often and I was glad of the refreshing change of flavor.
In fact, while I was chowing down the tender beef between generous spoonfuls of garlic fried rice and greedy slurps of the broth, I was muttering to myself, “Man, whoever dreamed up this awesome food pairing should be placed in the annals of Philippine history.” LOL, seriously, I enjoyed it that much!
Beef pares is, indeed, a delicious medley of tastes. Chunks of beef brisket are first simmered in a well-seasoned broth until tender and then gently braised in a soy sauce, brown sugar and star anise mixture reminiscent of Chinese asado. The sweet and salty meat is served with the broth alongside garlic fried rice for a delicious lunch or dinner meal.
Give this awesome pares a try and let me know what you think. As always, I appreciate you. 😚
- 2 pounds beef brisket, cut into 1 to 1½ cubes
- 6 cups water
- 1 small onion, peeled and quartered
- 4 cloves garlic, peeled and crushed
- 1 teaspoon peppercorns
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 tablespoon salt and more as needed
- green onions, chopped
- pepper to taste
- 1 tablespoon oil
- 1 small onion, peeled and chopped
- 3 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
- 1 thumb-size ginger, peeled and julienned
- 1 cup broth (from cooking the beef)
- ¼ cup soy sauce
- ¼ cup brown sugar
- 2 pieces star anise
- salt and pepper to taste
- ¼ cup oil
- 4 cups day old cold rice
- 5 garlic cloves, peeled and minced
- salt and pepper to taste
- 4 cups day old cold rice
- In a pot over medium heat, bring about 2 quarts of water to a boil. Add beef brisket and boil, skimming scum that floats on top, for about 8 to 10 minutes. Drain beef, discarding liquid. Rinse meat and pot well.
- Return meat to clean pot and add 6 cups of cold water. Over medium heat, bring to a boil. Skim scum that floats on top. When broth clears, add quartered onions, crushed garlic, peppercorns, bay leaves and salt. Lower heat, cover, and simmer for about 2 to 2½ hours or until meat are tender. With a slotted spoon, remove meat from broth. Keep broth on low heat.
- In a skillet over medium heat, heat 1 tablespoon of oil. Add the chopped onions, minced garlic, and ginger. Cook, stirring regularly, until limp and aromatic. Add beef and cook for about 2 to 3 minutes or until lightly browned.
- In a bowl, combine 1 cup of broth (from cooking the beef), soy sauce and brown sugar. Stir until sugar is dissolved and add to skillet. Add star anise. Bring to a simmer, stirring to coat meat with sauce. Cook, stirring occasionally, for about 8 to 10 minutes or until liquid is reduced and meat is fork-tender.
- In a bowl, break cold rice to separate grains.
- In a wide skillet over low heat, heat oil. Add garlic and cook, stirring occasionally, for about 7 to 10 minutes or until golden brown. With a slotted spoon, remove from pan and drain on paper towels. Remove excess oil except 2 tablespoons.
- Raise heat to high and heat remaining oil until very hot, swirling to coat the surface of the pan. Add rice and cook, spreading the rice on the surface of the pan for about 45 seconds or until grains start to sizzle and then tossing to redistribute. Repeat a few times until rice is heated through. Add garlic bits and stir to combine. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Ladle broth into serving bowls and garnish with green onions. On serving plates, divide garlic fried rice and the braised beef. Serve hot.
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One more thing. How do i make the beef broth clear? No matter how much I try to skim off the scum, i end up with a brown and cloudy broth. Is there a trick or special tool i need to use for this?
Hi Teng,
The trick to getting a clear broth in any style of cooking is to simmer your liquid and stock ingredients very gently, If it boils too hard the fat will bind to the liquids and cause your broth to be cloudy.
Cloudy broth still tastes good though so if you’re cooking at home I wouldn’t worry too much 🙂
Alys (chef)
Broad Table Catering
Thank you for the tip 🙂
Hi Lalaine! I’m a fan of your recipes, and I always check out your site for tips and tricks in cooking. May I ask why there is a need to boil the beef twice, the first one, the liquid is discarded. Can i just boil the beef once together with the onions and other spices? I will be making this beef pares this weekend. Can’t wait! Thanks!
Hello Teng,
I apologize for not responding sooner. I’ve been under the water these couple of days. I feel so bad for not having helped you better with this dish. Your next question on how why the beef broth didn’t turn out clear is because of this step. I blanch the beef first, discarding the first liquid to rid of any blood or impurities that may otherwise cloud the broth. This step usually does the trick but sometimes, I like to go a step further by straining the broth using a cheesecloth.
Can I use a pressure cooker to cook the meat? How long?
Hello Geal
I’ve never used a pressure cooker so I won’t know for sure how long. From what I read, though, the pressure cooker cuts 40 to 60% off cook time so I am assuming 30 to 40 minutes should be ok.
Thanks, I’ll try that and report back
Lalaine, this looks so good. I cannot wait to make this.
Thanks, Shobelyn. I hope your move went well, would love to see your yummy recipes again 🙂
Hi Lalaine!
I cooked this for dinner tonight & my husband & son loved it. This dish is truly a welcome change from the usual nilaga. The beef was tender & the soup tasty. There was some spinach in the ref so I paired the pares ( hehehe) with sautéed spinach with garlic. Delicious! Your recipes are easy to follow and turn out great that’s why I always look forward to your recipes . Thank you!
Hi Rochelle
Aww, thank you much. I am glad the family enjoyed it. Never tried beef pares with spinach before but sounds delicious with healthy benefits as well. 🙂