I can never say no to the creamy goodness of beef kaldereta. The melted cheese and the grainy texture of liver pate mixed with tomato sauce and flavorful beef stock – definitely fabulous as rice topping.

Funny how I always end up cooking beef kaldereta differently from the last time I did it. I mean, sometimes I brown the meat first before simmering but I like the way I did it the other way around this time. The roasted potatoes add a different flavor as well.

Ingredients:
Beef (loin parts or stewing beef), cut into chunks
Minced garlic
Chopped onions
Chopped tomatoes
1 red bell pepper, diced
Carrots, cut into chunks
Baby potatoes
1 can of tomato sauce
1 cup of French liver pate (or a can of your favorite liver spread)
1/2 to 1 cup of grated cheese
2 bay leaves
Salt and pepper

Pour beef parts into a pot of boiling water. Skim out impurities from time to time. Continue to simmer until tender, adding salt and water sometime within the process. Scoop out beef from the stock and drain.

In the meantime, roast baby potatoes according to instructions shown in this link.

Heat oil in a casserole. Over high heat, fry garlic until fragrant and browned. Add the beef parts and saute for few minutes. Season with salt and pepper and fry until all sides are browned. Turn the heat medium. Add onion and tomatoes and saute until tomatoes are mashed. Drop in bell pepper, carrots and bay leaves; pour in tomato sauce and the remaining beef stock. Simmer for about 10 to 15 minutes depending on how much sauce you want. Adjust the taste with salt and pepper. Add grated cheese and liver pate. Stir thoroughly. Simmer for few more minutes until the sauce thickens, giving a creamier texture. Serve in a platter mixed with roasted baby potatoes.

Para sa Lasang Pinoy, Sundays. Creamy.

Iska

I am not a professional cook. My only claim to having a culinary background is a short stint as my dad’s teen ‘sous chef’ in his carinderia ages ago. Dad ran small eateries since I was a young kid - serving standard ‘turo-turo’ food ranging from the likes of menudo, adobo, pritong isda, dinuguan, binagoongan, bopis, munggo, pinakbet and giniling to merienda fares like goto, ginataan, pancit bihon, halu-halo and saging con yelo.

My father, a farmer in his hometown before working his way to becoming an accountant, definitely influenced my cooking in a lot of ways than I thought. My siblings and I were raised in a backyard full of fruit trees and vegetable garden. We spent weekends and the summer breaks running around with ducks, chickens, goats and pigs. I had wonderful memories of gathering eggs, butchering chickens, selling vegetables and the sweet aroma of preserved fruits. But my love for art led me to a degree in Architecture. Just few months after getting my license, I went abroad and lived independently at age 23. Definitely no maid, no cook, and a totally different food culture. Along the way I met lots of friends and spent what seemed a lifetime learning new tricks and recipes.

Now living in Auckland, I am a work-from-home mum who juggles time between work, fun and family - in pursuit of work-life balance. No matter how busy I am, I love the idea of cooking for my family. My blog chronicles home cooking greatly influenced by life outside my home country from Southeast Asia to Beijing and Auckland. And most of the time, being busy also means easy (sometimes quick), affordable meals.