Caldereta: Devil's Beef Stew Blazing in my Cracked Pot

Outrageously Spicy beef caldereta: beef stew in tomato sauce

When I was a kid, I grew up in a family of fried fish-rice-sautéed vegetables routine on the table. Not that I'm sulking about this habitual at home but it's unthinkable that dad would cook something fancy or elaborate. Lack of time, lack of money, or maybe both? But its true, priceless are those moments we are feasting menudo, kare-kare or lechon at home. That is why we would always look like (my sisters and I) famished kittens devouring those dishes when invited on birthday parties, fiestas and other occassions in the neighborhood. Shamelessly, going back home even with doggy bags. Being married now and living far from my family make me long for those funny childhood "feasting" memories.

As Lasang Pinoy (a food blogging event promoting filipino food) celebrates its 23rd edition with Crockpot cooking. I couldn't think of anything better that falls under the category of "slowly cooked" than making a Spicy Beef Caldereta. It is a beef recipe slowly marinated and slowly simmered with vegetables. There exist plenty of versions of cooking this recipe but so far I judge the one my auntie often cooks for us on special occassions as the best. Unfortunately I don't have her recipe (I think her version is the one that uses 7-Up as the secret ingredient). The only thing I could guarantee you is that this beef caldereta is hideously spicy and it's been cooked slowly in my cracked pot. I'm not a fan of crock pot because I don't have one, but all my slow cooking recipes are cooked on my bygone inherited terrine, an earthenware cooking dish that I cook idly in the oven.
Beef Caldereta
Ingredients:

1 kg of stewing beef cut into cubes
250 g
of potatoes peeled and quartered
2 red bell pepper grilled, peeled and chopped
250 g of carrots peeled and cut into cubes
100 g of pitted green olives
half a cup of tomato sauce
1 tsp of tomato paste
2tsps of chili powder or cayenne powder
2 tbsps of hot sauce
2 tbsps of chili oil
2 tbsps of olive oil
10 g of butter

Marinating ingredients:
Half a cup of red wine, salt, pepper, 1 tbsp of crushed garlic, 1 big onion minced, half a cup of coarsely chopped chicken liver, some thyme and rosemary

Marinate for at least one hour the beef. In a pan, fry lightly the beef with olive oil and butter. Use the same frying pan for the carrots and potatoes. Then in a crock pot or any deep and thick casserole put all the ingredients including the marinating sauce. And simmer covered over low fire for two hours.

Pretty in red


If pots could talk, this time-worn thing have a lot to tell

You can find my other filipino recipes at:

Adobo Beef Shawarma
Porc Sarciado
Chicken Menudo


23 comments:

Ruy said...

Funny title.=)
I kaldereta is at the top of my great slow cooked food list.
You're quite right when you said there are PLENTY of variations and recipes for this dish. I have three already!
Oh, and I LOVE spicy kaldereta. Great for pulutan. CHEERS!!!!

Manggy said...

Oh, I love this entry. Rice for me, please :) I'm not sure if this is a consistent detail but we prepare it here with a small can of liver spread :)

Anonymous said...

oh i love this recipe!! this is my favorite :-)

Finla said...

This is what i will call comfort food.
It looks so good.
Yeah it is true what you wrote living far from hom makes you want to have things you had when you were at home.
Even now when i make my moms recipe i always tell the whole house smells like my moms place

Peko-peko said...

looks really yummy!!

Anonymous said...

Ah, caldereta. I actually have plans on making this very soon, I just have to figure out which recipes to borrow from. Yours looks wonderful, dhanggit.

Tarah at Genesis of a Cook said...

Yum! I love beef stew!!

Rosie said...

This is pure comfort food in a bowl! I really like the sound of all these ingredients infact its perfect I couldn't ask for anything better!

Gosh I can just visulise some fluffy dumplings with this stew - drool ;)

Rosie x

test it comm said...

Look at all of the heat in there! It sounds tasty.

Gigi said...

I received a crock pot for xmas and have been dying to use it. This sounds like the perfect dish to christen my crock pot with.

x said...

hi, dhanggit! i like your food blog. by the way, is dhanggit fish like the cebuano danggit?

Sidney said...

I think I will sue you... I am getting extra pounds just by looking at your pictures and reading your recipes. ;-)

Oggi said...

Spicy caldereta, yum!

I thought of making caldereta for the Lasang Pinoy. I cooked and posted another recipe for this event but I sent the email/link too late, I didn't notice the time difference, silly me.:)

Wandering Chopsticks said...

Do Filipinos eat olives? Or is that the Provencal addition? :)

Huh! My verification word is UKpig. :P

tigerfish said...

My no-fail crock pot beef stew has beef cubes + celery + carrots + onions. Woooo.....I want to make this soon.

docemdy said...

I love kaldereta too especially when it's a bit spicy and the beef is very tender. We pair it with crunchy dilis and plain rice.

desie said...

i will have to try this version, it sounds great. i'm used to caldereta with coconut milk.
dhanggit, i was going to make kare kare for you as my entry to LP but the week has just vanished into thin air. let's see how the weekend pans out.
btw, i love your rustic earthenware. this would be something great to pass down to your daughter.

Big Boys Oven said...

lovely and so desirable by me... I miss them so much!

Anonymous said...

I'll have to try making kadereta. Yours looks delicious! Great photos too :)

Snug said...

I love kaldereta :). I'm lazy though and i always just use Mamacita mix. Will try out your recipe, it looks delicous.

Anonymous said...

Kaldereta is my favorite too..

Anonymous said...

this is my fav. dish

Anonymous said...

what is 250g in cooking? can you change the measurements? for example 1 small potato, or 2 large potato. Sorry, I am new to cooking =/