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