Beef Caldereta

Caldereta is a popular Filipino beef stew. There are different kinds of beef stews found in Filipino cuisine, but this is the most common one found in most Filipino kitchens. This is made with either beef or goat meat, which I don't really eat nor is it readily accessible.

Caldereta is one of hubby's favorite Filipino dishes, so it was really a mission of mine to find the right recipe to 'wow' him. This is my first attempt at making Beef Caldereta from scratch. I've always made caldereta using the seasoning packet found at the Filipino stores and am never happy with it. It just doesn't taste as good as the homemade version. It always tastes like it came out of a box. So I vowed not to make Caldereta anymore until I find a tried and true recipe.

My mom and lola used to make Caldereta when I was kid and they would add pan de sal in the stew. Unfortunately, I never learned the recipe from my lola. I asked my mom to teach me her recipe, and she briefly told me to make sure to add liver spread. So I found this recipe that called for liver spread. I modified the recipe a bit. The meat didn't come out as tender as I'd like it to be, but I think it would be perfect if I cooked it in the crockpot for 8-10 hours. I think I'll do that next time. All in all, it came out very tasty. Just the right flavor I was looking for. Now THAT'S Caldereta. We'll have to see if hubby approves of this. He's at school this evening and won't be tasting this until lunch tomorrow. So we'll see what he says.

4 lbs. beef stew meat

1 (8 oz) can liver spread or ground liver

1 large onion, minced

5 cloves garlic, minced

4 medium tomatoes, diced

2 (8 oz) cans tomato sauce

2 green bell peppers, sliced into strips

2 red bell peppers sliced into strips

2 hot chili peppers, minced

3/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese

3/4 cup spanish olives (optional)

2 medium potatoes, peeled and cut into large chunks

2 medium carrots, peeled and cut into large chunks

2 cups water or beef broth

1/4 cup oil

salt to taste

1) Heat oil in a stock pot on medium heat. Add onions and garlic and cook for a minute. Add tomatoes, red and green peppers and chili peppers. Cook for another minutes.

2) Add beef, tomato sauce, liver spread, and water or broth. Season with salt to taste. Simmer for 1 - 2 hours until meat is tender. After cooking for 1/2 hour, add potatoes and carrots and continue to simmer.

3) Add cheese and olives and continue to cook until sauce thickens. Serve with white rice.