Beef Kaldereta

INGREDIENTS

• 3 ½ pound chuck roast, cut into 1” to 2” inch cubes
• ½ cup soy sauce
• ¼ cup calamansi juice, substitute with lime or lemon
• 8 tablespoons cooking oil
• 5 peeled large cut Yukon gold potatoes
• 3 peeled thickly sliced carrots
• 1 cup thickly sliced green beans
• 2 seeded red bell peppers, cut into 1” squares
• 1 seeded green bell pepper, cut into 1” squares
• 2 peeled small diced red onions
• 8 finely minced garlic cloves
• 3 tablespoons tomato paste
• 4 cups beef stock
• 2 cups tomato puree
• 2 bay leaves
• ½ teaspoons crushed red pepper flakes
• ¼ cup liver spread, optional
• ¼ cup creamy peanut butter, optional
• coarse salt and freshly cracked pepper to taste

DIRECTIONS

1. Add the beef, soy sauce, and calamansi to a large bowl and mix until the meat is completely coated. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 4 to 24 hours.
2. In a large rondeau or cast-iron pot over high heat, add 2 tablespoons of oil. Place the potatoes and carrots in the pot, gently season with salt, and sauté for 4 to 5 minutes or until lightly browned. Set to the side. Next, add 2 more tablespoons to the pot over high heat, then add in the green beans and peppers, gently season with salt, and sauté for 4 to 5 minutes or until lightly browned. Set aside with potatoes and carrots. Place in the fridge.
3. Pour in 1 tablespoon of oil, add in the onions, gently season with salt, and saute for 5 minutes over medium heat until lightly browned. Then turn the heat down to low and cook for 10 to 12 minutes, stirring occasionally. They should be well browned at this point.
4. Stir in the garlic and cook just until fragrant. Then set the onions and garlic aside on a separate plate.
5. Add the remaining oil over high heat, then once it begins to smoke, add in the beef and cook until browned on all sides. This takes about 3 minutes per side. It’s ok to do this step in batches.
6. Once well browned, add the onions and garlic back to the pot, stir in the tomato paste, and cook until everything in the pot becomes dark, about 3 to 4 minutes.
7. Deglaze with the beef stock, then pour in the tomato sauce. At this point, I usually fill the can or cup of tomato sauce up with 1 cup of water and swirl it around to get all that goodness, then add it to the pot.
8. Place in the bay leaves, pepper flakes, and salt. Stir and taste. It should be delicious. Put on the cover and cook over low-to-low medium heat for 2 ½ hours or until the beef is tender and easily shreds apart.
9. Next, stir in the optional liver spread and peanut butter. The liquid should immediately turn to a thick sauce consistency.
10. Stir in the sauteed and chilled potatoes, carrots, green beans, and peppers, and cook for 4 to 5 minutes to reheat.
11. Adjust any seasonings with salt and pepper and serve with rice.