Kaldereta or Caldereta is definitely a top ranked, favorite dish in the Philippines. This dish is served wherever there’s a gathering whether it’s formal or just a family get together. Caldereta has been adapted from the Spaniards during their occupancy in the Philippines and Filipino’s didn’t waste any time in making their own version.

The original meat used in this dish was Goat meat along with liver spread to thicken the sauce and topped with shredded cheese.

As time went by, Filipinos also ventured out by using other types of meats since Goat wasn’t as widely available at most meat markets as Beef, Pork, and Chicken. So, now most Kaldereta is made using beef and also without liver spread and the cheese that previously went with it.

The Kaldereta that most Filipino’s serve nowadays is beef comprised with pitted olives, potatoes, carrots, green peas, bay leaves, and of course the key ingredient, the tomato sauce.

This version I have here is marinated with cider vinegar along with garlic and ground black pepper. Although this dish is an Eastern style, the method of cooking it is similar to western versions which makes the dish fairly easy to make. However, it does take a little time for the meat to tenderize.

The trick of cooking beef stew is letting the beef brown and using the part that caramelizes on the bottom of the pot to enhance the flavor of the broth. Adding cooking oil immediately after removing the beef, sautéing the onions, and letting it caramelize will leave you a rich flavored broth that will provide a great taste to the dish. So, keep that in mind and apply it when cooking this recipe and you will be rewarded by having a great tasting Kaldereta on your dinner table.

Ingredients

• 2.2 Lb. Chuck roast (pot roast)
• 2 Bell peppers (red and green, one of each)
• 4 Medium sized carrots – peeled and cut into bite sized pieces
• 4 Medium sized potatoes – peeled and quartered
• 1 Large onion – thinly sliced
• 3 Bay leafs
• 1 Tsp. Ground black pepper
• 2 8oz. can Tomato sauce
• 2 14oz. cans Beef stock/broth
• For the marinade:
• 6 Cloves of garlic – smashed
• 4 Tbs. Cider vinegar
• 1 Tsp. Ground black pepper

Cooking Process

1. Prep the meat: Trim the thin membrane off the meat and remove all the excess fat on the bottom of the roast, then slice it into serving size pieces.
2. Cover the meat and let it marinate inside the fridge for thirty minutes.
3. Peel and slice potatoes using a decorative wavy knife to add an aesthetic look to your potato slices. Do the same steps to the carrots and set them aside.
4. Slice onions into thin pieces and remove seeds from bell peppers and slice them into bite size pieces.
5. After beef is marinated, we’re ready to brown it using 1 tablespoon cooking oil for each batch. After all beef is browned, remove it from heat and set it aside.
6. Add three more tablespoons of cooking oil to the pot you browned the beef in and sauté the onions until they’re caramelized.
7. Add the beef back to the pot with bay leaves, add the beef broth, and let it simmer for two hours or until the beef is tender. You may add more water if needed during this process making sure that the beef doesn’t run out of liquid.
8. When the beef is tender enough, add the carrots and allow it to cook for five minutes before adding the tomato sauce and potatoes.
9. You may now add the potatoes and tomato sauce, mix it well, lower the heat, and then bring the liquid back to a boil allowing the potatoes to cook slowly while mixing it constantly to avoid scorching the bottom of the pot.
10. When the potatoes are done, adjust the taste by adding salt and pepper if needed. Then, add the bell peppers as your last ingredient.
11. Allow the bell peppers to cook on low heat for five minutes, mix it carefully, and you’re ready to serve this food.