Beef in Broth (Beef Nilaga)

Copyright 2012 LtDan'sKitchen blogs

Another comfort food from back home, this dish is wonderful if you are in need of a good broth. The dish is very simple with only a few ingredients needed to make this wonderful beef stew. A key ingredient to the rich broth is a good cut of beef. You can make this with beef rib tips which imparts a wonderful base to the broth because it has enough meat on the bones which is perfect for this type of dish. However, if you like your meat on the leaner side, adding a couple of soup bones will do the trick. You do want to give yourself some time to cook the beef to perfection. It has to be tender without falling off the bones. You also have to make sure that the vegetables that go with the meat is perfectly cooked to a tender crisp.There is not much I can add to describe the dish other than to try and urge you to make this if you have the chance. You will not be disappointed. 

Beef Nilaga (Beef in Broth)

2-3 lb beef rib tips
1 onion, diced
3-4 garlic cloves, peeled and bruised
3 bay leaves
1 tsp peppercorns
1 head of cabbage, quartered and cored
1 large bok choy, cut into 3-inch lengths (optional)
1 1/2 lb baby potatoes, peeled
1/2 lb green beans, trimmed
4-5 cups beef broth
2 tsp fish sauce (optional)
salt and pepper
3 tbsp olive oil

1. Heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the garlic and 
    onions and saute until softened. Season with salt and pepper. 

2. Add the bay leaves and cook for another minute. Add the beef and 
    brown slightly. Season with salt and pepper. Add the peppercorns and 
    the broth. 

3. Bring to a boil and decrease the heat to low and simmer covered until 
    tender. Check for flavor and adjust with the fish sauce, if using, or salt. 
    You can also add more water or broth if you want the dish to be soupy. 
    I prefer mine with less broth. 

4. Pour most of the broth into another pot and at medium heat, cook the 
    potatoes until tender. Keep the meat on a simmer at low heat. 

5. Once the potatoes are tender, spoon them out and add to the beef. Cook 
    the cabbage, green beans and bok choy, if using, in the broth until tender
    yet crispy. Return the vegetables with the broth to the pot with the beef 
    and potatoes and bring to a boil once more. 

6. Check for flavor and adjust accordingly and serve hot with steamed rice.