Beef Pares

Copyright 2012 LtDan'sKitchen blogs

I'm very excited to make this dish since this is one of my favorites when I was a student in college. Considered a street food in Manila, we did not care and even drove to our favorite Pares House eating alongside jeepney and tricycle drivers just to have our fix of this delicious beef dish. A typical Manilena food, I was unfamiliar with it but in a flash fell in love with it too after my first bite. One other good thing about it is how cheap it was which was a good thing. Even after transitioning from college student to College Instructor, we still came back to our Pares House whenever we had the chance. Good and cheap eats were our weakness back then and come to think of it, it still applies today. 

The dish is usually cooked for hours and hours using cheaper cuts of beef. As you may notice with Filipino dishes, the cheaper cuts are always cooked in one way or another to avoid waste. In the case of my pares however, I'm using a relatively tough but leaner cut of beef, the brisket. Since it will undergo a slow cooking process (or in this case, a short one in a pressure cooker), this cut of beef is the perfect choice. It has just the right amount of fat to not render the dish overly unhealthy but rather, just perfect on both nutrition and taste. 

One word of warning, however. The dish uses star anise which has a licorice flavor to it in addition to being highly aromatic. So be forewarned that your house may smell of this spice for a few days, something a good airing of your kitchen can take care of in a flash. Also, serve this dish a bit on the soupy side and sprinkle with roasted garlic and a sprinkling of green onions over a bed of hot steamed rice. I'm salivating already!

Beef Pares

2-3 lbs beef brisket, diced in 1-inch cubes
1 onion diced
5-6 garlic cloves, minced
2 tbsp ginger, minced finely
1/4 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup oyster sauce
1/4 cup brown sugar
6-8 cup beef broth
4 pieces star anise
4 tbsp vegetable oil
1/3 cup roasted garlic
5-6 green onions, diced
salt and pepper

1. In a deep pot, heat the oil at medium heat and add the ginger, garlic and 
    onions. Season with salt and pepper and saute until softened for about 2 
    minutes. 

2. Add the beef and season with salt and pepper. Cook until slightly browned 
    before adding the soy sauce and oyster sauce. Stir and mix and cook for 
    another 2-3 minutes. 

3. Add the broth and bring the pot to a boil. Once boiling, add the sugar and 
    star anise and lower the heat to medium low. Simmer for about 2 hours 
    until the beef is very tender. Keep adding water if necessary.

4. If using a pressure cooker, cook for about 30-40 minutes and check if the 
    beef is tender. Add more water if necessary.

5. Check for flavor and serve hot with a sprinkling of roasted garlic and diced 
    green onions.