Nilagang Baka & Pochero

Beef Stew

Here’s a recipe for the venerable Nilagang Baka. This soup dish is a mainstay in many Filipino homes, and serves as a base for other dishes, such as the tastier Pochero.

Speaking of which, it’s interesting to note that in Cebu (and probably other places in the Visayas), they make pochero without tomato sauce.

This recipe has ingredients for 12 portions.

Clean the beef and cut into desired sizes. Place in a pot with the chorizo, salt and water to cover. Cook until tender. For me, it’s best when you let it simmer for a little while longer so that the beef is really tender. Some even go as far as cooking the meat in a pressure cooker.

Add the cabbage, potatoes, green beans, onion and banana into the broth and let it simmer until the vegetables are tender. Season with black pepper, if desired.

Nilagang Baka is best served with patis (fish sauce) on the side.

For Pochero, cook the meat first, then the vegetables in the same broth. Then make the sauce and mix them all together.

Heat oil in a deep pan and sauté the garlic and onion. Add the meats and broth. Add the tomato sauce and bring to a boil and then reduce heat. Let simmer until liquid is reduced. Season to taste.

Place in a deep serving plate, add the vegetables and garnish with garbanzos.

What makes either of these dishes enjoyable for me is the Chorizo Bilbao. Some people don’t like it, though, because it has a tendency to overpower the taste of the other ingredients. So don’t overdo it. For this recipe, two of those tasty sausages should be enough.

What’s so nice about this recipe is that, you can play around with it and create your own version. You can add chicken and/or pork, for instance, to make it a really interesting pochero. Something that you’d gladly bring to a potluck party.

Kain na!