NILAGANG “CAMTO”
(SEASONED and VEGGIES LADEN BOILED  BEEF FLANK)
Flank and the immediately adjacent short plate are widely utilized
cuts of beef for commercial concerns.
Flesh (lean), which dominates the cut, is secondarily layered by cartilage
then thin soft fat before the skin.
Together with brisket, it is also usually processed into real cattle corned beef,
real burger patties and real franks-sausages.
I claimed real for majority of mentioned items processed in the country
are made from buffalo beef from India (similar to our carabao meat)
…which is why-it MUST be termed as CARA-BEEF.
Check this post to enlighten us on the kinds of beef.
Further, most of the “pares” & “beef mami” mistakenly known by many
as that coming from cattle beef flank, short plate or brisket
are actually derived from CARABAO
called “LOMO SA LOOB” (internal loin)
No worry. Nothing’s wrong except:
mis-conception, mis-representation by some merchants
and the darker brown color of lean than those of real cattle beef.
Fact is, I love them for they have higher protein content and a lot cheaper.
Ok now, the Camto  we will be dealing with is from flank of cattle beef.
Rainy season here and this type of dish goes well with steaming rice,
“patis” (fish sauce) with or without crushed “labuyo” (bird’s eye chillies)
and, for me, a soda by the side.

 Prep time:                   15mins.
Cook time:                   1 hour
Total time:                    1 hour & 15mins.
Makes/Serves:            3
Cooking media:          frying pan, pressure cooker
Special instruction(s):  This is a 3-step cooking approach that will yield a very flavor-filled, bit viscous

and mega satisfying soup dish.
INGREDIENTS:
½ kilo camto rectangularly cut 1.5” to 2” on sides and 3” long
6 cloves crushed garlic
1 small white onion-sliced
2 grams salt
1 gram ground black pepper
1 small cabbage sliced
2 bunches of “pechay” (napa cabbage)-root ends cut
3 pieces “saging na saba” (cardava banana or saba banana) each halved
2 pieces “camote” (sweet potato) each quartered
50 ml. palm or soya oil
10 ml. “patis”
tap water as needed
OPTIONAL MSG…2 grams
PROCEDURES:
1.    In suitable pressure cooker, pour in camto, 2 pieces each of “camote” and “saging na saba” and enough tap water to cover them.
2.    Commence with medium heat until cooker starts to “whistle”. Upon “whistling” start timer and cook for 40 minutes. When done, scoop out beef and set aside. Broth in cooker will be used later.
3.    Heat oil in pan and sauté crushed garlic until light brown. Add in onion, salt, pepper, “patis’, the optional MSG (should you wish) and the cooked beef. Toss and tumble until beef turns brown.
4.    Pour in everything from pan into pressure cooker. Add in remaining “camote”. Start re-heating.
5.    Upon boiling add in “saging na saba” and continue for 2 minutes. DONE.
6.    Switch off or remove cooker from heat. Add in all veggies. Cover cooker.
7.    Serve your “naiibang nilaga” with succulent beef, flavorful soup and crunchy veggies.

DISCLAIMER: Above are test kitchen and household-produced dishes. All ingredients utilized are of food grade quality passing international and domestic sanitary standards. While we find the results highly acceptable, no guarantee nor explicit assurance is hereby issued when recipe is performed by readers. For one, although of similar breed, spices, herbs and other ingredients vary from country to country/region to region that possibility of affecting end taste, aroma & bite-feel is great. Further thereto, mentioned sensory evaluation (aroma, taste, mouth-feel) is subjective.