Nilagang “CAMTO”

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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.

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(Thank you wikihow, wikipedia & Google)

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 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.

Garlic “Polonchay”

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GARLIC “POLONCHAY”
(QUICK STIR FRIED CHINESE SPINACH)
Nothing beats healthy, palate-satisfying & antioxidant rich veggy dish.
Quick and easiest to prep “dig” of my grandkids that go enjoyably
with “inihaw” (grilled…any).
Introduced a bit of innovation in procedure (for flavor absorption)
plus the addition of “omni-tasteful”…butter for yummier end taste.
Prep time:                    15mins.
Cook time:                     2mins.
Total time:                    17mins.
Makes/Serves:                4
Cooking medium:           frying pan
Special instruction(s):

INGREDIENTS:
Enough bunch of “Polonchay” to serve 4 or about 1/2 kilo
1 medium bulb chopped garlic for frying
5 cloves finely chopped garlic for end garnish
30 grams butter
2 grams salt
1 gram ground black pepper
10 grams honey
40 ml. sesame oil
15 ml. any white wine
PROCEDURES:
1.    Heat sesame oil and fry the 1 bulb chopped garlic until crunchy. Scoop up and set aside.
2.    In this sequence and in the same used sesame oil, pour in “polonchay’ then butter and quickly tumble to spread taste (8-10 seconds)
3.    Add in honey, white wine, salt and pepper and have a quick toss just enough to disseminate flavors. (about 10 seconds)
4.    Add in the finely chopped un-cooked garlic. Tumble for 5 seconds.
5.    Done. Unto plate then garnish with crispy fried garlic.
NOTE: Health values of “Polonchay” (Chinese Spinach) surpass its splendid taste.
Check below site for more of:
Nutritional and Health Efficacy of Leafy “SPINACH”
Spinach
Learn more from world acclaimed nutritionist Helen Nichols
on nutri-health values of spices, herbs and veggies
we normally don’t mind around.
http://www.well-beingsecrets.com/

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.

ADO-BET (The Marriage of Adobo & Pinakbet)

 

 ADOBET-WM
ADO-BET
(The MARRIAGE of ADOBO & PINAKBET)
Familiar with Pinakbet topped with Crispy BAGWANG?
Can’t give out recipe.
Both BAGWANG and its EXCLUSIVE marketing arm,
MANILA Q, are registered and patented.
And so, dishing out another technologically proven offering as well,
let’s talk about…
originally of Spanish term, Adobo,
in strictest sense, is a type of marinade or sauce
from where soaked raw meats absorb needed flavor.
Common to it are: salt, garlic, paprika, pepper oregano and vinegar.
The use of soy sauce started ONLY when “Pinoys” created their own version
calling it as such denoting already a “dish” in itself
and no longer just a flavor solution.
Adobo (soy and vinegar stewed meat) is considered by many
as the Filipino national dish scrambling it out to top slot along with
“Kare-Kare” (meat in peanut sauce) and
“Sinigang” (tamarind soup-based meat).
Issuing recipe herewith marrying it with “PINAKBET”,
a famous Ilocano (folks of the northern part of Philippines, Ilocos Region)
favorite of stewed various veggies either with or without
“bagoong” (shrimp or fish paste).
INGREDIENTS:
FRIED ADOBO:
½ kilo skin-on sliced “liempo” (pork belly)
500 ml. water
30 ml. palm or soya oil
6 cloves crushed garlic
2 grams salt
1 gram ground black pepper
10 ml. soy sauce
8 ml. cane vinegar
PINAKBET:
6 cloves crushed garlic
1 large sliced tomato
1 large sliced onion
½ modest sized cubed “calabasa” (yellow squash)
6 pieces “okra”  sliced
2 large sliced “talong” (eggplant)
1 medium sliced “ampalaya” (bitter gourd or bitter melon)
30 grams “bagoong alamang” (shrimp paste)
15 ml. water
PROCEDURES:
I. Adobo:
1.    In a suitable frying pan add in water and boil to desired tenderness
sliced liempo. When done scoop out, set aside and discard water.
2.    In the same pan, heat oil. Add in garlic-toss a bit.
3.    Pour in boiled “liempo” and fry together with garlic for 1 minute.
4.    Add in salt, soy sauce and vinegar. Continue tumbling until almost all liquid are absorbed by the meat OR
sauce in pan becomes “oily”.
5.    Scoop cooked meat. Set aside.
II. Pinakbet:
1.    In the same pan with left-over Adobo oil, pour in crushed garlic toss a bit.
2.    Add in tomato and onion tumble for 30 seconds.
3.Pour in calabasa, ampalaya, okra, bagoong alamang and water .
Let boil while tumbling constantly for 2 minutes.
Add in talong  and simmer for another 30 seconds or until calabasa is done.
III. FINAL ADO-BET:
In suitable plate, pour in Pinakbet and top with Fried Adobo.
Witness the smile and satisfaction spelled by the faces of your loved ones
as they “bond together”  over sumptuous 2 dishes combined into 1.

The Versatile “Sinigang Mix”, Again, In Fried “Pampano”.

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  THE VERSATILE SINIGANG MIX, AGAIN, IN FRIED “PAMPANO”
(TAMARIND SOUP BASE POWDER RUBBED FRIED SILVER POMFRET)
4th consecutive posts utilizing Sinigang Mix
and a resulting product concocted after a very upset environ.
Anyway, for me, uses for Sinigang Mix can go high up to the moon.
Ideal and versatile taste profile for: fried, stewed, grilled, griddled,
baked, broiled, broasted or infused in soup…that, again,
it lands as major flavor enhancer in this recipe issue.
Below is a simple, no-brainer, un-culinaristic dish
which is the result of “teeth gnarling” feeling
after I stopped serving the needs of some clients
who “like to fry us in our own oil”.
Get this, I developed food products for some restos, schools and dealers
under very professional ways, dealings, the most prompt
& punctual deliveries they have ever encountered
& “the most intact products served”.
This means, goods delivered are 99.9% exactly similar to agreed quality
& strictly adhering to the ones previously-initially approved:
no changes in raw mats, formulations and/or without any “hocus pocus” done.
The “only”…yes, ONLY thing I ask for is: pay on time.
All these chains do not accept credit cards from their customers
that all transactions are on cash basis.
What the hell are they doing with their cash?
Why do they have voluminous compilations of assorted reasons
…reasons so they can delay payments?
Been dealing with most for 8 years average…8 years my whole staff are in limbo
trying to decipher whether they can collect or not when collection times come.
And in fact, never…YES, NEVER did they hear even for an instance
that we will not be delivering because we had internal
problems. NEVER!!!
Oh hell. I remove problems…that’s Dante.
And since the scheduled “drinking session” with shooting-mates & Jerry, a good friend-visitor from Los Angeles,
did not materialize, Marilyn and I headed straight home early.
Took my red wine and poured unto plate “shells-on dried peanuts” for my finger, really finger, food.

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Seeing this, Marilyn quickly shouted…I have something you will enjoy with wine or your beer.
Out from freezer, she handed me…fully cleaned “Pampano” (Silver Pomfret) for me to do whatever I wish.
Oh yah, I instantly scrambled for: “SINIGANG MIX”
butter, olive oil, ground black pepper, salt and foil.
Slitted the fish, poured little olive oil and rubbed mix both sides & inside.
Sprinkled black pepper and salt.
Lined toaster pan with foil and poured in 2 slices of butter.
Wedged unto oven toaster and heated-operating both top & bottom heating rods.
(this is to cook/heat both sides of fish)
When butter melted, laid fish and toastered for 10 minutes, turned to other side
and again heated for another 10 minutes.
OUT. PERFECT.
Salty, sour-ish just right fish flesh.
My side dip? Our own chili-garlic sauce and Kikkoman soy sauce blend.
(For recipe of chili-garlic sauce click here)
3 bottles of cold ones and hit the sack 8pm.
Easiest to prepare.
Try this.

Fried “Talakitok” Sinigang.

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FRIED “TALAKITOK” SINIGANG
(TAMARIND SOUP BASE FRIED TREVALLY or JACK or CAVALLA)
In this wet season hot Ramen for the “elite” satisfies bonding.
While instant noodle soup, pork, beef or chicken, fills in tummies of the many.
For the special class, either Nilaga, Tinola, Bulalo or Sinigang
makes it way into the center table.  
Sinigang is one of the most versatile Filipino dishes
that can be modified to endless variations…and due such, it lands focus to
my next recipe issue, as usual, innovated bestowing further taste enhancement.
Fried Talakitok then souped with Sinigang Mix.
INGREDIENTS:
1 modest size Talakitok fully cleaned, cut into half, slitted
FRYING & SAUTEING MIX:
50 ml. palm or soya oil
1 large sliced onion
5 cloves crushed garlic
2 grams fine salt
2 grams ground black pepper
OPTIONAL 1 gram MSG (Monosodium Glutamate or Vetsin)
SOUP MIX:
1 liter tap water
(or any broth you may have except “gingered” one)
15 ml. patis (fish sauce)
1 large sliced tomato
a bunch of fully washed “mustasa” (mustard leaves)
4 pieces “sili pansigang” (banana pepper or chili finger)
1 pack or sachet Sinigang Mix” (tamarind soup base powder)
PROCEDURES:
1.    From FRYING & SAUTEING MIX, heat oil.
Add in crushed garlic toss a bit as they will be cooked further during fish frying.
Scatter in onion, salt, black pepper and the optional MSG (should you desire).
Tumble for 1 minute.
2.    Add in fish and fry until they turn really brown.
Be very careful in tossing to other side as fish might break.
You might do this in 2 batches.
3.    When fish is to your desired done-ness, scoop and set aside.
Frying pan will be used later.
4.    From the SOUP MIX, pour in water, patis, sliced tomato and Sinigang Mix into the used pan and bring to boil.
5.    Upon boiling add in fried Talakitok and continue boiling for 1 minute.
6.    TURN OFF heat. Add “sili pansigang” and “mustasa leaves”.
Cover pan for 30 seconds.
7.    READY to serve with steamed rice.
8.    Patis with “sili labuyo” (bird’s eye red/green chili pepper) will I recommend as side dip.