Beef Kaldereta Sauvignon

This Filipino recipe is a favourite of Dad’s.  The basics of this dish is the beef, stewed in a tomato based sauce till tender-come!  Much like the French Beef Bourguignon made famous by Julia Child and the American beef casserole.  But also different in a lot of ways.  The classic beef kaldereta includes liver spread, which gives it that extra flavour.  It also does not include wine.  Other people add a bit of twist to the classic by adding some capers or olives to give it that Mediterranean touch.  There is also differences in the cuts of meat used.  Usually, I use beef shin or beef ribs – which takes a bit of cooking time. 

With our heavy dutch oven Le Chasseur, there’s no need for pressure cookers to tenderise the meat before cooking, as this amazing pot, from experience, lessens cooking time by half.  And so it is great when making kaldereta.    I’ve made this beef kaldereta for a weekday dinner, and added a bit of French, well Australia in it, with the addition of a cup of Cabernet Sauvignon.  From my blurb on the Wynn’s brand from South Australia.  And did I also mention I have secret sauce for making stews? Ssshhhh... I use herbed pasta sauce!

To make this beef kaldereta, you'll need:

1-1.5k beef ribs

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 large onion, sliced

3 medium-sized potatoes, cubed

2  medium carrots, cubed

half of a large red capsicum, diced

half of a large green capsicum, diced

3 tbsp tomato paste

1/2 cup red wine

2 bay leaves

1 - 500g Raguletto Napolitana Pasta Sauce

vegetable oil

salt and pepper to taste

Prepare a large pot with cold water, add in the beef and bring to a boil.  Simmer for 45 minutes to an hour, skimming every few minutes for fat and impurities.  Once beef is tender, take off from heat and transfer the meat in a plate or bowl.

Heat a large skillet or pan, add vegetable oil and saute the onion and garlic until soft. 

 Sear and brown the meat, then add the tomato paste.  

Stir until meat is coated, then add the potato, carrots, capsicum and bay leaves.   Add the pasta sauce and stir to allow the sauce to coat the meat and vegetables.  

Add 4-5 cups of the beef stock (use the stock used to tenderise the beef) and bay leaves. Bring to a boil, then turn down heat to medium and simmer for 10 minutes.

As usual, serve with rice.  But I reckon, this beef kaldereta in red wine, can also be served with some sliced sour dough, for a bit of change.

PS - Pasta sauce is a great base not just for pasta dishes, but for stews and casseroles as well.  I use the Raguletto Napolitana in almost all other tomato based dishes we make at home, not just limited to lasagna and bolognese.