Boiled Beef Soup, is locally known and called as Nilagang Baka [pronounced Ni-LAH-gang BAH-ka] in the Philippines. It’s another one of my favorite Filipino dishes that I used to request for dinner all the time.

When my grandmother cooks this dish, she uses a pressure cooker to soften the meat and make the stock out of beef soup bones. I used that as well to cut down on the cooking time to make the brisket really tender. Traditionally, the vegetables added are cabbages, potatoes, bok choy, and sometimes, plantains. I used cabbage and spinach and they still went well with the soup.

It’s pretty straightforward to cook Boiled Beef Soup. You basically boil the beef then add the vegetables. For a healthier option, you can make the stock and cook the meat a day ahead. Separate the meat and bones from the soup when you store it in the fridge. You can scoop out the fat from the top of the soup after it has cooled then heat with the meat and add the vegetables when ready to be served.

This week seems to be about Filipino food, eh? I swear it’s not intentional, although it can be explained by the fact that I need my comfort foods. I’m here in Vancouver and I’m not really liking the cold and rain and cold and rain.

Welcome to winter in Vancouver. It’s raining hard outside and the wind is howling as I type this. Brrr.

Adobo is a popular Philippine dish, and a lot of people (including me) consider it the national dish. It’s chicken and/or pork marinated and cooked in soy sauce, vinegar, garlic and spices. There are many variants of the dish, depending on the region of the Philippines, much like every province there has its own dialect. Others like it sour, others like it dry, others like it with chicken liver — it’s all about preference. I have tried numerous recipes over the Internet, but none of them satisfied my picky tastebuds. They tasted OKAY, but it doesn’t bring me back “home”. It makes me think of Chicagoans [ahem, Dan :-)] who think/say that pizza and hotdogs in Chicago are much better than in any other place. In other words: Not the same as home.

Anyway, finally…tonight! Mark it! I’ve cooked an Adobo that I think will make my foremothers proud. Hehe. I actually measured the ingredients just for you folks. If you try it, do let me know what you think!

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Picadillo is a dish mainly consisting of ground beef (sometimes shredded beef or chicken) typically found in Cuba, Mexico, and other Latin American countries, and in the Philippines. In Mexico it is sometimes used as a filling, such as for tacos, and can be mixed with vegetables. It can also be prepared as a type of stew.

Picadillo is a traditional dish in many Latin American countries; it’s made with ground meat, tomatoes, and regional ingredients. The Cuban version includes olives and on occasion capers, omits chili powder, and is usually served with black beans and rice. [from Wikipedia]

Picadillo is one of the comfort foods from my childhood. I remember asking or begging our maids to cook it for dinner. It’s ridiculously simple to make, and it’s delicious with rice. I watched them cook this for our family, and I’ve made several modifications to the original recipe, channeling Sandra Lee with her store-bought, ready-made items to replace ingredients that I did not have. I also added butter–I LOVE butter. Other Filipinos put raisins in their picadillo, I’m not a fan of them so they’re not included. Some people call this dish “beef and potato soup”…meh…too boring. Haha.

Here’s my version of one of my favorite Filipino dishes:

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Filipinos are known for their overabundant holiday season celebrations. We don’t have Thanksgiving in the Philippines, so between Easter and Christmas, there is nothing to tide us over (except for birthdays). That’s why Christmas is such a big deal. The kitchens are busy for weeks ahead. People bake all kinds of edible gifts, like my favorite spiked fruit cakes that are given out to friends and family. We stock up on holiday staples such as Queso de Bola (cheddar cheese ball) and boxes and boxes of hamon (ham, no turkey). Some people (my mom’s mom) give notices to their favorite butcher to reserve meat for them to make ham (she makes a mean pineapple pork ham and chicken ham. Imagine that.).

One of the favorite “cakes” during the holidays is called Food For the Gods. I miss them dearly and until I baked my own, I haven’t had them since 2001. They’re basically date-and-walnut bars. [Don't wince, date-haters, I am one of you, too. You won't even notice you're eating dates when you have these.] These are so good, you’ll really have to leave some for yourself at home if you’re taking it to a party because it won’t be on the table for long.

FOOD FOR THE GODS (CHEWY VERSION)
[Recipe Source: here, but it was originally by Junjun de Guzman and Adoree Uy as published on Manila Bulletin]

Ingredients

• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 cup pitted dates, chopped
• 1 cup unsalted butter, melted
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 2/3 cup sugar
• 1 tablespoon honey
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 eggs
• 1 cup walnuts, coarsely chopped

Preparation

1. Preheat oven to 350°F and place rack in the upper middle position.  Line a 9″ x 13″ rectangular pan with parchment paperand set aside.
2. Sift all-purpose flour, salt and baking powder in a small bowl. Put half this mixture in another bowl and dredge the chopped dates in there.
3. Combine melted butter, brown sugar, sugar, eggs and vanilla extract in a large bowl. Mix until batter is uniform. Add honey and mix.
4. Fold flour into the batter using a rubber spatula. Lastly, fold the dredged dates and walnuts.
5. Pour the batter to the prepared pan and spread evenly. Pour the mixture to the prepared pan. Spread evenly. Bake in the oven for 35 to 40 minutes when using a 9”x13” pan, and 15 minutes when cooked in a jelly roll pan. It should be done when you poke a toothpick through the middle and it comes out clean. The center would still be wet.
6. Cool completely before slicing into bars.

NOTES:

I already made 4 batches of this recipe so I pretty much have it down to a science and to the exact flavor and consistency I want. Hope the following tips help you when you make them!

Baking pan: I used a standard size cookie sheet and the thickness of the bar is just perfect!

Dates: DO NOT use the already chopped ones that come in boxes because they are coated in sugar and will make your bars too sweet. It is brutal to chop 1 cup of dates, but it will be worth it! My first batch was super sweet.

Baking Time: Mine was perfectly baked in 15 minutes. I suggest you set your timer first for 15 minutes and go from there. My first batch baked for 40 minutes and it was a disaster. Next for 30, still stiff. Next was 20…ok. Fifteen is my magic number.

Cutting: Resist the urge to eat it just minute out of the oven. Patience! Let it cool completely and cut into bars. If you have a hard plastic spatula, that’s perfect for cutting because it won’t be as sticky as when you use a knife.

Wrapping/Packaging:
Traditionally, the bars (about 2″x4″) are wrapped in aluminum foil–yes, individually. Then it’s wrapped in cellophane, and put in boxes or plastic containers. I couldn’t find the crunchy cellophane that I love here so I settled for the roll of gift basket plastic sold at Wal-Mart. It’s a little tougher to wrap and twist at the ends, but if you’re giving it as gifts, it’s worth it. And look (to the right)–so pretty!

Serving Suggestions: You can also cut 2″x2″ squares and put them in paper cups if you’re serving them at a party. They’re sticky, chewy bars, so spare your guests the sticky fingers. They pair well with coffee. Some people find it too “rich”, so you can also serve them in smaller, more bite-size pieces.

ADULT Version: Before wrapping them in foil, you can also brush some brandy at the top and bottom. They are incredibly good as well.

Shelf Life: The question is–will it even last a day?! Hah. These are very shippable and will probably stay good for a little over a week, that’s my conservative guess. If you’re keeping them at home, stick them in the fridge and only take them out an hour before devouring them. They’ll be perfectly chewy.

We’ve given them out to Dan’s family and his workplace. I’ve mailed them to family and friends, and my dad even complained there were too few! Haha. They all loved it. I’m sure you will, too. It’s so easy to make and not time-consuming at all if you don’t count the wrapping time. Enjoy!