Lasang Pinoy 4: SINIGANG NA BAKA
Saturday, 26 November 2005 | By Mike | Category: Lasang Pinoy, Meat, Pinoy FoodAn entry I am honoured to host this month’s Lasang Pinoy Food Blogging Event is from Jovic Rivera, a Pinoy colleague and the restaurant manager at The Empire’s Bunker Café . . .
When comfort food comes to mind, I always remember my childhood years in a barrio called Sapang Bato in Angeles City, Philippines. I was under the guidance of my lola and tito who saw me through until completing my HRM course. Having limited resources back then resulted in limited amount and quality food on the table.
It is surprising to note how a small tin of sardines, or two pieces of scrambled eggs, or three pieces of tuyo [dried salted fish], eaten with sinangag [fried rice], could feed at least six to seven people!
Occasionally, when budget allows, my lola would prepare what has become my favourite comfort food — Sinigang na Baka [Sour Beef Soup], having less ingredients though [meat and veggies] than my ‘own version’ these days. More often as well, lola would use carabao meat as it was way cheaper than beef. It would be a feast for all of us at home then if we had sinigang for our meal, with the warm, sour soup lifting up everyone’s spirits, with the hardships and desperation forgotten . . .
Today, having served [as well as eaten] almost every hotel food one can imagine, the sight and smell of tuyo and sinangag on the table is more of a feast, than all the fancy dishes I have tried along the way, getting to where I am now . . . My three kids however, do not seem to share this enthusiasm though . . . :-)
When homesickness strikes me [as typical of any Pinoy away from home], sinigang na baka would be the most comforting food I could think of having . . .
SINIGANG NA BAKA
Ingredients
1 kilo beef [for stewing, cut into cubes]
12 pcs sampaloc [tamarind]
2 onions [diced]
6 tomatoes [quartered]
2 pcs radish [sliced diagonally]
4 pieces gabi [yam, peeled and cubed]
2 pieces eggplant [sliced diagonally]
1 bundle sitaw [stringbeans, cut into 2″ length]
1 bundle kangkong leaves
4 pieces green sili
6 cups water
Salt and Patis to taste
Method
Boil tamarind to soften. Pound and strain all juices and set aside.
In a large pot, bring beef to a boil, lower fire and simmer for an hour or two until beef is tender. Take out all scum that rises to the surface.
Add onions, tomatoes and tamarind juice, followed by gabi, and cook for a few minutes. Add in eggplant, sitaw and green sili.
Season with salt and patis to taste. Add in kangkong leaves. Remove from heat and serve hot.
By Jovic Rivera
Uy cabalen! Mas maniaman ya ing damulag kesa keng baka!
The sinigang’s sour broth gives much comfort indeed. Wonderful of you to have joined Lasang Pinoy! We hope to see more of your cooking and stories!
makiki-cabalen na rin ako! hehe..e..bahla kang biye mu..lang alam ko karen!..mwahahaha…
yup! hope to see more from you jovic! my entry is also sinigang na baka…sa bayabas nga lang..
sigang damulag…with litid and all…dipped in patis with sili…kahit na malamig ang kanin…basta mainit yung sabaw…going home to the province after a week of school or work in manila…tapos yun ang dadatnan mo sa hapag kainan…there’s bound to be a smile in your face…
You know, I don’t think I’ve ever made sinigang na baka. I’ve only cooked nilaga before. I’m going to have to try making it sour next time. :-)
I agree, carabao meat is tastier, but I’ve never had it in sinigang, just pindang, or tapa.
Uy Jovic, kababayan mo yata si APL ng hiphop group Blackeyed Peas. :)
I’ve never really had sinigang na baka only nilaga. But knowing it’s very tasty it must be quite delicious when in a sour soup. I should do this one time.
Korek ka diyan Kong Wi, sarap isawsaw sa patis. Patis-addict kasi kaming mga taga-Malabon.
Medyo matagal lang magpalambot ng carabeef kesa sa cow’s beef. Pero malasa talaga kapag carabeef.
mga cabalen, dakal pung salamat sa inyong lahat sa pagbasa nyo at comment sa aking entry.
mas masarap nga pu ang damulag kesa baka. nga lang, nasanay na lang din siguro ako sa baka at sa tagalog-style na sigang.
another thing, puro gabi lang din ang sahog ng lola ko those days and it makes the soup a bit thicker than the usual.
miss celiaK, dating ka-baryo ko nga pu si APL of Blackeyed Peas :-) paborito nga din pala ni bosing mike yun “my humps” nila . . . not just sure what “humps” si bosing mike is up to . . . :-) joke only bosing . . . he he he
am also looking forward to the next LP event . . .
uy, finally nag-comment din si cabalen jovic . . . anong “humps” naman yang gimik mo ha . . . ?
salamat din naman at nagpa-coerce ka na sumali . . . hehehe . . . looking forward din sa entry mo for LP5 . . .
kongwi . . . i love the patis and sili dip too! i also like spicy bagoong na alamang as an alternative dip!
[…] Now, was the Sinigang Na Baboy kind of a substitute for the chicken soup . . . ? Tee hee . . . It was also a bit sour than the usual and had a spicy chili zing to it! Just as I want it! Yummy! The recipe is similar to his Sinigang Na Baka entry to LP4, just replace beef with pork. […]
i like soup! any sinigang flavour!but i like most is flavoured w/ beef heheh
[…] Sopas (Soup): Pesang Maya-Maya. Ito ang aking bagong paborito na luto sa isda. Hindi ako mahilig sa ‘basang’ isda pero simula ng ito ay aking madiskubre, madalas ko na ito lutuin. Isa pa masarap ang sawsawan ng salin ng luto na ito. (Dacal pung salamat, Cabalen Karen!) Pangalawang sopas na lulutuin ko ay ang Sinigang na Baka. […]
[…] ingredient. It can be used for stews like kare-kare, vegetable dishes like pinakbet, soups like sinigang, or cooked adobo-style usually with slices of meat. These long beans however, are not cooked as a […]