Beef Kaldereta Recipe
Another favorite Filipino dish is the Kaldereta. It is a hearty meat dish using chevon (goat meat), beef, or pork combined with potatoes, carrots, tomato sauce, and liver spread or liver paste. This is a popular dish served during special occasions and a regular in every Filipino cookbook.
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Beef Kaldereta is a main stay in any Filipino Kitchen. It is a type of beef stew cooked with tomato sauce and liver spread. Ingredients such as potato, carrots, bell peppers, and olives are also utilized when cooking this dish.
This is a popular dish is served during special occasions. It is a regular item in every Filipino cookbook. Some consider kaldereta as the Philippines most famous beef stew.
How to Cook Beef Kaldereta
The first part of the process is to sauté beef with garlic and onion. Start by heating oil in wide pot. Cook the garlic, onion, and beef. Continue to saute the beef until the color browns a bit. Add bay leaves and crushed peppercorn. Continue by adding liver spread, tomato sauce, and beef broth.
The beef needs to be cooked until tender. You can do it the traditional way by cooking it in a regular cooking pot over the stove top. This takes around 60 to 90 minutes. A faster way to tenderize beef is to cook it using a pressure cooker. It can save you time by more than half.
Go ahead and add the vegetables and seasonings. Cook for around 10 minutes and it’s done. The cooking process is simple and straightforward.
Beef Kaldereta is best eaten with warm white rice. I suggest cooking the rice while waiting for the meat to tenderize. You might forget the rice when you tend to be focused in cooking the beef.
Kaldereta Versions
Different types of protein can be used to make kaldereta. Goat meat and pork are widely used aside from beef. Chicken can also be utilized using this recipe.
I like to put more ingredients when cooking this dish during special occasions. Pitted green olives is one of my favorites. When cooking kaldereta as a pulutam, I add chopped chili peppers. This is what I usually do when making my Kalderetang kambing.
There are several versions of kaldereta. This recipe that I am sharing today just happens to be the one that I grew-up eating. It the version that makes use of liver spread and tomato sauce. Liver spread is an ingredient similar to liver pate.
Kaldereta with Peanut Butter – there are regions in the Philippines that makes use of peanut butter instead of liver spread. I think that it is also good. In fact, I made a version of it using goat meat. Check out this Kalderetang Kambing with Peanut Butter Recipe. It will be great if you can give me a feedback.
Kaldereta sa Gata (with coconut milk) – a popular version of kaldereta outside of Metro Manila involves the use of coconut milk. I think that it is really good. This is a rich and creamy version of kaldereta that is best done spicy, in my opinion. I enjoyed every bite of it. Check it out.
My Christmas Kaldereta has shredded cheese along with most of the ingredients that I used in this recipe. This is what the kids love most. There is something with the cheese that makes the dish more interesting. I encourage you to try it.
Alternative ingredients
Use fresh liver if liver spread is not available. I prefer pig’s liver over that of the cow’s. It is best to puree it using a food processor before cooking.
Ripe fresh tomatoes and canned diced tomato can be used as a replacement for tomato sauce. Stewed tomato works too.
Try this Beef Kaldereta Recipe. Let me know what you think.
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Beef Kaldereta Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 lbs beef cubed
- 3 pieces garlic cloves crushed and chopped
- 1 piece onion finely chopped
- 2 cups beef broth
- 1 piece red bell pepper sliced
- 1 piece green bell pepper sliced
- 1 cup tomato sauce
- ½ cup liver spread processed using blender
- 1 teaspoon chili flakes
- 3 pieces dried bay leaves
- 2 cups potatoes sliced
- 2 cups carrots sliced
- 1/4 cup cooking oil
- ⅔ cup green olives
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Heat the cooking oil in the cooking pot or pressure cooker.
- Sauté the onion and garlic.
- Add the beef. Cook for 5 minutes or until the color turns light brown.
- Add the dried bay leaves and crushed pepper. Stir.
- Add the liver spread. Stir.
- Pour-in the tomato sauce and beef broth.
- Cook the beef until it becomes tender (about 30 mins if using a pressure cooker, or 1 to 2 hours if using an ordinary pot).
- Add potato and carrots. Cook for 8 to 10 minutes.
- Put the green olives and bell peppers in the cooking pot. Stir and continue to cook for 5 minutes more.
- Add salt and pepper to taste
- Serve Hot. Enjoy!
Video
Nutrition Information
Watch How to Cook Beef Kaldereta
Melanie says
I’m away at college and missing the yummy cooking, so I tried this recipe! Tastes like my mama thank you!!!!
Vanjo Merano says
Melanie, you are welcome. Thanks for trying the recipe.
Felesse says
I cooked this for the 3rd time, followed all the ingredients, instructions and it was superb as always! I never put liverspread because I can’t find it here in our city even on Asian stores nearby. Aside from using beef cubes, I also used beef short ribs and after simmering it for 1.5hrs it will fall of the bone! Thank you for this recipe!
malou says
can I use beef brisket for beef caldereta?
Rey U. says
Dapat pala i pressure cooker muna yung beef bago ihalo liver spread and tomato sauce.
Lexy says
Thanks for the recipe! This bring back memories, my grandma used to cook this everytime there’s a special occasion like “fiesta”. Not adding the green olives. I had my mom send me the filipino brand liver paste (RENO) from PHI cause it’s so hard to find that in asian stores here in the US plus it taste better too in my opinion. Thanks again for all your recipes!
nedy says
Hi Vanjo,
Just to say thank you for this recipe beef caldereta its so delish yummy!
God bless you always ?
Vanjo Merano says
Nedy -- I appreciate the feedback. You are welcome.
Aida says
A blessed day Vanjo,
I followed your recipe and I can’t never go wrong. Thank you so much. May God bless you with good health and good things in abundance
Peace & blessings
Vanjo Merano says
Thank you for the nice words, Aida. It is much appreciated.
aya says
Hi Vanjo,
Regarding the pressure cooker I have one from Standard appliances and in their instruction booklet have specific levels of heat to use during cooking. I’m just wondering if you heated the oil on high and kept it there for the whole duration in cooking? Just confused on whether to set the heat first to high for the oil then move on to the lowest temp for the whole cooking time. Your insight is highly appreciated thank you!!!
Vanjo Merano says
Hi Aya, the rule of thumb when cooking Filipino stews is to set the heat to high when sauteing the armatics (these are the onion and garlic). Continue to cook in high heat while bronwing the meat. This includes steps 3 to 6 above. Once the broth and/or tomato sauce is added and it starts to boil, this is the right time to adjust the heat to low or even to a simmer. Doing this will slow cook the meat overtime making it tender. More flavor are also extracted from the meat during this process.