[Filipino Recipes] Beef Caldereta

A hearty Beef Caldereta recipe that you will absolutely love! With meltingly tender beef, rich and cheesy sauce–it’s a perfect dish you can make for special occasions, weekly family gatherings, or for days when you just want to indulge.

Simmer slowly on the stove or oven, or use your pressure cooker to shorten the cooking time, or set and forget with your slow cooker. Directions and tips are all here!

What you need to make Beef Caldereta

• Beef – the best part of beef for caldereta is chuck beef. It has a nice amount of fat and becomes tender and juicy after slow cooking for hours. Beef brisket, beef ribs, and beef shanks also work well.
• Vinegar and Soy Sauce – give the dish a hint of tanginess and deeper red color.
• Carrots, Potatoes and, Bell Peppers – are the main vegetables of Beef Caldereta. These three are staples in any Filipino stew dishes–Afritada, Igado, Menudo, and Filipino-style chicken curry.
• Tomato Paste – is the secret to a rich and thick caldereta sauce. I personally prefer this over tomato sauce.
• Liver Spread – gives the caldereta a rich and complex flavor. This ingredient is what makes this beef stew uniquely Filipino.
• Cheese – makes the sauce creamy and balances the overall flavor of the stew.

How to make the best Beef Caldereta ever!

And here are my top secrets to making the best beef caldereta you’ll ever have!

Marinate the beef in soy sauce, vinegar, and garlic. It doesn’t have to take long. You can do this as the first step then move on to preparing the rest of the ingredients. You won’t even notice that 10 minutes have passed!

Sear the beef in hot oil until brown. See those charred bits and pieces of meat and marinade? That’s the key to making your caldereta sauce delicious! You don’t have to do this on all of the beef pieces. Just do half of the portion to save time then just stir-fry the rest of the meat until no longer pink. Easy peasy!

Cook the tomato paste by sauteing it with the meat, spices, and fresh tomatoes. This deglazes the pan and makes the stew rich and more flavorful. An added bonus is the deep dark red color of the sauce making it extra festive for special occasions.

Slow cook the caldereta until the beef is tender. You can do this in the oven, stove-top, or even in your slow cooker. 

Reduce the sauce until it reaches the consistency you prefer. Mine took 15 minutes on high heat to get this thick and rich sauce.


Serve, storage and shelf-life

Beef caldereta, just like adobo, is so much better the next day after all the flavors have developed. It can last in the fridge for up to 3 to 4 days stored in an air-tight container. To further extend the shelf life freeze in covered airtight containers or heavy-duty freezer bags. Thaw before reheating on the stove or microwave.

Frequently asked questions

What is the best substitute for liver spread/liver paste?

You can use chicken liver as a substitute for liver spread. Here are the steps on how to prepare it:

Marinate 1 to 2 pieces of chicken liver in 2 tsp soy sauce and black pepper for 10 minutes.
Pan-fry in hot oil for 2 to 3 mins until brown. Add the marinade and cook for another 2 minutes.
Place in a blender or food processor with a little bit of water until it forms into a paste.
What types of cheese can I use for caldereta?

You can use processed cheddar cheese or sharp cheddar.

Beef Caldereta Recipe

A hearty Beef Caldereta recipe with meltingly tender beef, rich, slightly tangy, and cheesy sauce. Simmer slowly on the stove, oven, or slow cooker. You can even use your pressure cooker to shorten the cooking time.


Equipment: Cooking Pot


Ingredients

Beef
1 kg / 2.2 lbs beef chuck ( cut into 4cm cubes)
3 tbsp soy sauce
2 tbsp vinegar
4 cloves garlic (finely chopped)

Caldereta Sauce and Vegetables
4 tbsp vegetable oil (divided)
2 large potatoes (quartered)
1 large carrot (peeled and sliced)
1 medium green bell pepper (sliced)
1 medium red bell pepper (sliced)
1 large onion (chopped)
3 tbsp tomato paste
2 tomatoes (sliced)
2 tsp fish sauce (or Worcestershire sauce)
3 cups beef broth
2 pieces bay leaf
1/4 cup liver spread/paste
2 tsp brown sugar (add more if preferred)
3 tbsp pickle relish (optional)
1 pc red chili (optional)
1/2 cup grated cheddar cheese
salt and pepper (to taste)

Instructions

1. Combine all the ingredients for the beef in a large bowl. Toss all together and let it marinate for 15 minutes. Meanwhile, gather and prepare the rest of the ingredients.
2. Heat 2 tbsp oil in a large pot. Stir-fry the carrots and potatoes until lightly brown. Season with salt and pepper. Set aside. Stir-fry the bell peppers until fragrant. Set aside.
3. Remove the beef from the marinade, remove any garlic bits. Reserve the marinade. Add 2 tbsp oil to the same pot over high heat. Sear the beef on both sides until brown and caramelized. Do it in two batches if needed.
4. Push the beef to the side of the pot. Add the onions and cook until softened. Add the tomatoes and tomato paste, stir scraping the pan with a wooden spoon to loosen any browned bits at the bottom. Stir with the beef then add the marinade and fish sauce. Cover with lid and simmer until fragrant, around 2 minutes.
5. Pour the beef stock, bay leaf, sugar, pickles, liver spread, carrots, and potatoes. Cover with a lid. Bring to boil then adjust heat to medium-low. Cook until beef is tender. This could take 1 1/2 hour or longer. *See notes for different cooking methods.
6. Once the beef is fork-tender, add grated cheese. Simmer until sauce has thickened.
7. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Add bell peppers, cook for 1 to 2 minutes. Remove from heat and serve with warm rice. Enjoy!

Recipe Notes and Tips:

Substitutes/Alternatives
Beef – beef brisket, beef ribs, and beef shanks should also work well.
Broth alternative – dissolve 2 beef bouillon cubes in 3 cups hot water.
Vinegar: white rice vinegar (not seasoned), cane vinegar, or coconut vinegar
Make it spicy – add chopped bird’s eye chilies.
Other add-ins: green peas and green olives. Add 2 to 3 minutes before the end of cooking.

Cooking Methods

OVEN: After step 5, cover and bake for 1 1/2 – 2 hours at 150C / 300F. Do steps 6 and 7 then return to the oven for a further 20 – 30 minutes WITHOUT the lid on to reduce the sauce.
SLOW COOKER: Do steps 1 to 5. Transfer to a slow cooker and cook on low for 8 hours.
PRESSURE COOKER/ INSTANT POT: Do steps 1 to 5, close the lid, and position the valve to pressure cook. When pressure is reached (sizzling), set the heat to medium and maintain pressure. Set the timer to 20 mins. When the 20 minutes are up, release the pressure from the pot according to the manufacturer’s instructions.
Storage/Leftovers

Refrigerate or freeze, then thaw before reheating on the stove or microwave. Tastes even better the next day because the flavors develop even more.

This recipe and image sources are referred in website: Rivertenkitchen.com. Thanks so much!