Any mention of oxtails in Filipino food probably involves kare-kare, a rich peanut-based vegetable stew. Beef shanks, tripe, pork hocks, and other tough parts tenderized through long simmering may also be added, but it has to have the oxtails. Leaving the bony segments out is unacceptable. Hindi maaari (no frickin’ way).

I didn’t have the other dozen ingredients for kare-kare so I made adobo for dinner instead. Adobo is an indigenous Filipino method of simmering in vinegar, akin to pickling. Food spoils rather quickly in oppressive tropical heat so this is our way of dealing with that little dilemma. We take the vinegared stuff seriously regardless of the weather forecast, though.

The sourness also supposedly stimulates your appetite during hot and humid weather, not that I’ve had any such craving-related problems lately.

The following recipe makes a light broth meant to be served like a soup, in contrast to versions enriched with coconut milk. Before serving, grill or broil the oxtails to crisp up the fatty bits. Silky and tender is great, but that additional hint of smoke can only make it better.

Oxtail Adobo Recipe
Adobong Buntot ng Baka

makes 4 servings

Meet datu, my spear-wielding ancestor. He likes loincloths and long walks on the beach.

Ingredients:

2 to 3 pounds oxtail, segmented
1/2 cup vinegar, preferably cane or cider vinegar
1/2 cup soy sauce
8 whole garlic cloves, peeled
1 tablespoon whole peppercorns
2 to 3 bay leaves

salt and freshly ground black pepper

Directions:

1. In a large pot, place the oxtails, vinegar, soy sauce, garlic cloves, peppercorns, and bay leaves. Pour in enough water to cover the oxtails.
2. Bring to a boil and lower the heat to maintain a gentle simmer. Cover and cook for about 2 hours, replenishing the water as necessary to keep the oxtails fully immersed.
3. Tilt the pot and skim the rendered fat, if desired.
4. Prepare a grill or preheat a broiler. Remove the oxtails from the broth. Grill or broil the oxtails until well-browned and slightly crisped. Season lightly with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Serve with warm rice and a small bowl of the adobo broth.

Oxtail adobo, pre-incineration. You go eww, I go ooh.

This is a post from Apple Pie, Patis, and Pate
Oxtail Adobo

Similar Posts:

1. Beef Short Ribs Adobo
2. Chicken Adobo in Coconut Milk
3. Baby-Back Pork Ribs Adobo
4. Coda alla Vaccinara – Eat Like a Roman Butcher
5. Ginataang Kalabasa – Kabocha Squash in Coconut Milk
6. Chicken in Red Sesame Seed Sauce

Famous for dishes that highlight quinto quatro, the “fifth quarter” or oft-ignored parts of an animal, Rome sounds like my kind of town. Alla vaccinara is old Roman for “butcher’s style” and no other cut could be more appropriate for such a designation than oxtail. Unappealing to most, a butcher would know that when properly prepared, oxtail can be much more enjoyable than pricey ribeye or tenderloin.

Unlike other offal that hide behind cutesy names (sweetbreads for thymus glands, adidas for chicken feet, rocky mountain oysters for uh, cow “berries,” and soup number 5 for see preceding item), oxtail is exactly what it sounds like. It is, in fact, the tail of an ox-slash-cow, so unless there’s a nuclear spill nearby, there’s only one small sliver per beast. I’m convinced, however, that the neighborhood meat counters rarely carry oxtail not because of low supply, but because the white-clad guys behind the counter keep it for themselves.

Until the day the vaccinari hones a cleaver and gets its hands on the vacca, the oxtail wags away happily while shielding sensitive bovine parts from the harsh elements and inappropriate bulls gone wild. Since oxtail gets quite the workout, in addition to being bony, the meat that it does have is Schwarzenegger-tough. The adage goes, “The closer to the bone, the sweeter the meat,” and it couldn’t be more true for oxtail. Slowly simmered for hours in an aromatic base of tomatoes and white wine, a rich broth is produced from the bones and the tough meat is coaxed into silky tenderness.

recipe adapted from Marcella Hazan’s Essentials of Classic Italian Cooking

Coda alla Vaccinara
Roman Braised Oxtail, Butcher’s Style

makes 4 to 6 servings

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/4 cup coarsely chopped flat-leaf parsley
1/2 teaspoon chopped garlic
2/3 cup diced onions
2/3 cup diced carrots

2 1/2 pounds oxtail, severed at each joint
1 1/2 cups dry white wine
1/2 cup diced plum tomatoes

salt and black pepper, to taste

1 1/2 cups chopped celery

Notes:

• Coda alla Vaccinara is best made at least a day in advance. The rendered oxtail fat will also be much easier to remove if refrigerated before serving (see“if preparing ahead of time”).
• Add 1/4 pound of diced pancetta to the soffritto (sauteed aromatics) for a richer base.

To Prepare the Soffritto:

In a wide saute pan or enameled dutch oven, combine the olive oil, parsley, garlic, onion, and carrots. Place over medium heat and saute for about 10 minutes, stirring frequently. The onions should be slightly translucent and the garlic pale gold.

Italian Cooking 101: The Soffritto – saute the parsley, onions, garlic, and carrots in extra virgin olive oil

To Braise the Oxtail:

Push the soffritto base to the sides of the pan. Increase the heat to medium high and add the oxtail to the middle of the pan. Turn the oxtail pieces until lightly browned on all sides, about 4 to 6 minutes.

Add the wine and simmer for about 30 seconds. Add the tomatoes and 1 cup water. The oxtail should be about halfway immersed after adding the water. Season with salt and pepper. Bring to a boil and lower the heat to maintain a gentle simmer. Cover and braise for 1 1/2 hours.

Add the chopped celery and stir thoroughly with the other ingredients. Cover and simmer for another 45 minutes, or until the oxtail meat is tender and almost falling off the bone.

cooling the braised oxtails

If serving immediately:

Tip the pan and skim as much of the fat as possible.

If preparing ahead of time:

Let the coda alla vaccinara cool to room temperature while uncovered. Cover and refrigerate overnight, for up to 3 days. Once thoroughly chilled, the rendered oxtail fat will congeal on top and is easily removable with a spoon. Remove the fat and reheat gently over medium heat to serve.

La Cucina Italiana – Authentic Italy hosted by Meeta of What’s for Lunch, Honey?

This is a post from Apple Pie, Patis, and Pate
Coda alla Vaccinara – Eat Like a Roman Butcher

Similar Posts:

1. Oxtail Adobo
2. Afelia – Pork Braised with Red Wine and Coriander Seeds
3. Beef Short Ribs Adobo
4. Butternut Squash Risotto with Crispy Sage
5. Sandwich Merguez Au Harissa
6. Chicken in Red Sesame Seed Sauce

Fresh mangosteens are a rare sight even at Southeast Asian groceries in Chicago. Imports of irradiated fresh mangosteens from Thailand have only recently been approved by the USDA, but they’re still far from common. Aside from being seasonal (try your luck around springtime), they seem to fly off the shelves as soon as they’re available.

When a case of pre-bagged fresh mangosteens was unloaded in front of me, a few people dropped what they were doing and headed straight for it. In the time it took to realize that there was a pile of fresh mangosteens right under my nose, a few bags were taken. I thought they were plums. I quickly grab a bag as more of an instinctive reaction but almost threw it back when I noticed the words “plant quarantine” on the label. It’s not the most inviting thing to find on anything I plan to ingest.

None of the mangosteens sported the distinctive green caps. I wonder if irradiation causes the caps to flake off.

The best way to enjoy this fruit is to eat it straight from the husk but I couldn’t help but think that there must be something I could do with it. A quick search for “mangosteen recipe” pointed to a Thai recipe for mangosteen clafoutis. Looking at this list, I had a gut feeling that guys aren’t supposed to make clafoutis so I keep looking. Whatever I’m making will likely be Thai, so I looked up recipes in David Thompson’s Thai Food, a.k.a. the tome of weird transliterations and impossible-to-find-ingredients (even more so now that Thai Grocery is gone).

So it came down to Beef and Mangosteen Soup and Mangosteen and Mussel Curry. I wanted to make something that wouldn’t overwhelm the mangosteen flavor so I decide to go with the soup.

The truth is, I found the curry recipe discouraging. Where am I supposed to find 4 pla salit or 5 pla grop or 1/2 hot-smoked trout? I’ll make the curry the next time I come across fresh mangosteens (probably never).

Thai Beef and Mangosteen Soup
dtom neua kho gap mangkut

3 oz beef sirloin (about the size of a deck of cards)
1 tablespoon oil
2 tablespoons fish sauce (a.k.a. patis, nam pla, nước mắm)
4 cups chicken stock
2 tablespoons light soy sauce
pinch of sugar
3 mangosteens, peeled and segmented
pinch of pepper
1 tablespoon cilantro/coriander leaves

For the beef marinade paste:

2 teaspoons cilantro/coriander stems
pinch of salt
1 tablespoon chopped garlic
5 peppercorns

Notes:

• The beef marinade paste calls for 1 teaspoon of coriander root and it is nowhere to be found. I have yet to make anything from Thai Food exactly as specified.

Pound the beef marinade paste ingredients until smooth. Slice the beef into small cubes. Apply the paste and marinate for an hour.

Heat a wok over high heat. Add the oil and stir-fry the beef briefly until lightly browned. It shouldn’t take longer than 30 seconds.

Add the fish sauce and immediately take off the heat. Apologize to non-Asian neighbors if residing in an apartment complex.

Bring chicken stock to a boil then add the soy sauce and sugar. Take off the heat and let the stock cool briefly before adding the beef and mangosteens. At anything over a bare simmer, the beef will toughen and the mangosteens may disintegrate.

Sprinkle with pepper and cilantro to serve.

This is a post from Apple Pie, Patis, and Pate
Thai Beef and Mangosteen Soup

Similar Posts:

1. Thai Wild Mushroom Salad
2. Beef Short Ribs Adobo
3. Chinese Crab and Corn Soup
4. Jerusalem Artichoke Soup with Morel Mushrooms
5. Pureed Corn and Miso Soup
6. Vanilla-Rhubarb Soup with Strawberries

Inspired by this New York Times article about seven new sandwiches, I felt like making something I have never tried before. The Chili Mackerel Man Tou (Chinese steamed bread) and Knish Press sandwiches sounded really interesting but sounded a bit too complicated for a quick mid-afternoon snack. I have never tried Merguez sausages and had freshly baked homemade baguettes on hand, so I immediately knew what to make from the article.

The Merguez sausages used were a mixture of beef and lamb. There was a faint hint of heat from paprika and cayenne, but the addition of harissa should quickly crank the heat level towards incendiary.

Sandwich Merguez Au Harissa

For the Moroccan Harissa:

recipe from The New York Times

Notes:

• I’m considering replacing my bottle of Sriracha with harissa. It seems to go well with, uh, anything.

To make the sandwich:

Merguez sausages
olive oil
crusty bread
tomatoes, thinly sliced
cucumbers, thinly sliced
green olives, chopped

Pan-fry the Merguez sausages in a bit of olive oil over medium-high heat. Lightly toast the bread if desired.

Assemble the sandwich and drizzle with a bit of harissa. I would go into more detail about the mechanics of proper sandwich construction but that’s probably not necessary, is it?

This is a post from Apple Pie, Patis, and Pate
Sandwich Merguez Au Harissa

Similar Posts:

1. Croque Madame – Grilled Cheese, Ham, and Egg Sandwich
2. Cremini Mushroom Toast
3. Lamb with Fava Beans and Green Almonds

Adobo is the quintessential Filipino comfort food and is widely regarded as the national dish of the Philippines. When I had just started cooking and flopped around in a kitchen equipped with nothing but a crusty pot and a butter knife from Ikea, the first thing I made was adobo, sans recipe. It didn’t require much in the way of ingredients or equipment. Just throw everything in a pot and simmer. Not to be confused with Mexican adobo (a seasoning paste made of chiles, herbs, and spices), Filipino adobo refers to any seafood, meats, or vegetables braised in vinegar, soy sauce, and garlic. The most common types of adobo in my household were chicken, pork, squid, and water spinach (also known as kangkong).

Browsing through the recipes for this dish in Memories of Philippine Kitchens, the very first thing I noticed was the use of coconut milk to enrich the braising liquid. I don’t ever recall having adobo enriched with coconut milk, but it sounds like a good idea for leaner meats such as chicken breasts. The next thing I noticed was the recipe for beef short ribs adobo. I confess to never having beef adobo and thought it was quite unusual, but the use of short ribs made perfect sense. Braising slowly is arguably the best cooking method for short ribs, with the hot and fast method of grilling Korean kalbi a close runner-up. This is the first recipe I tried from the book, adapted to the way I learned to prepare adobo, of course.

Beef Short Ribs Adobo

serves 4 to 6

3 pounds beef short ribs
salt
canola oil
1 tablespoon whole black peppercorns
2 cups water
1 cup cane vinegar
1/2 cup soy sauce
1 head garlic, cloves separated and peeled
3 bay leaves

Notes:

• It shouldn’t matter if your short ribs are flanken (cut across the bone, as in the pictures), or English-style (cut parallel to the bone).
• The original recipe calls for 1 1/2 teaspoons of ground pepper, but I’d rather double the amount and use whole berries to keep the broth from getting too gritty.
• Replace the 2 cups of water with either 2 cups of chicken stock or 1 cup of chicken stock and 1 cup of coconut milk as suggested in the original recipe. I used water since there’s no chicken stock to be found in the fridge and I wanted the delicate broth produced from braising the short ribs to come through.
• Experiment with different types of vinegar such as sherry, apple cider, or rice. Try to get a bottle of Datu Puti brand cane vinegar if you have access to a Filipino or Southeast Asian grocery. This is the only type of vinegar our household ever used for adobo.

Pat the short ribs dry with paper towels and generously season with salt. Mix the rest of the ingredients in a bowl and set aside.

Heat a heavy pot over medium high heat. Add the oil and brown all sides of the short ribs.

Transfer the ribs to a plate and pour off the excess fat. Add the rest of the ingredients and scrape the pan with a spatula or wooden spoon to deglaze. Return the ribs to the pot, bring to a boil, then lower the heat to maintain a gentle simmer. Cover the pot with a tight lid and simmer for 2 hours, until the meat is tender and falling off the bone.

To Serve:

This recipe is best made ahead and served the next day. The meat will develop more flavor by soaking in the seasonings and reabsorbing moisture lost during the long cooking process. Remember to reheat gently and serve with steamed white rice. Also try broiling the meat until slightly charred and reducing the braising liquid to a slightly thicker consistency. Remember to pick out the garlic cloves and smear on a piece of freshly baked pan de sal.

This is a post from Apple Pie, Patis, and Pate
Beef Short Ribs Adobo

Similar Posts:

1. Baby-Back Pork Ribs Adobo
2. Oxtail Adobo
3. Chicken Adobo in Coconut Milk
4. Thai Beef and Mangosteen Soup
5. Nasi Uduk – Lemongrass-Scented Coconut Rice
6. Ginataang Kalabasa – Kabocha Squash in Coconut Milk