Lasang Pinoy 4: Wowo’s Caldereta
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This is my entry to this month’s Lasang Pinoy hosted by Minnette! |
When I was a kid (and way into my adulthood), I looked forward to Sunday lunches with my grandparents. Wowo, my grandpa, cooked either delicious pancit with tofu and his special sauce or his famous beef caldereta. I found it hard to imagine how a tall and formal colonel could put on an apron and stand in the hot kitchen. I remember him stepping out to take a break, dressed in his unbuttoned polo and shorts with a glass of brandy on his hand, welcoming us on a Family Sunday. The aroma of the beef caldereta pervaded their home. Mmmmm. The thought makes me smile now. I wish I had stood by his side at least once when he cooked his signature dishes.
Everyone in the family looked forward to his caldereta. We would spoon the sauce over our rice, turning our plates into shallow soup bowls. I loved biting into the chorizo and tender beef. I also liked biting into the tart olives — nakakakilig! I think my first memory of olives was in his caldereta.
After a scrumptious lunch, I would tell him how delicious his caldereta was. He would break into a big smile, say “Talaga ha!” and then pat me on the back.
Before Wowo passed away, he was able to share some of his signature recipes with us. I know it’s weird but I get really emotional just reading through the recipe. It’s been more than a year but well, I miss him a lot.
Is this soul food? Definitely. It’s a recipe that’s got heart and a lot of stories behind it. I don’t think my family can eat caldereta without sharing at least one story about Wowo. This is a family heritage recipe, one that will be passed on to future generations. It’s not only supremely delicious, it’s one way of keeping Wowo’s memory alive.
WOWO’S CALDERETA
1st set of ingredients:
One kilo beef shank, cubed
1 tsp. salt
¼ cup white vinegar
1 tsp crushed blank pepper
¼ cup soy sauce
1 head garlic, crushed
Marinate at least 1 to 2 hours, but preferably overnight.
2nd set of ingredients:
Olive oil (for frying)
1 pc. Green bell pepper
1 big onion, sliced
1 can Purefoods chorizo de bilbao
2 cans tomato sauce
Green peas
2 pcs red bell pepper
Potatoes
Olives
1 can liver spread
Fry beef pieces in olive oil. Set aside.
In big pot, saute onions, add tomato sauce, bell peppers, chorizo de bilbao and beef pieces.
Cover with boiling water. Simmer until tender. Add bay leaf, potatoes, green peas, olives and liver spread.
Cook five minutes more.
November 25th, 2005 at 11:24 am
Yes, soul food indeed!
Did you cook Wowo’s Caldereta yourself? It looks wonderful, I can almost smell it. Your grandfather must be smiling down from above.
November 25th, 2005 at 11:27 am
Karen: The one in the pic is c/o my Mom’s former cook.
I have yet to set aside quiet time to really cook it on my own. I still get very emotional reading through the recipe. Weird ba?
November 25th, 2005 at 11:55 am
Beef caldereta is my favorite! I like using that spicy liver liverspread to add kick to the food. Too bad, my husband never liked anything with red sauce… He simply doesn’t know what he is missing!
November 25th, 2005 at 12:56 pm
ive tried this recipe from maya’s kitchenomics pero wala akong chorizo..nakain naman ng neighbors ko..infact eto ang laging request pag me potluck party kami..
take care always!
November 25th, 2005 at 2:36 pm
Alma: Really? Sayang! I absolutely love red sauce.
Dang: Specialty mo pala yan.
Ingat din!
November 25th, 2005 at 3:20 pm
sis…naglalaway ako ha!
have a nice long weekend!
November 25th, 2005 at 3:27 pm
jojo: May work ako
YOU enjoy the weekend!
November 25th, 2005 at 6:07 pm
nag lalawat at muntik na iyak na feel ko rin na miss mo si wowo.
I will test this recipe and let u know.
good soul food toni, smacking
November 25th, 2005 at 6:14 pm
sha: thanks dear sha.
November 25th, 2005 at 10:17 pm
hubby always ask me if i know how to cook caldereta… i guess i should give it a try now that i have a recipe… thanks for sharing Toni. Enjoy your weekend!
November 26th, 2005 at 7:24 am
uy sarap! definitely soul food!
November 26th, 2005 at 7:37 pm
jo: Let’s try it together! I’m cooking it naman tomorrow w/ my Mom for the first time.
Enjoy!
justice: Yup! Yum!
November 26th, 2005 at 11:20 pm
heartfelt story toni. the dish looks scrumptious. one of my Dad’s favorites
November 27th, 2005 at 2:31 pm
Indeed, men can be great cooks !
And it seems Wowo was one of them!
This caldereta looks yummy!
November 28th, 2005 at 10:48 am
dexie: Thanks dex!
Sidney: Thank you! Yes, Wowo was a fantastic cook!
November 28th, 2005 at 10:52 am
Food does make that unbreakable connection with our family, doesn’t it? All my comfort foods are associated with those who first introduce them to me or who cooked them the best. Your wowo sounds great. The caldereta recipe looks very doable. Maybe I’ll try it too. This is one I haven’t made yet, because my dad always used kambing, and I wasn’t sure about substituting other meats. I found a butcher that sell kambing though, so this may just be in my repertoir soon, too
Great job, Toni!
November 28th, 2005 at 4:28 pm
JMom: I’ve tried the kambing version but I prefer beef. Some nga use chicken too!
Yes, Wowo was a great man. I miss him a lot. Thanks for sharing your stories!
November 28th, 2005 at 5:56 pm
hi toni! i tried kaldereta last week using sassy’s recipe. it’s great. now i will have to try wowo’s kaldereta w/ chorizo and liver spread
November 28th, 2005 at 6:12 pm
iska: Oh wow! Let me know how it goes, girl! Now let me hop over to Sassy’s
December 1st, 2005 at 3:16 pm
How kind of you to share Wowo’s recipe! I’ll definitely try this one out. Thanks
)
December 1st, 2005 at 3:19 pm
Oh, wait. Are you referring to big cans of tomato sauce or small ones?
December 1st, 2005 at 3:42 pm
Connie: I used small cans!
Let me know how it goes!
December 4th, 2005 at 11:54 pm
Hi Toni,
Thanks for the recipe. I’ll try and find all the ingredients and find a quiet time (perhaps a weekend) to cook it. I can’t wait.
December 5th, 2005 at 10:58 am
mae: Let me know how it goes!
December 7th, 2005 at 12:20 am
hi toni! awesome entry — nakakalaway! i put liver spread in mine too — yum, so decadent! and i love chorizo in my caldereta too, takes it totally over the top! your wowo sounds a lot like my lolo! thanks for sharing your story.
December 30th, 2005 at 8:38 pm
Thank you for sharing us this recipe. Wowo’s kaldereta is indeed a soul food.
Nice post and I’ll try this recipe with chorizo.
December 30th, 2005 at 11:57 pm
Not much of a cook…….I’ll try this recipe for New Year…..sorry to be so ignorant but what do you mean by “cover with boiling water” ? Thanks!
January 2nd, 2006 at 3:06 pm
stef: I enjoy sharing stories about my grandpa.
Thanks for dropping by!
lani: Let me know how it goes!
aileen: Boil water separately, then pour this over the beef. Make sure the water totally submerges the beef!
February 17th, 2006 at 9:36 pm
this caldereta is good…
June 10th, 2006 at 12:40 pm
i just found this now. looks like the regular foodies have been here already.
i gotta try this. thanks for sharing!
November 4th, 2006 at 8:01 pm
[...] Now for dinner, I’ll let them taste my beef caldereta. By the way, Wifely Steps has her grandpa’s recipe of caldereta posted in her blog. I’ll definitely try that one too. It’s better to learn and know different version of dishes right. [...]