Oxtail and Spanish Chorizo Stew

As a food-lover and weekend cook, I seek novelty.  I'm a sucker for a new dish, a new ingredient, a new technique.  This dish was brought about by my discussion with my mother about paprika. So I looked up some dishes with paprika that we haven't cooked at home yet, and found a Spanish-style oxtail braised with chorizo recipe here.  

I have never cooked oxtail before because it usually requires long, slow cooking.  I don't have a slow cooker but I threw all cautions to the wind and bought oxtail anyway.  I made my own version with the same ingredients except for white wine (my mother doesn't like wine in her food--I'm still trying to convince her that wine enhances the flavor :p) and parsley (didn't find it in the supermarket). 

Instead of braising oxtail, I slow-cooked it until meat was fork tender.  What makes oxtail special is the gelatin in the meat and bones.  This gelatin dissolves into the dish when slow-cooked, creating a rich mouth-feel.  

I would have wanted this a bit more spicy but my "critics" have a low tolerance to spicy food.  This is perfect with steamed rice or crusty bread.

 

Linking to Food Friday and Food Trip Friday

Arroz a la Valenciana

@ mirandablue

I know I have to post this sooner or later--so here it is...*drum roll*... Arroz a la Valenciana, a mainstay in our noche buena and media noche spread.  I guess it's an Ilonggo thing.  My mom cooked this for Christmas, then another round of slicing and dicing for the New Year.  My brother took care of the cooking on New Year's eve---I was the official taster and eater only.  Everybody was anticipating this dish, even the neighbors.  Don't get me wrong, I love Valenciana--I just don't get cravings for it.   

I am willing to experiment when it comes to cooking and suggested to use saffron instead of turmeric for a change.  But this is my grandmother's recipe and my mom is a stickler to the "old ways", she didn't want to tweak anything.  She gave in to my tiny suggestion of adding cashew nuts. 

Arroz a la Valenciana is a typical Latin American dish, referred to as a Latin American version of Valencian paella.  Valencian paella has saffron, while the Latin American version has tomato sauce and beer or wine.  The Filipino version has turmeric.  

Valencia is a city in the Iberian Peninsula.

This is linked to Food Friday and Food Trip Friday

Pork Hamonado

                        @ mirandablue                                 

My mother's pork hamonado for lunch two Sundays ago.  Yes, it's a cholesterol-laden, artery-clogging dish---I guess my mother wanted to live dangerously once in a while.  Pork hamonado is somewhat a heirloom recipe---my grandmother used to prepare this dish.   At home,  we usually use pork belly because it's boneless and the thick layer of fat keeps the meat moist as it simmers.   Salt, ground black pepper and diced garlic are rubbed on thick slices of pork belly then it's marinated with unsweetened pineapple juice overnight.   My mother's "modified" version is frying pork belly until it's golden before slow-cooking meat in marinade until tender.  


Pork hamonado is  basically a pork stew, cooked slowly in pineapple juice and spices allowing flavors to blend.  The result is super tender meat, pork fat that melts in your mouth, with the sweet and delightful flavors of pineapple, garlic, peppercorn and onions.  Garnish with slices of pineapple and sweet pickles.

Perfect with steamed rice.

Posted for Food Trip Friday and Food Friday

Comfort eating

Food was the last thing on my mind on Monday afternoon. Franzia and I met to discuss where we should go to volunteer for the relief operations. I had coffee and two bibingka (rice cake) before meeting her at Starbucks. But as we talked about what happened and what was still happening---the tragic death of people, the devastation of properties, the gut-wrenching scenes on TV with victims helplessly watching their homes destroyed by overwhelming flood water and mud, of children hanging on to their mothers' neck, the unspeakable grief of a father as he talked about the family he lost in the flood, of friends who spent all night walking in flood water to get home, I started craving for food.

Comfort food---to somehow ease the guilt I was feeling because my home was warm and dry, and my family is alright. Franzia told me about Cafe Juanita, a cozy resto in Brgy. Kapitolyo, where she had her birthday dinner.

Cafe Juanita has an extensive menu---it was difficult to decide what to order. We had the all-too familiar Molo Soup for starters, with lots of fried garlic. After the soup, I wasn't hungry anymore but decided to try a Vietnamese appetizer, Chao Tom, or grilled shrimps on sugarcane stick. A mixture of garlicky shrimp paste wrapped around a sugarcane stick then grilled. It was light and aromatic, and I loved the flavor. Served with vermicelli noddles and fresh lettuce and basil, it is eaten wrapped in crisp lettuce and basil then dipped into the addicting nouc cham (dipping sauce).

I love the idea of fresh sugarcane as a skewer with it's refreshingly sweet flavor seeps into the shrimp mixture while being grilled.

Franzia ordered Callos and steamed rice which we also shared (did I say I wasn't hungry?). The serving was generous and it was good but I still prefer Casa Armas'.

The conversation was getting interesting so we ordered Crepe Samurai for dessert. Layers of cream and mango to complete a delightful meal at Cafe Juanita.

Posted for Food Trip Friday and Food Friday

Callos ala Almon Marina

Because ox tripe usually requires a lot of cleaning and long, slow cooking, I seldom cook Callos at home. The few times I cooked Callos, it was a big hit (except for my mother who loves to critique my cooking :P). My favorite Callos is at Casa Armas. More than a decade ago when Casa Armas first opened in Ermita, we would brave the terrible traffic to get there just to eat Callos. This Callos, however, is not from Casa Armas but from Almon Marina, one of my favorite stops at Megamall. This was my dinner the other night when I was in the mall to pay some bills and it rained, and I forgot to bring an umbrella.

Callos is a quintessential Spanish dish, a rich stew of ox tripe flavored with chorizo de bilbao, white wine, ham, and olives. I love to pair this dish with crusty bread.

Posted for Food Trip Friday and Food Friday