Filipino-Style Beef and Beef Tendon Adobo

15 min prep

220 min cooking

Serves 6

Difficulty 1/5

Adobo is a rich, savoury, and slightly tangy dish with a perfect balance of flavours. This version features stewing beef and beef tendon slowly braised in a fragrant blend of soy sauce, garlic, bay leaves and black peppercorns and the classic ingredient: vinegar. The long cooking provides a tender texture and the sauce has just the right amount of acidity.

1. Place the tendons in a large pot and add water to cover by at least 4 inches (10 cm). Add the white vinegar. Bring to a boil over high heat; boil for 5 minutes, skimming off any scum that rises to the top. Drain and rinse the tendons well under cold, running water. Clean and dry the pot. 2. Return tendons to the pot. Add enough water to cover the tendons by 4 inches (10 cm) and add salt. Bring to a boil over high heat and skim off any scum that rises to the top. Cover, reduce heat to low and simmer for 1½ hours, checking occasionally and adding water to maintain the original level. (The tendon will not be tender at this point, it will finish cooking with the stew). 3. Meanwhile, combine stew cubes, garlic, bay leaves, sugar, peppercorns, dark and light soy sauce, stirring to coat beef well. Cover and marinate in the refrigerator while tendons cook. 4. Transfer tendons to a cutting board and let cool; discard cooking liquid. When cool enough to handle, cut tendons into 1-inch (2.5 cm) pieces. Set aside. 5. Drain marinated meat through colander set over bowl, reserving marinade. Heat oil over medium-high heat in a Dutch oven or large, heavy pot; brown beef, for about 8 minutes, turning with tongs, until browned all over. 6. Add reserved marinade, reserved tendons, coconut vinegar and 2 cups (500 mL) water. Bring to a simmer, stirring and scraping up brown bits from pot. Cover, reduce heat to low heat and simmer for 1½ hours, checking occasionally and adding water as needed to keep the stew beef and tendons barely covered with liquid, until beef and tendons are fork-tender. If the sauce is too watery, uncover pot and increase heat to return just to a boil; reduce heat and boil gently until the sauce thickens and coats the meat. Discard bay leaves. 7. Serve over hot cooked rice and sprinkle with green onions.

Filipino-Style Beef and Beef Tendon Adobo

Ingredients

Directions

Cuts Used in This Recipe

Flexor Tendon

Beef Stew Cubes