Pulutan-Style Beef Caldereta

Method16 steps

1. 1

   Step 1: Wash the peppers, potato (1) and carrot (1). Core and slice the bell peppers, peel and cube the potato, peel and slice the carrot, and chop the five Thai chillies. Hold these prepared vegetables for their later stages. Heat all three tablespoons stew oil in a pressure cooker suitable for sautéing.

   Uses 3 tablespoons olive oil for the stew aromatics · 1 green bell pepper, sliced now · 1 red bell pepper, sliced now · 1 potato, peeled and cubed now · 1 carrot, peeled and sliced now · 5 Thai chilli peppers, chopped now

2. 2

   Step 2: Peel and chop the onion (1). Peel, crush and chop the garlic (5). Sauté all the onion and garlic in the heated stew oil until the onion softens.

   Uses 1 onion, peeled and chopped now · 5 garlic cloves, peeled, crushed and chopped now · The three tablespoons oil already heated in the cooker

3. 3

   Step 3: Add all the chopped beef neck pieces to the cooker with the softened aromatics.

   Uses All the softened aromatics in the cooker · 4 lb chopped bone-in beef neck pieces

4. 4

   Step 4: Sauté the beef pieces, turning them so their outer surfaces become light brown.

   Uses The beef and aromatics in the cooker

5. 5

   Step 5: Add all the soy sauce (1½ tablespoons) and stir it through the browned beef.

   Uses The browned beef with onion and garlic · 1½ tablespoons soy sauce

6. 6

   Step 6: Add all eight ounces tomato sauce and both cups water (2 cups). Stir and bring the liquid to the boil.

   Uses The soy-seasoned beef and aromatics · 8 oz tomato sauce · 2 cups Water

7. 7

   Step 7: Add the beef stock cube (1) and stir it into the boiling liquid.

   Uses The beef and boiling tomato liquid · 1 beef stock cube

8. 8

   Step 8: Close and seal the pressure cooker according to its instructions. Once it reaches its operating pressure, cook for 30 minutes. Release pressure according to the cooker instructions and open only when it is safe. Check that the meat is tender; if it needs longer, continue cooking with enough liquid, adding a little conditional water only if necessary.

   Beef cooking time after cooker reaches pressure · 30 minUses The complete beef braise · Extra water only if needed to maintain sufficient cooking liquid

9. 9

   Step 9: While the beef cooks, heat enough vegetable-frying oil in a separate pan. Pan-fry the prepared potato cubes and carrot slices until browned and tender through their centres.

   Uses All the prepared potato and carrot · Olive oil for pan-frying the potato and carrot, as needed

10. 10

    Step 10: Lift the cooked potato and carrot from the frying oil and hold them on a plate for the finishing stage.

    Uses All the cooked vegetable pieces

11. 11

    Step 11: With the cooker safely open and the beef tender, add all the chopped Thai chillies, the tablespoon liver spread (1 tablespoon) and all three tablespoons peanut butter.

    Uses The tender stew with pressure fully released · All five prepared Thai chillies · 1 tablespoon liver spread · 3 tablespoons Peanut Butter

12. 12

    Step 12: Stir until the liver spread and peanut butter are evenly mixed into the sauce.

    Uses The stew with its chillies, liver spread and peanut butter

13. 13

    Step 13: Add both prepared bell peppers and all the fried potato and carrot. Mix gently with the beef stew.

    Uses The stew after the spreads are incorporated · All the prepared bell pepper slices · All the fried potato and carrot

14. 14

    Step 14: Cover with an ordinary lid, without pressurising, and simmer for 5–7 minutes until the peppers are cooked and the vegetable pieces are hot through.

    Finish vegetables in stew · 7 minUses The complete stew and vegetables

15. 15

    Step 15: Taste the completed stew and season with salt and ground black pepper as needed.

    Uses The finished meat, vegetables and sauce · Salt, to taste · Ground black pepper, to taste

16. 16

    Step 16: Serve the hot Caldereta in eight portions. The beef is bone-in; leave the bones on the plate and eat the tender meat and vegetables.

    Uses The completed seasoned stew