Bistek Tagalog is definitely in my top 5 Filipino dishes. Just the smell of it takes me back to my mom's kitchen in my good old youthful years. I thought I will never have a taste of it again... until soja rinderfilets of Vantastic Foods came to our lives.
Vantatic Foods Soja Rinderfilets mimics a thinly sliced beef fillet in dehydrated soy meat substitute form. I love the fact that I can now make and enjoy my favourite beef fillet dishes, more healthy and cruelty free.
Pros:
- When cooked, the beef fillet is very close to the chewy meat texture.
- Marinade is easily absorbed.
- Doesn't get jaw-breaking chewy when overcooked like the real beef meat. You'll never go wrong.
Con:
- You can taste the soy - of course, it is SOY! But we can fix that.
To remove the soy taste, here's what I do:
1. Boil in a pot of water for 3-5 minutes (or until tender all over).2. Drain and wash in running tap water. Squeeze excess water.
3. Boil again in veggie broth for about 3 minutes, but this time, water must just be enough to submerge the meat (water is same level as meat? I'm lost for words).
4. Drain using a strainer and then squeeze excess liquid by just pressing with a spoon on the strainer.
Sounds like a lot of work, but trust me it is all worth it.
After these steps, you can cook the beef fillet normally as your recipe instructs.
Here's the recipe for my all time favourite Filipino beef steak (Bistek Tagalog) made from Vantastic Foods Rinderfilets. Just perfect.
A small disclaimer though : I'm well-known for just eyeballing ingredients, so feel free to adjust to your own liking.
Ingredients:
For the marinade:
- 1/3 cup soysauce
- 1 pc lemon or 4 pcs calamansi
- ground pepper
Base:
- 65g of Vantastic Foods Rinderfilets (dry)
- 2 pcs onion, sliced into rings
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1/8 cup water
- pure coconut oil
MARINATE
1. Prepare the Vantastic Food rinderfilets as instructed above.
2. Put the meat in a mixing bowl and add the soy sauce and lemon/calamansi juice. Sprinkle some pepper and mix well. The marinade should be sour and a bit salty so adjust accordingly. If you feel like the meat is not well soaked with the marinade, add more soy sauce and lemon.
Note that the marinade becomes the sauce later, so if you want the dish to be more saucy, add a little bit more soy sauce and lemon/calamansi juice.
3. Marinate for 30 mins.
COOKING PROPER
1. Heat 2 TBSP of pure coconut oil in a pan.
2. Saute onion rings until soft and rings are loose. Remove onions and set aside.
3. In the same pan, fry the beef without the marinade for a few minutes until brown. Remove and set aside.
4. Still using the same pan, add 1 TBSP of coconut oil again and saute the minced garlic.
5. Pour the marinade and bring to a boil. Add 1/8 cup of water
6. Return the meat and simmer for 10-15 minutes or until the soy sauce is cooked and curdled a bit.
7. Add half of the onion and mix well.
8. Season with salt according to your liking. Bistek tagalog is usually salty but don't go overboard.
9. Top with the remaining onions and serve with white rice. Serves 2.
Why pure coconut oil?
I use pure coconut oil to mimic the fat that beef makes. The texture of pure coconut oil for me is a lot fatter than the regular vegetable oil. Pure coconut oil doesn't take like coconut at all so don't worry.
Being born and raised in a country that feels like summer all year long, I didn't use to care about summer at all. Moving to EU has changed me. Summer is now a luxury, a time of the year that must be spent to the fullest and must be cherished. I guess that is the bright side of only having it a few months in a year. I became more appreciative of the season.
One of the few activities I did during the summer is my (almost) regular run routine (also known as hatch-a-pokemon-egg-run) to a beautiful lake called Weisersee, about 1km from our place. This is my first summer in this new house and so it was my first time to really enjoy the lake and the parks that surrounds it. So before everything freezes over, I'd like to share some of the awesome Weisersee sceneries that makes me look forward to the next summer.
Ćevapčići is a dish made up of minced pork and beef, cooked in a grill, comes in different forms and is traditionally found in the southeastern part of Europe (Thank you, Wikipedia).
I think it is important to emphasize that I know nothing about ćevapčići. My first and only introduction to ćevapčići was in its vegan form. I never had a taste of it and so I have no bench mark.
The veggie cevapcici (by Veggie Life) is a regular in our fridge for 3 main reasons:
- Good for frying
- Great for grilling - it is firm and doesn't easily crumble
- Very versatile
Talking about versatility, you can prepare/eat it in plentiful ways:
- Fried with rice
- Fried with potatoes and beans
- Skewered, kebab style
- Patty for sandwiches
But since I have never had a real cevapcici, I don't really know what to expect taste-wise. And although it is definitely one of the most frequently bought veggie meat in this household, I'm not too crazy about how it taste. Don't get me wrong, it doesn't taste bad at all - it's just my taste preference. I actually do think it is a positive thing, because since I have zero expectations, I get to open up to many ways I can take advantage of this veggie meat.
My most favourite way to prepare and cook cevapcici is when it is roughly chopped and crunchy. It gives my salads a whole new perspective. The cevapcici gods are probably outraged by it, but it is really good!
Make Ćevapčići Salad Topping
What you'll need:
1. Roughly chop cevapcici.
2. Add a generous amount of vegetable oil in a pan. We want the oil enough to coat the cevapcici, but not to deep fry it.
3. When the pan is hot enough, add the chopped cevapcici. Stir frequently and make sure it doesn't burn. Sprinkle some salt.
4. When done and reached the crunchiness you desired, strain and set aside. You can put it on a paper 5. towel to remove more oil if you wish.
Simple Broccoli-Dressed Pasta Salad
Ingredients:
1. Place the broccoli in a food processor. You would want it crumbly, but not finely chopped. Set aside.
2. Cook pasta according to the packaging. When cooked, strain and run cold water on it to shock it.
3. Put pasta in a mixing bowl.
4. Add the broccoli, chopped apple and veganaise, half of the cevapcici, salt and pepper. Toss and coat the pasta well.
5. Add the arugula and toss it again.
6. Add the remaining cevapcici and serve.
My most favourite way to prepare and cook cevapcici is when it is roughly chopped and crunchy. It gives my salads a whole new perspective. The cevapcici gods are probably outraged by it, but it is really good!
Make Ćevapčići Salad Topping
What you'll need:
- Ćevapčići
- Vegetable oil
- Salt
1. Roughly chop cevapcici.
2. Add a generous amount of vegetable oil in a pan. We want the oil enough to coat the cevapcici, but not to deep fry it.
3. When the pan is hot enough, add the chopped cevapcici. Stir frequently and make sure it doesn't burn. Sprinkle some salt.
4. When done and reached the crunchiness you desired, strain and set aside. You can put it on a paper 5. towel to remove more oil if you wish.
Simple Broccoli-Dressed Pasta Salad
Ingredients:
- 1.5 cup of spirelli pasta (or any pasta of your choice)
- 400g broccoli - parboiled
- 1 pc apple - chopped (add a tablespoon of lemon juice to keep it from browning)
- A handful of Arugula - washed and dried
- A dollop of Veganaise
- Salt and Pepper to taste
- Ćevapčići topping
1. Place the broccoli in a food processor. You would want it crumbly, but not finely chopped. Set aside.
2. Cook pasta according to the packaging. When cooked, strain and run cold water on it to shock it.
3. Put pasta in a mixing bowl.
4. Add the broccoli, chopped apple and veganaise, half of the cevapcici, salt and pepper. Toss and coat the pasta well.
5. Add the arugula and toss it again.
6. Add the remaining cevapcici and serve.
I always find myself inspired to take photos whenever I go to Benthuizen, a small town surrounded by farms where my parents-in-law lives. It is always picturesque and peaceful. Today, despite the sad truth that most farms here are dairy and meat farms, I decided to just suck all the beauty and momentary peace in.
Here are some of the stunning views I took in my 5 days of stay.
Here are some of the stunning views I took in my 5 days of stay.
