Filipino Corned Beef Sliders

Growing up in a Filipino household, I was fed a lot of corned beef. I assume my parents fed me this because they had it a lot as children as well. Since the Philippines is a nation of islands, the grocers are filled with cans of perishable items. Corned beef is one of these things. We usually had this with steamed rice, but since I recently made some pandesal, I couldn’t help myself to serve these as sliders!

To most people, this is better known as corned beef hash. Unbeknownst to me! I have always known this to be “corned beef,” as dubbed by my loving dad!

With LOVE from Texas,
The Pint-Sized Mayo

Filipino Corned Beef Sliders

4 Servings

Ingredients:

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 2 red potatoes, peeled and diced
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 cup white onions, diced
• 1 large roma tomato, diced
• salt and black pepper, freshly ground
• 1 teaspoon fish sauce (optional)
• 1 can (12 ounces) corned beef
• 1/4 cup water
• 12 pandesal rolls, sliced

Directions:

Heat a large skillet/pan over medium high heat with the olive oil. Add the diced potato and cook until slightly browned. Remove the potato and set aside in a bowl for later.

Add the garlic, onions and tomatoes to the now empty pan. Sauté it until they soften, about 5 minutes. Season with a little salt and pepper (and fish sauce if you are using it). Add the corned beef and water. Mix until all ingredients are incorporated well.

Return the potatoes back to the pan. Raise the heat to a simmer. Continue to cook until the potato is tender and liquid has reduced to about a few tablespoons.

Remove from heat and allow to cool for 2-3 minutes.

Fill each pandesal roll with heaping spoonfuls of the corned beef mixture, and serve in threes or as an appetizer for a crowd!

Enjoy!!

You know you are a Filipino when…you have a cartful of corned beef during a sale.

Ground Pork Soy

Pork pork pork…is heavily prevalent in Philippine cuisine. I figure it’s because it’s readily available and not expensive. This is my version of something my Dad made for dinner. He’s not a big fan of veggies so he usually made this without them. It’s still yummy, but now it’s healthier!

With LOVE from Texas,
The Pint-Sized Mayo

Ground Pork Soy

4 Servings

Ingredients:

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 pound ground pork
• 1/2 white onion, minced
• 1 green bell pepper, minced
• 1 carrot, peeled and chopped
• 1 large portobello mushroom, chopped
• 1/4 cup soy sauce
• 1/3 cup water
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper (optional)
• 1/4 teaspoon red pepper chili flakes (optional)
• sea salt and black pepper, freshly ground, to taste
• jasmine rice, for serving

Directions:

Heat the olive oil in a medium-sized pan over medium heat. Add the ground pork to brown. When it’s about half way browned, add the onions, bell peppers, carrots, and mushrooms.

Sauté and cook until onions are softened, about 2-4 minutes.

Next add the soy sauce, water, cayenne, and chili flakes. Bring the mixture to a simmer and allow it to cook uncovered for 20-25 minutes. Taste and add salt and pepper if needed.

Serve warm immediately over jasmine rice.

Enjoy!!

“Good to eat, and wholesome to digest, as a worm to a toad, a toad to a snake, a snake to a pig, a pig to a man, and a man to a worm.” – Ambrose Bierce

Pork Adobo

Pork adobo…a classic Filipino dish. This consists of stewing meat, usually pork, in vinegar and soy sauce. If you do not care for pork, you can substitute chicken breast for it, but nothing is as delish (in my mind) or authentic as pork!

With LOVE from Texas,
The Pint-Sized Mayo

Pork Adobo

4 Servings

Ingredients:

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1.5 pounds pork shoulder, diced into 2″ cubes
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 medium bay leaves
• 2 teaspoons black peppercorns
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper, freshly ground
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/3 cup white vinegar
• 4 tablespoons soy sauce
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 2-3 cups water
• Jasmine rice, for serving
• Picante, for serving

Directions:

Heat the olive oil in a medium-sized pot over medium heat. Add the pork and brown it on each side.

When the meat is about half way browned, add garlic to the pot and mix.

When the meat is fully browned, add bay leaves, peppercorns, pepper, salt, vinegar, soy sauce, and sugar; mix. Next, add enough water to the pot to cover the meat, and let it simmer for 30-40 minutes.

After, taste test and add salt if necessary. Finally, remove the two bay leaves.

Serve immediately over jasmine rice and with picante sauce.

Enjoy!!

“He who does not know how to look back at where he came from will never get to his destination.” – José Rizal, Filipino patriot

Arroz Caldo

Arroz caldo…or “rice broth” has an emotional tie for me and is also delish, of course. This was one of my favorite meals made by my Lola Elena (lola in Tagalog means grandmother) whenever I asked for it (which was a lot) or when I was sick. Together with my dad, I figured out the measurements. 😀

Arroz caldo (also known as lúgaw/lugao) is a Filipino rice porridge or congee. It consists of rice cooking in water or broth for an extended amount of time. The meat can be changed, but it always has ginger, garlic, and patis (fish sauce). It is a favorite of the elderly since it is easily eaten and Filipinos in colder climates since it is warm. Saffron is also added many times, but my family’s recipe does not call for it. In the Philippines, it resembles risotto more than congee (where the dish was derived from).

This is definitely a perfect dish for the upcoming autumn and winter!

With LOVE from Texas,
The Pint-Sized Mayo

Arroz Caldo

4-6 Servings

Ingredients:

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 medium white onion, finely chopped
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1.5 inch ginger, peeled and julienned or roughly chopped (depends if you want to eat the ginger or remove it after cooking)
• 1/2 pound boneless chicken breasts, chopped into 1-inch pieces
• 1/2 pound boneless chicken thighs, chopped into 1-inch pieces
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper, freshly ground
• 1.5 tablespoons fish sauce, patis (optional – can substitute soy sauce)
• 4.5 cups chicken broth
• 2 cups jasmine rice, uncooked
• lemon wedges,  to garnish
• green onions, chopped to garnish

Directions:

Heat a large pot to medium-high heat. Add olive oil and then the onions, garlic, and ginger. Sauté until the onions turn clear.

Next add the chicken and cook until it browns (about 5 minutes).

Add salt, pepper, fish sauce, and 4 cups chicken stock and bring up to a boil. Reserve the additional 1/2 cup of broth to add later if it becomes too thick. (I like mine on the thick side so I usually refrain from using the remaining chicken broth.)

Once it starts boiling, add the rice and allow it to come back up to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and allow to cook for 25-30 minutes while stirring frequently to avoid anything sticking to the bottom.

Ladle into bowls, and serve with a lemon wedge and chopped scallions. (For leftovers, when reheating over medium heat, you will want to add some water or chicken broth to prevent it from being TOO thick.)

Enjoy!!

“Rice is great if you’re really hungry and want to eat two thousand of something.” – Mitch Hedberg

Pancit Bihon

Pancit…is the term for “noodles” in Filipino cuisine. There are various pancit types, but pancit bihon is the type most associated with the term “pancit.” Every family recipe has differences, but all of them usually consist of thin rice noodles, soy sauce, citrus, meat (usually pork and/or shrimp), and veggies. This is a dish that can be cooked quickly. In the Philippines, noodles represent long life and good health, and therefore I have grown up eating this on my birthday. For those of you who came to our wedding, yes this is the same thing we served as one of our hors d’oeuvres. Kainan na! (Let’s eat! in Tagalog)

With LOVE from Texas,
The Pint-Sized Mayo

Pancit Bihon

6-8 Servings

Ingredients:

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 white onion, finely chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/2 pound chicken breast, julienned or cubed
• 1/2 pound pork, julienned or cubed
• 1/2 pound shrimp, peeled and deveined (optional)*
• 1/2 small cabbage, shredded
• 2 medium carrots, julienned
• 2 celery stalks, julienned
• 3 cups chicken stock, low sodium
• 1 (8-ounce) package of rice sticks/thin rice noodles
• 2.5 tablespoons soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon fish sauce, patis (optional – can substitute another tablespoon of soy sauce if wanted)
• black pepper, freshly ground
• lemon wedges,  to garnish
• green onions, chopped to garnish
• chili garlic sauce, to garnish

*I did not use shrimp because my husband is allergic to shellfish.*

Directions:

Heat a large sauté pan or wok to medium-high heat. Add olive oil, onions, and garlic. Stir fry until the onions turn clear. Add the chicken and pork. (Also add shrimp at this point also if you are using it.)

Once the chicken and pork browns (and shrimp turns pink and curls up), add cabbage, carrots, and celery. Lightly stir fry 2-3 minutes. Move the mixture onto a bowl and set aside.

Pour the stock into the heated wok. Once it starts boiling, turn the heat down to medium. Add rice sticks, soy sauce, and fish sauce. Boil for another 5 minutes or so until there is approximately 1/4 cup stock left and the noodles are soft.

Add the meat mixture back into the wok. Toss the meat, vegetables, and noodles. Lightly stir fry until all the liquid has evaporated. Add freshly ground pepper to taste.

Serve with a lemon wedge, chopped scallions, and chili garlic sauce.

Enjoy!!

“You know you’re Filipino when you use a spoon and fork instead of a knife and fork.” – Unknown

Lumpiang Shanghai

Fantastical Filipino Foods…that phrase sums up how my family and I feel about food and our culture. In my childhood home, my dad cooked more than my mom did (still true to this day). This was a result of my father being the baby of 8 siblings and spending lots of time with my Lola (grandmother in Tagalog, one of the many the dialects of the Philippines) in the kitchen. My father is an amazing cook and seldom writes any recipes down. He, like both of my grandmothers, can cook from memory. This is of course is a great thing, but it can be quite annoying to a daughter (me) who doesn’t want to forget anything, including her family’s delicious recipes.

This was my first attempt at making lumpiang shanghai. It is still my favorite Filipino dish at crazy Filipino family gatherings and holidays. Lumpiang are spring rolls which originally came from China. These were brought over to the Philippines by Chinese immigrants, and the Filipinos adopted them in their own way. There are three main ways they are served and also thus named: lumpiang sariwà, lumpiang hubàd, and lumpiang shanghai. The first are fresh spring rolls which are usually filled with hearts of palm, chicken, and crushed peanuts, wrapped in lettuce leaves and an egg crepe. They are served with a broth type sauce with minced garlic. The second name literally means naked spring rolls. It is the same as the lumpiang sariwà without the egg crepe. The last and final type is the type we are talking about here. It usually has ground pork or beef mixed with carrots, onions, and spices. It is served in the Philippines by street vendors and usually comes with a sweet and sour type sauce.

This is my family’s lumpia (as we call it for short) recipe as best as I could translate it from my dad’s memory. I love sharing a little bit of my childhood with y’all!

With LOVE from Texas,
The Pint-Sized Mayo

Lumpiang Shanghai

Yields 30 Mini Spring Rolls

Ingredients:

• 1 pound ground pork
• 1/2 a carrot, minced finely or chopped in a food processor
• 1 small onion, minced finely or chopped in a food processor
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper, freshly ground
• 1 package of spring roll wrappers (approximately 5″x5″)
• 1 egg white
• Vegetable Oil
• Thai Chili Sauce

Directions:

The night before place the frozen spring roll wrappers in the fridge to slowly thaw out. (These spring rolls are found in the freezer section of Asian markets. It is very hard to find them in regular grocery stores.)

Fill the bottom of a large frying pan with about 1/2-inch of vegetable oil. Heat the oil over medium-high heat. While heating, put the pork, carrot, onion, salt, and pepper  in a mixing bowl and mix thoroughly.

Once seasoned, grab a ball of meat and test cook it in the hot oil. Drain it on place with a paper towel. Turn off burner on the stove.

Once it has cooled down, taste it to make sure your seasoning is satisfactory. Add more salt or pepper if necessary. Carefully separate the spring roll wrappers. Make sure you have enough room for a little assembly line.

Dip a brush (I just use my pointer finger) in the egg white and cover the edge of the 3 sides with it. Grab a  heaping tablespoon of filling, and roll it into the same thickness of about a Crayola marker. Place it on the only edge of the square that does not have egg white on it. Roll and pinch the sides as you go from the meat side to the egg white side. Seal the lumpia roll on all edges.

Continue until there is no more filling left.*

To cook the lumpia, reheat the oil in the pan to medium-high heat again.  Gently place the lumpia into the hot oil and fry until golden brown on all sides, 4 to 5 minutes total (if frying from a frozen state, it will take about 2 minutes longer).

Once each lumpia has cooked, place on a plate with a paper towel to drain the excess oil.

Serve immediately with jasmine rice and Thai chili sauce.

*Chef’s Note: This is the point where you would freeze the lumpia if needed for a later time.

Enjoy!! I find these lumpia to be Imeldific!

“I was born ostentatious. They will list my name in the dictionary someday. They will use ‘Imeldific’ to mean ostentatious extravagance.” -Imelda Marcos, Former First Lady of the Philippines in 1965-1986