Beef kaldereta
Beef stew in tomato liver sauce
Fiesta beef stew in a thick tomato and liver sauce with potatoes, carrots and sweet peppers
Kaldereta is the stew Luzon towns cook by the potful for fiestas, a dish with Spanish roots that Filipino cooks made their own with mashed liver to thicken and enrich the sauce. This version uses beef chuck, which is braised slowly in tomatoes until it is spoon-tender, then finished with potatoes, carrots and red and green peppers; goat is the other traditional choice. The sauce is deep red, savoury and slightly spicy if you add the chillies, with a velvety body from the liver. Serve with plenty of steamed rice. Chef's tip: canned liver spread is the classic shortcut; it works well, but check the label if you need the dish gluten free, since many contain wheat flour.
- Total time
- 120 min
- Difficulty
- medium
- Serves
- 6
Ingredients
For the stew
- 2 ¼ lb beef chuckcut in 4 cm cubes, patted dry
- 1 tsp salt
- ½ tsp ground black pepper
- 3 tbsp vegetable oil
- 1 onionchopped
- 6 cloves garlicchopped
- 2 tbsp tomato paste
- 14 oz chopped tomatoes1 tin
- 1 cup tomato passata
- 2 ½ cups beef stockor water
- 2 bird's eye chillies (optional)chopped; leave out for a mild stew
To finish
- 5 ½ oz chicken liverstrimmed; or 85 g liver spread
- 14 oz potatoespeeled, in 4 cm chunks
- 2 carrotsin thick chunks
- 1 red bell pepperin squares
- 1 green bell pepperin squares
- 2 ⅛ oz green olives (optional)pitted
Shop this recipe on Amazon
Spices & pantry
Fresh ingredients (8)
Links open Amazon in a new tab. As an Amazon Associate, WhatToEat.Today earns from qualifying purchases.
Method
0/7 doneStep 1: Season the 2 ¼ lb beef chuck with the 1 tsp salt and ½ tsp ground black pepper. Heat 2 tbsp of the 2 tbsp vegetable oil in a heavy casserole over a medium-high heat and brown the beef in batches until well coloured on all sides, about 8 minutes in all. Set aside.
10 minStep 2: Lower the heat to medium, add the rest of the 1 tbsp vegetable oil with the 1 onion and 6 cloves garlic and cook until soft and golden, about 4 minutes. Stir in the 2 tbsp tomato paste and cook 1 minute, until it darkens.
5 minStep 3: Return the beef with the 14 oz chopped tomatoes, 1 cup tomato passata, 2 ½ cups beef stock, 2 bay leaves and 2 bird's eye chillies. Bring to the boil, then cover and simmer over a low heat for 1 hour, stirring now and then.
60 minStep 4: Meanwhile, cook the 5 ½ oz chicken livers in a small pan over a medium heat for 5–6 minutes, turning, until browned outside and cooked through with no pink inside. Mash to a paste with a fork and a spoonful of the stew sauce.
6 minStep 6: Stir in the mashed liver, the 1 red bell pepper, 1 green bell pepper and 2 ⅛ oz green olives and simmer 5–8 minutes more, until the sauce is thick enough to coat a spoon and the peppers are bright but just soft.
7 minStep 7: Taste, adjust the salt and remove the bay leaves. Serve hot with rice; it tastes even better the next day, reheated until bubbling.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 480 kcal
- Protein
- 40 g
- Carbs
- 22 g
- Fat
- 25 g
- Fibre
- 5 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does beef kaldereta take?
- About 120 minutes in total: 20 minutes to prepare and 100 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 6 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
- What can I use instead of ground black pepper?
- Black peppercorns, freshly ground, same amount.
- What can I use instead of onion?
- 2 shallots per onion.
Reviews
No reviews yet. Be the first to cook it.
Rate this recipe
Sign in to rate and review this recipe.
You might also like
Sayur lodehVegetables in coconut milk
Sayur lodeh is everyday cooking in Central Java, made in big pots in Solo and Semarang kitchens and ladled over rice, with lontong rice cakes at Lebaran, or alongside opor and sambal goreng on festive tables. It's soupy rather than thick: a fragrant broth of coconut milk, galangal, lemongrass and lime leaf that carries chunks of aubergine, long beans, chayote and sweetcorn, plus tempeh and tofu to make it a meal. The flavour is mellow and slightly sweet, so the heat comes from sambal on the side. Chef's tip: keep the pot at a gentle simmer once the coconut milk goes in and stir now and then — a rolling boil splits the coconut milk into oily curds.
Tiyula itumBlack beef soup
Tiyula itum, 'black soup', is the pride of the Tausug people of Sulu in the far south of the Philippines, cooked for weddings, Eid celebrations and when guests come home. Beef (it is a halal, pork-free dish) is simmered with ginger, lemongrass and turmeric, then darkened with pamapa itum, a paste of grated coconut toasted until almost black and pounded with spices. The broth looks dramatic but tastes smoky, earthy and gently peppery, with heat from chillies. Serve it with plain rice. Chef's tip: toast the coconut slowly, stirring all the time, until it is very dark brown but not ashy; burnt-to-ash coconut tastes bitter and ruins the soup.
Chana masala
A North Indian staple that comes together from the store cupboard. Toasted cumin, slow-softened onion and a good spoonful of garam masala give tinned chickpeas real depth. Serve with rice, naan or a stack of warm rotis.




