Easy Filipino Beef Afritada – made with chuck beef, garlic, tomatoes, onion, potatoes, carrots, black olives, red bell peppers, patis, bay leaves, and seasonings. It may just be comfort food, but it’s so delicious, rich, hearty, and flavorful. And, using a crockpot leaves me more time to work on my blog, post more amazing and delicious recipes. Furthermore, I really perfected this dish with the help of my mother-in-law. Neither of us measures any of the ingredients. I guess we’ve made so many times we don’t need to. Moreover, it is so much easier nowadays, just using a crockpot or Instapot. It only takes 15 minutes to prepare and the cooking time is 2 hours in a regular large pot and 8 hours using a crockpot. However, I always cook what I am in the mood or hungry for, and, it always turns out delicious.
Not to mention, I’ve been cooking for a long time and tend to use fish sauce in a majority of my recipes, marinade. Including, in my favorite dipping sauces, like the peanut sauce for my favorite dish “Fresh Spring Roll.” Moreover, I have come to love fish sauce as a complex flavor additive to enhance many different recipes, not just Asian recipes. However, I always have a bottle or two in my kitchen.
Afritada
The name afritada is derived from Spanish fritada, referring to the first step of the preparation in which the meat is pan-fried before simmering in the tomato sauce. Afritada is a Spanish inspired, every day based Filipino stew consisting of chicken, beef, or pork braised in tomato sauce with carrots potatoes, and red and green bell peppers. Although, my husband’s favorite is the Chicken Afritada which is similar to the Chicken Cacciatoré. However, all you need do to is switch out the beef for chicken, and instead of the beef broth; use chicken broth.
What exactly is fish sauce?
This is optional: Fish sauce is the liquid condiment by mixing fish or krill with salt and allowing the mixture to ferment up to two years, until the proteins break down. However, in the Philippines, fish sauce with calamansi juice is a popular dipping sauce for fried meat and fish.
Easy Filipino Beef Afritada
Ingredients
- 2 lb Beef chuck or stew meat, cut into 2 -inch cubes
- 6 garlic cloves, minced
- onion, chopped
- 2 tomatoes, diced
- 2 russet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-inch cubes
- 12 oz garbanzo beans, drained
- 3 carrots, peeled, ends removed, and sliced into 1-inch
- 1 cup frozen peas
- red bell pepper, stem removed, seeded and sliced
- 1/4 cup Better than Boullion, beef flavor
- black olives, a can, whole, drained
- 1/2 cup coconut aminos or Tamari (low-sodium soy sauce)
- 2 tablespoon fish sauce (optional)
- 8 oz tomato sauce
- 1 teaspoon granulated white sugar or to taste
- 3 tablespoon olive oil
- Fresh ground pepper to taste
- 2 bay leaves
Instructions
Preheat crockpot, select mode to slow cooking, which will cook anywhere between 6 – 8 hours.
- In a saucepan, heat olive oil. Add garlic and onion and saute until fragrant and garlic is golden brown.
- add beef, fry lightly (braised), a couple of a minute or two on all sides. Remove from pan add to crockpot.
- add remaining prepared ingredients into the crockpot.
- slow cook for 5-8 hours.
Notes
- Most of these ingredients can be found in your local grocery or Asian Store.
- Braised: is a combination-cooking method that starts with pan-searing meat to seal in the juices before place meat in a dutch oven or crockpot to slow cook.
- My favorite patis or fish sauce that contain the calamansi already within it–it is amber-colored fermented fish sauce from mostly mackerels, sardines, scads, herrings. However, the pungent sauce is intensely salty and melds immensely well with the citrus flavors of the calamansi.
- Also, sea salt can be substituted for patis or fish sauce.
- Sometimes, if I have no red bell peppers, I will substitute it with pimentos.
Pairing Suggestions:
Want to learn about the best wine pairings with Beef Afritada (Beef Stew or Mechado)? I’ve got you covered. Food from the Philippines is typically bold and flavorful dishes with strong aromas of spices. I have the perfect wine pairing for this dish. You’ll want to reach for a red wine that has bigger tannins that can stand up to the rich, bold flavors of this mechado stew. Although, some people would automatically choose a Cabernet Sauvignon or Syrah for this Filipino dish.
So, grab your favorite dish or bowl, add a couple of helpings of this delicious Easy Filipino Beef Afritada, pour an amazing bottle of wine, and you’re in for one cozy, comforting dinner. Best Red Wine To Drink With Filipino Food:
- Cabernet Sauvignon
- Zinfandel
- Syrah/Shiraz
- Malbec
- Ricord Merlot
- Pinot Noir
- Chinati
- Prosecco
- Rose
Best White Wine To Drink With Filipino Food
White wine pairs wonderfully with a variety of delectable Filipino seafood, such as grilled tilapia or banus. Because most of their dishes are acidic and often spicy, a glass of white wine with a high acidity level is essential for a balanced combination. However, here are some white wines to pair with Filipino food:
- Chardonnay
- Champagne
- Sauvgnon Blanc
- Riesling
Pairing Filipino dishes with wine can be simple, or you can experiment with several little-known combinations of wine and food. And, sweet, medium to high acidity wines are your best option to enhance the sweet and savory flavors of Filipino dishes. However, those wines will stand up to the bold flavors and won;t be overpowered. But, I am going to go with my favorite white wine blend. Pinot Noir from our Wine of the Month Club.
Stay in the Know… Subscribe Today!
Make sure to make my site one of your favorites, because I change it, and add new pages all the time. And, we have an amazing E-newsletter that we only send out updates and key information on Amazing Finds and Deals. Furthermore, no need to worry about us selling or sharing your info… we do not, ever. Although, we appreciate you being a part of what we are doing here, and look forward to several more decades of being an information source. Register in the top right-hand corner. Moreover, we’ll update you on any new finds, new recipes, and innovative products. Visit our Cooking Food Wine page for additional amazing recipes.
Response Magic