Nilagang Baka ( Boiled Beef )

        Yesterday, my husband and I rode off on his bike, to go visit the 14 Mango Trees that my elder brother has planted in his lot in Camudmud, Samal. Samal is a tiny island fronting Davao City and frequented by Davaoenos in the 80's for its pristine beach resorts and nothing else. The 90's however brought modern conveniences and growth, that a casino resort was built on it, prompting its cityhood.

        At present, commuters still take their vehicles on the barge to get there and back. But the budget for the proposed bridge connecting Davao City and Island Garden City of Samal has long been approved. Very soon, construction will begin, and then, more investments can come. 

on the barge

        The reason we went however, was that the Mangoes are due for harvest. As I surveyed the place, the property had been fenced, and some of the ripe mangoes have fallen to the ground, half-eaten by fruit bats. Apparently, the harvesters are waiting for the price of the mangoes to go up so they can make good money. At present, there is an abundance of mangoes, so prices are down. Well, I pray that the prices go up soon, farmers really should not only break even, but make a profit.

on the road to Camudmud

     I love these mangoes from Samal. I have never tasted the more popular Guimaras mangoes, but I'm guessing they must be of the same quality. We have been harvesting mangoes for the past ten years and I have yet to complain of the sweetness of this mangoes. There are quite a number of mango varieties in the Philippines. The more common are called Mangga Cebu, Mangga Carabao ( Water Buffalo ), Mangga Kabayo (Horse)young, green and very sour, and Mangga Wani ( green peel, fibrous to a fault).

ready for picking

nice one

bowing to the ground

within an arm's reach

       These Samal Mangoes have no particular name, but a characteristic sweetness that the Japanese love to import them. The seeds are very thin, the sweetness, undeniable; that even if the fruit has not turned fully yellow, one is sure to ask for more.  We realized that the secret is in the soil. Limestone, which is what Samal is primarily made up of, is responsible for the super sweet mangoes. So sweet, the neighbors have come, year after year to buy 10-15 kilograms each whenever we put them out on a table. Anytime soon, I will be putting out those tables and making bottles of mango concentrate and dried mangoes for the family's use.

        Today, we will be making Nilagang Baka ( Boiled Beef ). This dish is a crowd pleaser and has many variations from the basic broth. We will include the two other variations in the recipe below.

Nilagang Baka

        Let's cook!

INGREDIENTS:

1 lb or 500 g. lean beef , sliced into 2 inch chunks
4 cups water
1 bundle native pechay ( bok choi )
2 potatoes, peeled, quartered
spring onions
1 beef bouillion cube
salt and all purpose seasoning

PROCEDURE:

1. Boil beef in a deep pot with 4 cups water. Allow the scum to bubble up and skim the surface. Alternately, you may boil the meat until the scum comes out, and throw the water away with the scum. Replace the water and then boil until tender, about 45 minutes. If pressed for time, place the meat in the pressure cooker and allow 30-35  minutes from the time indicator sizzles.

2. Transfer to a deep pot and add the potatoes, adding water or broth to cover. When potatoes are fork tender, add the seasonings, beef cube and pechay stalks first.

3. After 2 minutes, add the pechay leaves and spring onions. Adjust the seasonings, so that the beef broth comes fully alive. Turn off heat.

4. Serve hot with steamed rice and soy sauce with lemon juice.

Nilagang Baka ( Boiled Beef)

TO MAKE BULALO SOUP ( Bone Marrow ):

Beef Bulalo

1. Replace lean beef meat with brisket and bone marrow combination. Boil until fork tender or 45 minutes in the pressure cooker. The broth will be highly flavorful, and will be containing big blobs of beef fat.

2. Boil further with one whole ear of yellow corn cut into 3 big chunks, until the corn has become fork tender and rendered its flavor to the broth. The potatoes are optional.

3. You may replace the bok choi with a medium cabbage, quartered. The seasonings and flavorings are the same, but the taste will be extremely rich and flavorful. Beef fat and marrow ups the taste ante several notches.

4. Serve very hot or on a chaffing dish to keep the temperature up. The marrow is sucked clean as part of the enjoyment.

5. Since the marrow and brisket will have visible fat, expect this dish to not be as good for you as the Nilagang Baka. To remedy this, you might want to freeze the entire dish and then skim off the solidified fat that forms on top. Reheat and serve. Remember! moderation is key! This dish is very rich and high on the fat scale. Do what you can to reduce the fat.

TO MAKE HINALANG NA BAKA: ( Spiced Beef Broth )

Hinalang na Baka ( Spiced Beef Broth)

1. Use any lean cut of meat and slice thinly like sukiyaki. Pressure cook or boil until tender. Add the beef cube, seasonings, 2 thumb-sized gingers, macerated and 1-2 pieces jalapeno peppers or sili haba ( pangsigang) sliced thinly. Adjust seasonings. To serve, add sliced spring onions on top and ground black pepper.

2. This dish is served hot as a main dish and is more popular among the Visayas and Mindanao regions.

NOTE: Any of these three variations are well received. They are pretty easy to put together though a little more prep time will be necessary.