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A not as widely known, but super delicious, Filipino dish.
I promised a visiting adoptive family (I won't share your name, but you know who you are 😉) that I would share a Filipino recipe that uses readily available ingredients in Europe.
I knew that a Google search for "Filipino Food" would bring up a greatest hits of pinoy dishes, many of which use common ingredients (e.g. - adobo, menudo, etc.). So, I thought I'd focus on something super simple, delicious, and relatively unknown among non-Filipinos. I'm a big advocate of this dish because it just may be the best tasting thing on the planet (in the spirit of full-disclosure, I will admit that I feel this way about all Filipino food ... haha). It's simple enough that you might already have the ingredients on hand. The dish is salpicao.
What is salpicao?
In past food blog posts I've included a bit of history. In this section I'll simply say that I have no idea how this food came to be (if you have a good answer, please send it my way!). Like all things Filipino, the dish has influences from the many colonizers, visitors, traders, etc. that have graced our shores. Some will say it is Spanish-inspired, others will say it is Portuguese. It does share a name with a Portuguese sausage which doesn't really taste like Filipino salpicao. As far as Spain is concerned, the word salpicao does sound a lot like the Spanish word salpicado which means "speckled" or "dotted" ... which is, I guess, how the meat looks when it's sautéed with bits of minced garlic. Regardless, salpicao has distinctly Filipino flavors which clearly borrow from the rich history of our people and country.
Now, onto the recipe. I'll actually start with a chicken variety first, and then beef second.
Salpicao (chicken-style)
Traditionally, or more commonly, salpicao is made by sautéing small cubes of beef (usually a very tender cut) with garlic and oil, then adding soy sauce and Worcestershire sauce for a super good flavor combo (see, I told you it was easy).
I'm starting with a chicken variety of salpicao because, well, chicken is cheaper, particularly in the Philippines during this time of global pandemic. It's also healthier, I guess 😉 (no need to dwell on that). Some will find chicken easier to work with because beef can be tough and chewy if it is over-cooked. Feel free to experiment and use pork, tofu (ick!), or whatever else you have on hand.
Ingredients:
• ½ kilo chicken thigh cut into cubes
• 2 tablespoons oyster sauce
• 3 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
• 1 tablespoon soy sauce
• ¼ teaspoon sugar
• ¼ teaspoon red chili pepper flakes
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 head garlic peeled and minced
• ¼ teaspoon freshly grind black pepper
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• 3 tablespoons butter
Preparation Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: ~25 minutes
Instructions:
1. In a large bowl, combine the oyster sauce, Worcestershire sauce, soy sauce, olive oil, half of the minced garlic, chili pepper flakes, black pepper, sugar and salt.
2. Using a whisk mix all the ingredients until the sugar dissolves.
3. Add the chicken slices into the marinade and mix well.
4. Add the butter to the frying pan, and in it, sauté the remaining garlic.
5. When the garlic turns brown, add the chicken.
8. When the chicken is fully cooked, add the marinade sauce and mix thoroughly.
10. Cover the Pan and simmer for 2 minutes.
11. After 2 minutes remove cover and add the fried garlic on top.
12. Serve with steamed rice, maybe even a salad (added that list bit for Heather)
Salpicao (beef)
This is very similar to the recipe above, but with a little more sauce to help with the tenderness of the beef. We've also had success preparing this in a slow-cooker for those really busy days, and also to help make the meat even more soft and juicy.
Ingredients:
• ½ kilo tenderloin beef cut into thin slices
• 2 tablespoons oyster sauce
• 6 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
• 3 tablespoons soy sauce
• ½ teaspoon sugar
• ¼ teaspoon red chili pepper flakes (or not, if you don't like spicy food)
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 head garlic peeled and minced
• ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• 3 tablespoons butter
• Canola oil for frying
Preparation Time: 25 minutes
Cook Time: ~25 minutes
Instructions:
1. In a large bowl, combine the salt, black pepper, half of the garlic, 3 tablespoons of Worcestershire sauce and 1 tablespoon of oyster sauce
2. Mix well, then add the beef slices and marinate for about 20 minutes to half an hour.
3. In a small bowl, combine all of the remaining ingredients: the brown sugar, Worcestershire sauce, soy sauce, and the red chili pepper flakes. Use a whisk to mix the ingredients until the sugar is completely dissolved, then set aside.
4. Using a large frying pan or wok, add Canola oil and fry the remaining garlic until it turns brown.
5. Take the beef out of the marinade and add it to the frying pan, taking care not to overcook it.
6. Add the oyster-soy-Worcestershire mixture, then continue cooking while stirring regularly for about 5 to 7 minutes.
7. Serve hot with steamed rice and enjoy a little taste of heaven 😉.
And there you have it! Please let us know if you give it a try and send us pics.
PRAYER REQUESTS:
• Please pray for our kids, and for the process of having new children referred to the Shelter, as well as the process for allowing our matched kids to be united with their adoptive families. The pandemic has caused a tremendous slow-down in the referrals of new children coming from DSWD (the Department of Social Welfare and Development) as well as other NGO's/Non-profits. It has also made it difficult for adoptive families, who have already been matched with a child from the Shelter, to travel to CSC. Pray that governments and authorities will find ways to allow these things to happen, so that we can continue serving our current children as well as many others in the community.
• Speaking of, an adoptive family from a foreign country is in town! The family had a lot of trouble entering the country because, as of the time of this writing, foreigners are not allowed into the Philippines (with very few exceptions ... adoptive families not being one of them). They were finally allowed to enter and be united with their new son, but now they must go through the process of exiting the country. Please pray that they will not have any troubles at immigration as they try to fly back home. Please pray as well that their advocacy and efforts will pave the way for other international adoptive families to be able to travel to the Philippines to be with their new sons and daughters.
• Typhoon season is upon us, and very many Filipinos in the northern part of the country have been devastated by Typhoon Rolly. Here in Cebu, we have been spared the brunt of these storms, though there has been some flooding in the city due to inadequate drainage and infrastructure. Pray that all of us are able to remain safe and that we can effectively serve, and be a witness to, the communities around us during this time of pandemic and typhoons.
THANKS AGAIN for all your messages, all your prayers, and all of the love and support you continue to give. Please know that we are also praying for you. God bless!
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