Being in an island has its pros and cons when it comes to cooking. While we are surrounded by beautiful seas and fresh seafood, it’s not always easy to get hard to find ingredients that city folks take for granted. That’s where comfort foods come in – dishes that use basic, everyday ingredients to create nourishing meals.
One such dish is braised beef tendon pares. This hearty one-pot meal is perfect for cold nights here in Marinduque when all you want is something warm, delicious, and belly-filling. Braised Beef Tendon is a dish that truly embodies the essence of comfort food, combining deep, rich flavors with melt-in-your-mouth textures. Revered in many culinary traditions around the world, beef tendon transforms through slow cooking from a tough cut into a tender, gelatinous treat. This dish requires patience and a bit of culinary love, but the result is undeniably worth it.
Tendon was once considered an offal in supermarkets but us from the far-off provinces know it’s best for a tiring day when you’re feeling like you need a quick pick me up. Now it is being embraced for its texture and richness and lots of home cooks sell it online as a specialty.
The ingredients are pretty basic – beef tendons, beef brisket, soy sauce, rice wine, oyster sauce, brown sugar and aromatic spices. All of these can be found easily at our local wet market or sari-sari store. What makes it special is the long, slow cooking process that transforms the tendons and beef into fall-off-the-bone tenderness. The collagen-packed tendon becomes melt-in-your-mouth tender after a leisurely braise. While it may sound unappetizing, just think of it like gelatin and you’ll be sold.
Ingredients
Shopping List:
- 500g beef tendons, cubed
- 500g beef brisket, cubed
- 1 tbsp oil
- 1 Liter water
- 1/4 cup Chinese rice wine or Anisado (if using)
- 1 1/2 tbsp brown sugar
- 1 pc star anise
- 1 pc laurel leaf
- Fish sauce
- 1 beef cube
- 1/3 cup soy sauce
- 2 tbsp oyster sauce
Pantry Items:
- Garlic, minced
- Onions, chopped
- Salt
- Black pepper
- Cooking oil
- Ginger, sliced
- Spring onions, chopped
Tools:
- Wok
- Pot for braising
- Spoon for stirring
Instructions
- Blanch tendon in boiling water for 10 minutes. Discard water and set aside tendon.
- Heat oil in a wok over high heat. Brown beef brisket and tendons in batches until browned. Remove from wok and set aside.
- Add garlic and onions to wok. Stir fry for 1 minute until fragrant.
- Return meat to wok and add remaining ingredients except the salty ingredients (Fish sauce, beef cube, cup soy sauce, oyster sauce) and spring onions.
Stovetop
- Bring to a boil then reduce heat, cover and simmer for 2 1/2 hours, adding water if needed, until meat is fall-off-the-bone tender.
Pressure cooker
- Set the timer to 35 minutes once the pot begins to whistle. Release pressure, uncover.
Slow cooker
- Transfer to slow cooker and set on high for 4 hours or low for 8 hours.
- Add the salty ingredients once beef is soft and simmer for 10 more minutes to meld taste and thicken sauce if needed.
- Serve in bowls topped with spring onions.
Notes
Nutritional Benefits: High in protein and collagen for connective tissue health. Complex flavors and textures from different cuts of meat.
Tips: Perfect pair with steamed rice. Can add vegetables like carrot and celery during braise.
Variations: Use different cuts of beef or substitute chicken or pork. Regional styles vary in amounts of aromatics and sauce ingredients.
Leftovers: Refrigerate for up to 4 days or freeze for 2 months. Reheat on stovetop or in oven until piping hot throughout.
The Magic of Slow-Cooking Beef Tendon
The secret to a successful Braised Beef Tendon lies in the slow cooking process, which breaks down the collagen in the tendon, turning it into gelatin. This not only tenderizes the tendon but also thickens the sauce, creating a dish that’s rich in flavor and texture. While it’s a time-consuming process, the majority of it is hands-off, allowing the magic to happen slowly on the stove or in the slow cooker.
The first step is to blanch the tendon before braising. This is very important as some people are turned off by the “earthy” smell. We call this “maanggo” in our province. Throw away the liquid. This helps to remove any impurities. Drain and rinse the tendons under cold water, then set aside.
Brown the tendons and beef in hot oil to develop flavor. I like to remove the brisket at this point as it only needs light browning. Then it’s into the pot with the aromatics, braising liquid and spices. The magic happens during the hours of gentle simmering in a slow cooker of pressure cooker- the tendons become silky soft as their collagen mellows into gelatin. It gives the finished dish an incredibly rich and satisfying texture. As for the brisket, it breaks down into shreds between bites.
What I love most about braised beef and tendon is the layers of savory, sweet and meaty flavors in each spoonful. Like a classic Pinoy Pares, the soy sauce and rice wine give savoriness, the brown sugar lends a subtle sweet edge, and the star anise and pepper provide spice. It’s comfort defined. Best of all, once you throw everything in the pot, it practically cooks itself as you relax. Just check on it occasionally and top it up with liquid if needed. Then sit back and let the aromas fill your kitchen!
It’s the perfect kind of meal for hunkering down at home on a rainy afternoon. No fuss, maximum nutrition and flavor – what more can you ask for? Trust me when I say this indulgent recipe is well worth expanding your definition of “offal.” Comfort food doesn’t get any cozier or more crave-worthy than this. With this versatile one-pot dish in your repertoire, you’ll always be ready to cozy up and enjoy good home cooking. No delivery orders needed!
That’s all from me for this week, everyone. As always, let me know if you have any other questions! Leave a comment below and let me know if you give this a try! Be sure to grab my free meal-planning templates too. They’ll have you stress-free and filling your belly with nourishing home cooking all week long. And don’t forget to sign up for my newsletter to get new recipes and cooking tips delivered to your inbox each month. Just visit relaxlangmom.com to subscribe.
