Smoked Corned Beef Guisado
Smoked Corned Beef Guisado
Carne Norte or Corned Beef? We grew up calling it one or the other depending on our family. What it is to a Filipino is one and the same, canned Corned Beef. Its origin in Filipino cuisine is a product of the American occupation where Corned Beef was part of the American soldiers’ rations during the war. The name Carne Norte is in reference to the American soldiers — ‘norteamericano’ in Spanish, hence Carne Norte or ‘northern meat’.
Post war, canned Corned Beef became a staple, like Spam. It is often cooked ‘guisado’ style, sautéed with traditional aromatics and eaten with garlic fried day-old rice (sinangag) and a fried egg (as a silog). Like Spam, it is something we enjoyed with family, behind closed doors because eating canned and processed meats was seen as eating cheaply growing up in the US in the 80s and beyond.
This recipe is very much a nostalgic trip for Brady Tuazon. The version he shares with us pulls heavily from the memory of his busy mom making this for him. Sometimes Carne Norte was a snack after school or road trip food, often ‘palaman’ (filling) in pandesal. His all time favorite though is when it’s over rice. Brady takes his mom’s Carne Norte Guisado, smokes components of it, confits garlic and roasts the potatoes, giving it different textures and dimension. It evokes nostalgia but has that something extra.
Whether you grew up in the Philippines or in the US, whether you like this dish or not, it’s very much tied to our history as Filipino Americans. In fact, we had a good laugh recently when Jane received ‘pasalubong’ (gift from a journey) from her dad who now lives in the Philippines. It included her favorite Filipino sweets and also some Corned Beef! Oh the irony.
♥️Team Tikim
INGREDIENTS
TO SMOKE*
1 can Corned Beef, 12-15 oz*
1 medium White Onion, left whole and skin peeled
GARLIC CONFIT*
24 cloves Garlic, peeled and left whole
1 cup Olive Oil
ROASTED POTATOES
1 large or 2 small Potatoes, peeled, diced into 1/2 inch pieces
1-2 tbsp Oil (can use Garlic Oil from Garlic Confit)
Salt & Pepper, to taste
1/4 cup Water
SMOKED CORNED BEEF GUISADO
Smoked Corned Beef (see above)
Smoked Onion, diced (see above)
Garlic Confit (see above)
Roasted Potatoes (see above)
1/4 cup Chicken Stock (water can be substituted)
2 cloves Chopped Garlic
1 medium Tomato, diced
Fish Sauce, to taste
NOTE: This recipe serves 3-4 people depending on whether you use an 12 oz or 15 oz can of Corned Beef.
*TO SMOKE -To make typical Corned Beef Guisado, this step is optional. You can simply use corned beef and onion without smoking it in Step 4 of the recipe
*GARLIC CONFIT - To make typical Corned Beef Guisado, this step is optional. It can simply be omitted.
*CORNED BEEF - There are many brands out there, Brady prefers Palm from New Zealand and it linked in the ingredients above. You can find it in big box grocery stores or your local Asian store too.
METHOD
STEP 1
SMOKE THE ONION & CORNED BEEF
Set the smoker to 235ºF. It takes about 15 minutes to get the smoker to the desired temp using a Traeger Grill. Place the Onion and the Corned Beef on a tray with a wire rack for about 5 hours then remove and set aside until ready to cook.
NOTE: This can be made in advance.
STEP 2
CONFIT THE GARLIC
In a medium sized sauce pan, add the olive oil and heat over low heat. Add the garlic and cook on low heat for an hour, periodically checking to make sure that the oil doesn’t get too hot so the garlic does not brown. Let cool and set aside until ready to use.
NOTE: This can be made in advance and can also be stored for up to a month as long as it is chilled and tightly sealed.
STEP 3
COOK THE POTATOES
Soak the potatoes in water for an hour then drain well. Preheat your oven to 350ºF. In the meantime, set your stove top burner to medium high. Using an oven safe sautè pan, toss the potatoes in garlic oil, season with salt and pepper and sautè for a few minutes. Add a 1/4 cup of water and cover, cooking until softened about 6 minutes. Transfer the the potatoes into the oven and roast until potatoes are cooked and browned on the edges. Remove from the oven and set aside.
STEP 4
SAUTÈ THE CORNED BEEF
In a large sautè pan, on medium heat, add some of the garlic confit oil. When the oil is hot, add the chopped smoked onion. Let it cook for a few minutes and add the chicken stock to deglaze the pan. Continue to cook until the stock has reduced. Add the garlic, let it cook until lightly browned (make sure it does not burn), then add the tomatoes and cook until they have softened. Season with a bit of fish sauce to taste. Add the smoked corned beef and break up into small pieces then add the potatoes and sautè until incorporated. Continue to cook until the corned beef is heated through.
NOTE: The corned beef is already cooked and smoked. You can cook this to your desired texture - from soft and shredded to crispy, it’s up to you.
STEP 5
FINISHING THE DISH
Serve over garlic fried rice and top with garlic confit. Feel free to drizzle with more of the garlic oil. You can always add a fried egg or kamatis salad too! It can easily be a silog.
