GINISANG SMOKED CORNED BEEF

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 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

PASSING DOWN & CREATING TRADITION - SMOKED BRISKET KARE KARE

In Filipino food culture, traditions are often passed down verbally or by example. It isn’t unusual to get a response from your mom, lola or tita when asking how to cook something to just get a list of ingredients with no measurements and a quick explanation saying things like “sigue, gigisahin mo lang yuon” (you will just sauté ) or “sigue, pinakukuluan mo lang yuon” (you will just boil). I know it’s a source of frustration for any one of us when trying to learn how to cook our family’s recipes because those versions are so personal. These days with technology, it’s a little easier to cook with family so it was amazing to see when spending some time with Brady Tuazon documenting this recipe that we got to spend time with his mom cooking too, even if it was via FaceTime. For Brady and his family, cooking is a family affair. It’s how they stay in touch, it’s how they connect and show love and it crosses generations. He collaborated with his son to fine tune the Annatto Rubbed Smoked Brisket that accompanies this recipe. For the Kare Kare, he evolves it to be a more modern and deconstructed take on the traditional Filipino dish but the way he makes it is very much rooted in how his mom makes the dish. It’s honed by her standard and her palate through Brady.

Kare Kare is a thick, savory, collagen rich peanut stew that often uses oxtail, tripe and tendon. Traditionally, peanuts are ground into a paste, ground rice thickens the stew and Annatto gives it that rich burnt orange color. These days, we use really good peanut butter instead of ground peanuts and rice. It is also usually accompanied by a bounty of vegetables like Bok choy, Eggplant, Long Beans, Okra and even Banana Heart. To help cut through the richness of the dish, we eat Kare Kare with rice and also a little side dish of Bagoong or fermented shrimp paste. This briny, salty taste cuts right through and punctuates every bite.

Brady’s version takes many of the traditional elements and evolves it. He takes his time, making this really about the processes and you feel the care and love. It’s an ode to slow food. For the protein, he uses an Annatto Rubbed Smoked Brisket he makes 2-3 days in advance. He also roasts the peanuts that garnishes the dish. Also, instead of just blanching or steaming the vegetables, he grills the bok choy and dresses it with a vinaigrette. We collaborated on making a roasted eggplant relish combining the eggplant and the bagoong. He also sautés the bagoong as instructed by his mom. There are no short cuts here (although we provide some tips in the recipe). If you are making this, enjoy the process, make “kwento” or tell stories while you are cooking. Spend the time and cook with love.

PASSING DOWN & CREATING TRADITION - ANNATTO RUBBED SMOKED BRISKET

Slow food. A term so many of us hear and few practice. Modern times and busy schedules have made quality family time a thing that needs to be carefully planned out in advance, and being able to spend hours or even days to make food is a luxury typically traded in for convenience. The family food traditions passed down and created by Brady Tuazon’s family are literal recipes to successfully have both. Having both means time invested in making traditional Filipino dishes, with no corners cut, choosing the right way instead of the fast way, and that time also spent nurturing the bonds between three generations.

Having a son who chose a culinary career path gave Brady a way to connect as a parent in the similar way he connects with his mother, through food. Team Tikim has talked and raved about his famous (to us) Smoked Short Rib Sinigang, so it’s no surprise that a creation by those three generations that marries the American method of smoking brisket with the traditional preparation of Kare Kare is a hit and home run.

Between Brady’s food obsession and his son’s culinary brain, they experimented with a beloved American BBQ favorite to take center stage in an iconic Filipino dish. The layering and infusing of flavors into the protein was the direct result of some quality father and son time in the kitchen. The new family recipe couldn’t be complete without guidance from the person Brady learned from, his mom. In-person and over FaceTime, cooking food together has been valuable bonding time between Brady and his mom. Her recipe and intricate methods for Kare Kare provide the solid foundation for which the annatto rubbed smoked brisket can shine.

We’re so lucky Brady shared this special experience and recipe with us, and we’re really excited to share it with you. This recipe dives into Smoking the Brisket. We have a separate recipe post for the Kare Kare so please look out for that. This brisket is also good on its own and can be used as a foundation for other dishes. We made a Brisket Curry with some of the leftovers and it was terrific in this application too.