BEEF MECHADO

Mechado, Menudo, Afritada or Kaldereta? These are a group of Filipino stews that are similar and oftentimes confusing even for Filipinos. The differences are really nuances and even as I untangle them for myself I am sure many will poke holes at the way I grew up knowing how to tell them apart which is very much based on how my family defined them.. The differences are really nuances and even as I untangle them for myself I am sure many will poke holes at the way I grew up knowing how to tell them apart which is very much based on how my family defined them. It is led by the protein: Mechado is beef, Menudo is pork and liver, Afritada is chicken and Kaldereta is goat. There are common vegetables: carrots, peppers and potatoes at its simplest but it can also be further nuanced. My family adds peas to Mechado, chickpeas to Menudo, Olives to Afritada. We didn’t cook Kaldereta often but a spicier pepper is added to give it some heat compared to the other stews. The sauce is tomato based often with a bit of soy. The nuance of Mechado is that it has lemon so it does have that distinction. Nowadays, as you look at the recipes out there, the proteins seem interchangeable and they often morph into the same dish.

I recently came back from a trip to Europe. When I left Portland, it was hot and sunny and when I came back it is now cold and rainy so naturally, I started to crave some of my childhood favorites and this dish came to mind. It’s hearty and warming and it screams comfort no matter what you call it. In my family, this is our version of Mechado.

As we close out Filipino American History Month, we wanted to say THANK YOU to you and to our friends that contributed: Brady Tuazon, Lester Cabigting and Bea Lugtu and to those that engaged, commented and cooked along with us. We hope that we inspired you to try something new with the recipes and stories we shared this month. Stay tuned because the holidays are coming and Noche Buena is just around the corner.

♥️ Tricia

MAMA’S ILOCANO PINAKBET WITH BAGNET

Pinakbet originated from the Northern Provinces of the Philippines, Ilocos. It’s a mixed veggie stew that pays homage to the Ilocano farmers and help to support their harvest. My mom says it’s a heartfelt dish that Ilocanos can survive on, due to not having enough money since farming is their main source to provide to their family. This dish lets them use whatever vegetables are available. Pinakbet comes from the Ilocano term, “pinakebbet”, which means shrunk or shriveled. A stew cooked with all the seasonal vegetables together at once.

If you know my mom, you know that this is her signature dish that everyone in the family would ask her to cook for any occasion. This dish is the first Filipino dish that she taught me how to cook, side by side. You already know Filipino mom’s don’t usually do that. I always think she’s slowly passing me the torch to keep our culture alive, and help pass it along to the next generation. No matter how many miles away I am from her, I know when I cook this dish, I’ll forever feel like she’s right there with me when I’m homesick.

♥️ Bea Lugtu

BRINGHE

If you have dined at Magna Kusina, chances are that Lester Cabigting has made your food. Most nights, you’ll find him working the line and turning out gorgeous food with love. As one of the younger chefs, Lester is part of the new guard at Magna and one of the restaurant’s rising stars. He is originally from Pampanga, a province in the Philippines located northwest from Manila, and he moved to Portland fairly recently in 2017. Lester developed a keen interest in cooking, but his parents wanted him to pursue a field that had better earning potential and benefits—something many children of immigrants can probably relate to. Although his family didn’t approve, he decided to apply for culinary school anyway and was accepted. Towards the end of school, he was accepted as an intern at Magna and eventually earned his spot on the line. His story is one of many that remind me that pursuing your dream with grit and grace is worthwhile, meaningful, noble.

When I came to visit Lester at the restaurant, he had all the ingredients for Bringhe prepped. Originating from Pampanga where Lester is from, Bringhe is an indigenized version of paella—a remnant of the Spanish colonization of the Philippines—and a favorite dish only seen during larger special occasions like a fiesta or holidays. It is typically used to supplement steamed rice during these larger gatherings so that rice is always present—those rice cookers can only work so hard! When asked what makes this recipe special, Lester shared that he loved harvesting the turmeric growing in the garden which would only be used for this particular dish.

It was so much fun watching Lester make his family recipe for me. Lester shared that his family typically uses chicken meat, gizzards and liver, but when he makes it he omits the liver because of his textural preference. We love how people personalize recipes based on their taste to make it their own.

Please enjoy some snaps from our hang out and look out for Lester’s first pop up .. coming soon.

❤️Jane

FILIPINO SPAGHETTI

A product of US military occupation and food-scarcity-driven resourcefulness is the typically sweet Filipino-style spaghetti. During the US occupation, dishes that American soldiers craved for comfort, like Spaghetti Bolognese, were introduced into the SE Asian archipelago. However, back then, tomato imports were limited, so even ketchup needed to be sourced using an unlikely locally growing ingredient, bananas. I’m not sure who invented it or exactly when, but at some point, spaghetti bolognese evolved into what is now ubiquitous at holiday gatherings and birthday parties in the Filipino diaspora. Popularized abroad by the beloved Filipino chain, Jollibee, it feels like this dish is finally getting some welcome in the West (thanks also in part to Anthony Bourdain’s Philippines episode, where there’s a scene of him surprised by his own enjoyment of the sweet and savory spaghetti with hot dogs). Filipino spaghetti was and always will be a dish that keeps me tied to my roots. This recipe is my version.

❤️Nori

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

CHICKEN TINOLA

There is such comfort in a bowl of chicken soup, which is probably why so many different cultures have a version of it—tinolang manok is the Filipino take. This iconic dish is said to have been invented in the 1800s, with some believing is was developed even earlier. According to CNN Philippines, “the oldest record we have of tinola is from Jose Rizal, who loved the dish so much he wrote it into the first scene of ‘Noli Me Tangere.’”

Growing up, various members of my family would make their version of this dish when someone was feeling under the weather or when it was especially chilly out. The generous amount of ginger adds a little spice and intensity to the dish which I especially love now as an adult. I like to throw in some extra vegetables because we always needs more veggies in our lives, and I also highly recommended enjoying this with some rice because rice is life.

❤️Jane

TRICIA’S BATCHOY WITH UMI ORGANIC NOODLES

This is a Filipino noodle dish that originally comes from the province of Ilo Ilo, and more specifically, from the town of La Paz. It originated from the Chinese community that settled there. The name of the dish comes from the Chinese (Hokkien) Ba-chui, meaning pieces of meat. Traditionally it is made with pork and pork offal cooked in a beef and pork stock, it uses egg noodles and is topped with chicharron, fried garlic, scallions and a raw egg that cooks in the hot broth. It is a nourishing soup that is full of umami coming from a rich bone broth and shrimp paste. This version is a variation of that dish I use at home made for how we live now with the ingredients around us and I find it is amazing with Umi Organic’s ramen because of the noodle’s amazing bite. I take the time to develop a really good beef broth and use a favorite roast pork recipe as a topping that was developed by my Tita Lydia (which is amazing on its own). I omit the chicharron because my roast pork has a crispy skin that gives it the texture contrast I love; however, if I happen to have it at home, I top it with chicharron anyway. It definitely brings it over the top.

This recipe was originally developed for and published by Umi Organic. Check it out through this link and also check out their ramen. It’s a personal favorite of mine and locally made in Portland. The owner and founder is Lola Milholland and is also part Filipino. She is definitely an inspiration.

♥️Tricia

FILIPINO BAKED MACARONI

I am not really sure where this dish originated from but it has been part of our Noche Buena celebration for as long as I can remember. It’s only really served and eaten at that time and it’s always a hit. It’s unusual for sure, with Vienna sausage and chicken as the protein and the cheese is Queso de Bola. Our family isn’t even really that big into chicken but there it is, on the table when the Christmas season rolls in. I made it myself for the first time a few years ago when I felt nostalgic for the dishes my family would eat during the holidays and I actually made the whole spread — Tita Lydia’s Baked Ham, this pasta dish, embutido — and one day a few months ago, I wondered why I only made this dish during that time especially now when I knew how to make it. It’s so easy and amazing as it sits in the sauce for a day or two. I think it gets even better.

When I think about this dish and it’s potential origin, there are Filipino recipes out there but none really go into how it came about. My guess would be, much like the Filipino spaghetti, it came over post war through the American occupation and the ingredients were adapted and customized to what was available. Queso de Bola (or Edam cheese) originated from the Netherlands but was also brought in by the Spanish into their colonies. This cheese is mainly consumed during the holidays as well and because this dish was mainly served during the holidays, I can see how that cheese made it into this dish.

When cooking this dish, some things I’ve learned along the way is that poaching the chicken gently keeps it moist and tender. Additionally, slicing and cubing it instead of shredding it is better. Not only from a textural standpoint but it also catches with the sauce in the the little pasta crevices. For the same reason, I love dicing the Vienna sausage as well instead of cutting them into rounds. Also, I love a touch of sweetness in the sauce but unlike other recipes, I don’t add ketchup. Sugar will suffice. The amount I add depends on the tomato sauce so tasting along the way is critical. I prefer the sauce to not be cloyingly sweet. Additionally to add depth, aside from salt and pepper, fish sauce really helps. It gives the dish the appropriate level of umami. Regarding baking, many recipes create a very cheesy version and require a long bake. I think that is good too but it tends to dry out the pasta and doesn’t leave it saucy. I prefer topping the dish with cheese and putting it under the broiler to quickly brown the cheese and then removing it right away so that it gives you a crispy layer on top and leaves a saucy dish under the crispy, cheesy layer.

There are so many good pasta dishes out there so what is so special about this dish? It’s so easy to make with very few ingredients. Many of the ingredients apart from the chicken and the aromatics are probably already in your pantry so this can come together quick. It’s also a dish we tend to make and graze on so if you don’t feel like cooking a whole lot, make this and let people wander in and out of the kitchen as they get hungry. As much as this dish gets better the next day, you will find that it may not last that long.

❤️Tricia

MISWA AT BOLA BOLA

As April comes to a close and cold and wet weather permeates in Portland, our soup craving continues. One of the soups I remember having a lot growing up is Miswa at Bola Bola or Meatball Noodle Soup. Miswa is a thin wheat noodle very similar to angel hair. It’s a noodle that can be used in dry applications like Pancit but it is also amazing in noodle soups. This is a dish that is quite easy to make because it doesn’t require you to toil over the stove for hours. You can develop a lot of flavor by browning the meatballs first. This leaves fond at the bottom of the pan that you can further develop by adding aromatics then deglazing to scrape any of the brown bits off, adding flavor to your soup. Another hack is using a bouillon cube which is an instant booster. Add vegetables to make this a more substantial meal. Traditionally this soup has patola or sponge gourd. I’ve also used upo or bottle gourd. Right before serving, you add the Miswa noodles. Whether dry or fresh, this cooks quickly in the soup. I love leafy greens too so I also throw in bok choy or gai lan. You can eat this by itself or add a little steamed rice, because why not?!

As we close out Filipino Food Month, we wanted to say THANK YOU to you and to our friends that contributed (@baonkainan @brrraaady) and also joined us in cooking Filipino food this month (@ngaloppo @ehow.eats @here.portland). We hope that we inspired you to try something new with the recipes and stories we’ve shared. For us, Filipino Food isn’t just for the month of April. It’s 24/7, 365 so stay tuned for more from us in the coming months.

❤️Tricia

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.

FILIPINO SOPAS

One of our favorite Filipino spots in Portland is Baon Kainan. It is a food cart in the Concourse Coffee pod together with Matta and No Q No! Taqueria. It is owned by Geri and Ethan Leung, originally Seattle natives who popped up with Matta a few times last year and made a go of it in Portland. In their first year, they won cart of the year which helped establish them and Filipino food in the Portland food scene. Their food is fresh and cart made and you feel the love. When we were thinking of potential contributors for Filipino Food Month, we reached out to Baon Kainan and Geri quickly replied about wanting to share her Sopas recipe. It’s a perfect dish for Portland with our weather that can turn chilly at a drop of a hat.

Sopas is a homestyle Filipino noodle soup generally made with macaroni, vegetables and chicken in a creamy, milky broth often made with stock and milk (in the Philippines, evaporated milk). There are many variations to this dish, predominantly in what protein is used. Aside from chickent, sometimes it’s ground pork, corned beef and hot dogs (or a combination of), that is almost customized by family.

As Geri describes:

“This is one of our favorite Filipino soup recipes. It’s a dish we come back to anytime we need some comfort in a pinch or when we’re feeling under the weather. It’s fast to make, allows the use of leftover ingredients, it’s great the next day and essential when feeling under the weather.”

Some notes and tips from Geri:

Using rotisserie chicken and bouillon may seem like cheating, but there’s no harm in using these ingredients as a fast way to cook a delicious and nutritious meal–great for busy professionals, parents–well, everyone!

If you want to make your own chicken stock–and you have some time–roast chicken bones (or the rotisserie chicken bones) with onions, garlic, and any herbs of your choice for 20 - 30 minutes. Then add the roasted bones and veggies in water and boil for a couple of hours. Strain the broth and discard the bones and veggies.

• You can use whatever milk for this recipe–we used oat milk for this recipe.

• This meal is meant to be easy so versatility is welcome–use whatever veggies or protein you have left over.

• Make this soup vegetarian or even vegan by substituting a plant-based milk and using vegan/vegetarian meat alternatives.

Geri learned how to make Sopas from her mom. This dish was one of her most comforting dishes and she could make it in a pinch without compromising taste. Geri would then make this for Ethan during their dating years so it’s got sentimental value on all counts. Eat it with some steamed rice, it’s comfort food in a bowl.

TROUT SISIG

My love for food and my now love for cooking is heavily influenced by my family. You can say that I grew up surrounded by foodies — my parents, grand parents, aunts and uncles and even their friends were always talking about food, where to get the best food and some of them were also excellent cooks. Within my family, my grandmother or Lola was the queen. She grew up in the seaside town of Malabon in the Philippines and had an excellent palate that also came through her cooking. We judge all Filipino food by her gold standard. When she passed away quite a few years ago, Tita Lydia (her daughter and my aunt), carried her legacy but her years of living in the US and also her deep interest in cooking further refined my Lola’s dishes. She refined based on ingredients that are available, always prioritizing quality and what is local. She also loved all food so she applied cooking techniques she learned from other cultures that elevated the dishes from their humble home cooking roots. She taught people how to cook from her home studio and to get an invite to her lunches or dinners is a coveted opportunity because she is a consummate entertainer.

Over the last few months, I’ve spent some time with Tita Lydia to start to pull together our family recipes and also the recipes that she is well known for so we can start to document this for ourselves and also for the next generation of our family. I’ve visited her twice in the Bay Area and we’ve cooked together, shared stories and documented close to 30 recipes for her website that we are still building. This Trout Sisig recipe is one that Tita Lydia shared with me and I was amazed how easy it is to make. Sisig is traditionally made with pork and offal but the fish version has also started to gain interest as a slightly healthier version.

Fish dishes often intimidate me because cooking seafood is not as forgiving as cooking meat. However, this particular recipe is one that I found to be one that I know I can easily make especially when entertaining because it is so simple but so good and also looks quite impressive. I’ve made it twice. Once at home for my partner and myself and also for Luna’s birthday lunch for the first time for friends.

The most important part is really acquiring the fish. It requires fresh whole trout. depending on the size of the trout the meat can vary from white to pink. For this recipe, smaller trout is preferred (around 1 to 1.5 lbs) and for this size, the meat is white. Traditionally, milkfish or bangus is used. In the PNW, it’s quite easy to find this in your local market. When you purchase your fish, you can have it cleaned, butterflied and deboned making it ready for use at home with your fishmonger doing all the work. The rest, you will find, is quite simple.

I hope you enjoy this recipe and if you are Filipino (and a practicing Catholic), it’s perfect for Good Friday. That’s a bonus and not a requirement for making this dish. 😂

❤️Tricia

SHORT RIB SINIGANG

I’m from Manila, and growing up, I only really ever knew Sinigang, soured with tamarind (sampalok) or sour guava (bayabas), and with either pork (baboy), shrimp (hipon), or fish (isda). Beef was usually used for Nilagang Baka (much like a French Pot-au-Feu) or Bulalo (similar to Nilaga but with more usage of bone marrow and shanks, where the soup is rich with collagen and fat).

My world changed when a fellow Filipino in town that we met through food (Kuya @brrraaady) made a batch of smoked Short Rib Sinigang. He shared it with a handful of us since we had a canceled @tikimpdx holiday event at @magnapdx due to snow and Covid. He smoked shortribs and veggies before cooking them all together in a rich tamarind broth, and it blew our minds. The way the shortrib bones enrich the broth, giving it a palate coating texture that feels luxurious, takes Sinigang to a whole new level.

Needless to say, short ribs are now in my regular rotation for the choice of protein when I make Sinigang. Because I don’t have a @traegergrills, I sauté a little tomato paste in the fond from searing the beef as a smoky flavor hack before putting the meat back in the pot to simmer until tender. The depth of flavor in this Sinigang is addictive. This recipe is beginner friendly as it uses Sinigang mix as many households use to get the flavor right in a foolproof way. Try it out for yourself!

❤️ Nori

PAKSIW NA PATA (Braised Pork Knuckle)

When I was growing up, I would love gnawing away at fresh crispy pata. If there happened to be leftovers, my grandma or aunt would use them to make paksiw. I loved all the textures—the thick, sticky sauce full of collagen mixed with rice, fat, tendon, meat, and marrow. It’s been YEARS since I’ve had this so when I found fresh pork knuckles at the store it was obvious what I was going to make.

This is a dish that is unapologetically for me and me alone; my family won’t touch it. It’s a little time-consuming to make and takes work to eat since you have to pick out all the bones while avoiding stray peppercorns, but it’s delicious and comforting and reminds me of home. A good reminder that good things take time and require patience. And that sometimes it’s okay to just make something for yourself.

🖤Jane