Adobo is a rich, savoury, and slightly tangy dish with a perfect balance of flavours. This version features stewing beef and beef tendon slowly braised in a fragrant blend of soy sauce, garlic, bay leaves and black peppercorns and the classic ingredient: vinegar. The long cooking provides a tender texture and the sauce has just the right amount of acidity.
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Filipino-Style Beef and Beef Tendon Adobo
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 3 hours 40 minutes
- Total Time: 3 hours 55 Minutes
- Yield: Serves 6 1x
Ingredients
1 lb (500 g) Beef Flexor Tendons
1 tbsp (15 mL) white vinegar
2 tsp (10 mL) salt
1 lb (500 g) Beef Stew Cubes
8 cloves garlic, minced
4 bay leaves
1 tbsp (15 mL) granulated sugar
2 tsp (10 mL) whole black peppercorns
¼ cup (60 mL) EACH dark soy sauce and light soy sauce
2 tbsp (30 mL) canola or sunflower oil
⅓ cup (75 mL) coconut vinegar or rice vinegar
Hot cooked rice
2 green onions, thinly sliced
Instructions
- Place the tendons in a large pot and add water to cover by at least 4 inches (10 cm). Add the white vinegar. Bring to a boil over high heat; boil for 5 minutes, skimming off any scum that rises to the top. Drain and rinse the tendons well under cold, running water. Clean and dry the pot.
- Return tendons to the pot. Add enough water to cover the tendons by 4 inches (10 cm) and add salt. Bring to a boil over high heat and skim off any scum that rises to the top. Cover, reduce heat to low and simmer for 1½ hours, checking occasionally and adding water to maintain the original level. (The tendon will not be tender at this point, it will finish cooking with the stew).
- Meanwhile, combine stew cubes, garlic, bay leaves, sugar, peppercorns, dark and light soy sauce, stirring to coat beef well. Cover and marinate in the refrigerator while tendons cook.
- Transfer tendons to a cutting board and let cool; discard cooking liquid. When cool enough to handle, cut tendons into 1-inch (2.5 cm) pieces. Set aside.
- Drain marinated meat through colander set over bowl, reserving marinade. Heat oil over medium-high heat in a Dutch oven or large, heavy pot; brown beef, for about 8 minutes, turning with tongs, until browned all over.
- Add reserved marinade, reserved tendons, coconut vinegar and 2 cups (500 mL) water. Bring to a simmer, stirring and scraping up brown bits from pot. Cover, reduce heat to low heat and simmer for 1½ hours, checking occasionally and adding water as needed to keep the stew beef and tendons barely covered with liquid, until beef and tendons are fork-tender. If the sauce is too watery, uncover pot and increase heat to return just to a boil; reduce heat and boil gently until the sauce thickens and coats the meat. Discard bay leaves.
- Serve over hot cooked rice and sprinkle with green onions.
