Right at this moment, everyone in the house is sick. Really bad flu. Coughing, sneezing, sniffing. It's an understatement when I say, it's an orchestra of dogs barking and howling.

I can't think of anything else but cook soups. Yes of course there is the usual chicken soup but they can only have chicken soup so many times. Today I've decided we'll have Clear Broth Beef Stew.

It's one of the staples back home. Comfort food for many of us. Just the smell of it in the kitchen brings me back to to rainy days when we are stuck inside the house, can't play in the puddle outside, we might get sick. For extra precaution, mothers will start cooking piping hot viands that has broth or soups in it.

Serve it in a huge bowl and give everyone smaller bowls for individual soups. If you're sick it'll make you feel better. If you're not, you just feel your soul smiling extra somehow.

Tip 1: beef cuts and beef age varies and so you have to find the right time to make sure it's tender enough
Tip 2: you need to time everything up, you don't want your veggies mashed.
Tip 3: any meat that is close to the bones are tastier, so I prefer to cook this stew with bones.
Tip 4: Bok Choy can be a good substitute for Chinese Cabbage

Ingredients:
1 1/4 kilo beef made up of meat and bones, cut into sizes that you prefer
1 big onion, sliced half an inch each
1 tablespoon black peppercorns
3 inches x 2 inches ginger, tickly sliced
1.5 liters of water
1 tablespoon salt
1 tablespoon fish sauce
2 - 3 potatoes, diced 2-3 inches big
3 carrots, diced 2-3 inches big
2 corn ears
1 cabbage, sliced 2-3 inches big
3 chinese cabbage, pechay or bok choy, leaves separated
1 beef bouillon

Serves 8

Directions:
Place beef, onions, peppercorns, salt, ginger and 2 cups of water in a big boiling pot. Bring it to a boil and then bring it to simmer for 45 mins on medium high heat. If you keep on boiling, the liquid will evaporate, with it is the beef essence so you have so watch this part out. You want the beef to tenderize without losing most of the liquid.

After 45 mins, add the remaining cup of water, potatoes, carrots, corn ears, cabbage. Taste the soup if it needs more salt, if it does, then add the beef buillon. It will add saltiness and heighten the beef taste even more. Simmer for another 15 mins.  

If you think your beef needs more cooking time and the veggies are already cooked. Fish the veggies and set aside.

Add your veggies back and your chinese cabbage, simmer for a minute or two until the chinese cabbage are perfectly cooked. 

Serve in a huge bowl and enjoy this hearty soup with steamed rice or on its own! 

We normally eat this with fish sauce and chili on the side. Yum! 

-AcousticChef - cookin' one tune at a time!

There is a Mexican version of Menudo which is a soup containing beef stomach.

This version is the stew version made from a whole other ingredients which would have been heavily influence by the Spaniards.

Our Menudo is best eaten with steamed rice or bread to soak the sauce, like pan de sal, ciabatta, or whatever bread you fancy.

Ingredients:
1 kilo pork loin, cut into small pieces
250 grams pork liver, cut into small pieces
1 cup potatoes, diced
1 cup carrots, diced
1 cup red capsicum or bell pepper
1/3 cup soy sauce
1/3 cup lemon juice
1 onion, minced
3 garlic cloves, minced
2 tsp brown sugar
2 cups tomato sauce
1 cup water
1/8 cup cooking oil

Serves 8

Procedure:
To add depth to your menudo and to ensure your pork is tender, marinade the meat with soy sauce and lemon juice for one hour.

In a big sauce pan, heat the oil and fry potatoes and carrots until half cooked. Approximately 5 minutes or so. Fish out the potatoes and carrots and set them aside.

On the same pan, saute the garlic and onion. Add pork and water, then simmer for about 10 to 15 minutes, until the pork is tender.

Add liver, tomato sauce, half cooked carrots and potatoes, bell pepper, brown sugar and simmer for further 5 to 8 minutes. 

If you prefer, at this stage, you can add, raisins, green peas or chick peas (garbanzos).

Voila! Your very own tasty Menudo. Happy Eating!!!

-AcousticChef.... cookin' one tune at a time!