Beef Pares a la Taft Avenue, Manila

I have never had Pares in my life (I know I missed out a lot, that's what happens when you have over-protected parents) and I don't have any points of comparison so when I realized I really wanted to make this, I asked my older brothers, who both love to eat and both have very "experienced" palates (A palate that gave them the Hepa A and Typhoid Fever, when it was my turn to walk the streets around UST, they told me where the food is good and safe, and where it is good BUT dirty). They made me realize that street food version of Beef Pares is very similar to Chowking's Beef Brisket.

At that moment having a certain flavor goal, I searched the internet for Pares recipes and it took me around 3-5 tries before I perfected the dish. 

So here it is, my Beef Pares A la Taft Avenue.

What you need:

2 lbs. of Beef

1/2 cup Dark Soy Sauce

Juice of 1 Lemon

1/2 tsp. Anise powder

2 Bay leaves

2 tbsp. Brown sugar

2 heads of garlic, minced

Thumb sized ginger, minced

1 tbsp. cornstarch dissolved in

1/2 cup of water

1/4 cup Cooking oil

Beef Broth or Water

Chopped green onions

Veggies option, you may add:

Carrots

Bok Choy or Chinese Pechay

How it's done:

Cut meat into small cubes (Piano Man likes it bite-sized). Mix soy sauce and lemon, add meat and marinate for about 30 mins.

Heat up a wok and add the oil. Brown the garlic, set aside half of the browned garlic.

Add the ginger and onion. When onions are translucent, add the beef and brown all sides.

(Set aside the marinade)

Add water or broth until all beef is submerged. Bring to a boil. Remove scum.

Add marinade, anise powder, bay leaf, salt and pepper and brown sugar.

Simmer over medium heat for 1 hour. (After 30 mins, you may add your carrots)

After an hour, check if beef is tender and then add the corn starch mixture to thicken the sauce.

Serve over hot rice. Sprinkle browned garlic and green onions on top and voila!

Beef Pares that will take you back to the streets of Manila!

Kam's Tips:

• I use Beef Chuck Roast. Beef Brisket can be a good cut too.
• You may use 1 star anise instead of anise powder.
• On certain days I use a pressure cooker, which decreases the cooking time to half --> 30 mins. and its done!
• This recipe can be served over noodles. Just heat up some beef broth, drop some egg noodles and you've got yourself some Beef Mami.