A Very Orange broth

Someone asked me about Sotanghon. My brothers and friends used to call it Sotengwan hahaha. The secret to any soup is the stock and I get mine each time I buy a whole chicken Take away the backs and ass and What do you do with the chicken backs and ass? These parts yield very little meat and a lot more fat and skin resides in these parts. You'd be lucky if you get it down to 50 / 50, meat and fat (including skin). But a frugal cook makes use of everything. I even use the trimmings from the chicken breast because you just can take all that meat out. ONce its cooked and you're happy with the flavor just take the chicken out, let it cool, and pick the meat from your bones i small onion half a small carrot and a stalk of celery in a stock pot where all the chicken parts are and top up with water about two inches from the top of the pot under a low flame (this keeps the stock clear) and afte 1 couple of hours you can salt and pepper to taste. Sotanghon is a mung bean based noodle that is translucent and holds up very well despite intense cooking It manages to keep a texture with some amount of bite not to mention the ability to retain heat. You dont need a lot and for 4 just a fist size quantity will go a long way 6 cups of stock The trimmed chicken meat from the stock 100 gms dry vermicelli (sotanghon) 1 tbsp onion leeks chopped fine 1 tbsp minced garlic chips 1 med onion 2 cloves garlic 1 tsp annato seeds (atsuete) 1/4 cup oil A medium soup pot This blog title tells it all. Take your pot and set over a medium flame. Drop the annato seeds in and allow to simmer in the oil until it releases color to almost a bright deep red then fish out the seeds. Sautee onions and garlic in the same oil until fragrant and translucent. Follow that wit the shredded chicken meat until heated through. As the sizzle becomes consistent pour 3/4 of the stock in and allow to boil then turn the flame down. You can drop the vermicelli in and let it cook for about 5-8 minutes Test it if you like the texture, it's ready to serve.

In a small bowl garnish with chopped sprint onion and garlic chips. It couldn't be easier. As it cools the noodles will absorb some liquid so just add on broth as you like.

When it rains, it's Rendang

I don't cook this often enough.

I would accept training assignments in Indonesia on and off from 2012-2014 and there was always time for Beef Rendang. It's not the national dish but it sure is true comfort food. Nothing beats the slow, simmer of this stew with the aroma of coconut and spices wafting throughout the house.

it's not labor intensive but it does demand some labor. First you make a spice paste. You can use a food processor but I favor a mortar and pestle to get that texture of paste that's not totally smooth but gritty. Pretty much like a choice between a longganisa or a hotdog.

Then you brown the meat all dutifully to allow it to caramelize and stick to the pot you'll be cooking in.

AFter that, it's pretty much a gentle, occassional stir to keep all the meats submerged in the liquid.


1 kg. boneless shank or brisket (I get mine at Kitayama)
2 stalks of lemon grass
2 whole Keffir Lime Leaves
half a block (about 2 tbsp) Palm Sugar. You can substitute with Brown sugar
2 cups of coconut milk (two packs of powdered coconut milk reconstituted in 2 cups of water)
3-4 cups of water as needed


For the paste:

1 tsp coriander seed
1/2 half whole nutmeg
1 tsp ground turmeric (powder is fine)
two thumb size pieces of ginger
2 whole Keffir Lime leaves
4 cloves garlic
1 medium spanish onion
2 thai chilis for the heat
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black peper

TO make the paste:
Chop the onions and garlic
Peel and slice the ginger
Chop the keffir lime leaves chiffonade
Chop the chilis and include the seeds.
Put all the dry ingredients in the
mortar and pestle and pound away
to get them as fine as possible
then add the salt and pepper
add in the onions a little at a time,
keeping up the pounding
add the garlic, still pounding it all out
add the ginger and chili and
keep the pounding going
until you get something like this

Time to brown the meat. Take your time. Do two rounds if you must but be sure that the meat is browned on all sides until you get an evenly browned concoction.

Remove the meat from the pot and set aside. Now fry the paste in the same pot, no need to clean it. Sautee over a medium flame, savor the aroma, and wait for most of the liquid to evaporate. Now add the browned meat. Once the spice paste and meats are well combined stir in your coconut milk and allow to simmer. Pound the lemon grass stalks to bruise them and tie them into a knot. Drop it in the stew. Drop in the Whole Keffir lime leaves as well. You should break up the palm sugar and add it to this mixture and turn the flame down to the lowest.

Now you wait. Keep it covered anbd as it simmers, the liquid starts to change color. First it's white, half an hour later a pastel green, another half hour and it turns a strange greenish brown. The oil starts to separate and that's a nice green color. Stir the stew avery 10-15 minutes and don't allow it to dry out yet. Add 1/4 cup of water at a time to keep the meats submerged.

2-3 hours later you should have a deep, dark greenish brown stew and as the meats get fork stab soft, stop adding water.

Reduce the liquid until you get just enough moisture so the sauce coats each individual piece of meat. You should turn the flame up to medium and stir constantly and vigorously to prevent scorching and burning.

A proper Rendang doesn't swim in sauce but instead the gravy coats each individual piece. It really tastes better the day after, with a very very cold Sauvignon Blanc.

Beef Asado San Fernando style

There are heirloom recipes that we always tuck away in the back of our heads and just prepare them every once in a rare while. Somehow that is what we pass on to our children and them to their own and somewhere along the way, it evolves into something else. Let me commit this one to this blog so that we can preserve this version of a classic from my grandmother to my mother and now to me.

300 gms. Flank steak whole trussed up

1 medium onion
2 cloves garlic

¼ cup soy sauce
¼ cup vinegar
¼ cup red wine
1 ½ cup water
¼ cup olive oil (Pomace will do)

Bay leaf
Sprig of thyme
¼ tsp dried Rosemary
Black Pepper

1 small Sweet Potato
Peeled and sliced into ¼ in thick chips
1 cup sugar

100 gms string bean cut to ½ in lengths
100 gms carrots cut to ½ in x ¼ in lengths

1. Braise meat
Place pressure cooker over fire add ¼ cup olive oil
Brown meat lightly on all sides
Deglaze pan with red wine
Add onions and garlic
As it simmers and starts reducing add soy, vinegar and water
As this comes to a boil add Bay leaf, sprig of thyme and Rosemary
Baste meat several times over while it’s boiling for 5 minutes
Seal pressure cooker and cook for 20 minutes
Release pressure from cooker and remove meat set aside to rest
Make a slurry of ¼ tsp corn starch and ¼ tsp water and add to simmering stock to thicken

2. Prepare vegetables
Place sweet potatoes in a small stock pot
To this add sugar and 1 cup water
Set over flame and as it boils reduce fire to low
Set pan to flame and boil 1 cup water
Blanch carrots and string beans for 1 min each and shock in cold water to set color
Add melted butter to taste

As sweet potatoes are cooked and reduced in syrup set aside

3. Serve
Once meat has reasonably cooled
Cut strings
Slice ¼ in thick slice from the meat
Arrange on plate to sit on sauce. Drizzle a small quantity of sauce over the meat
Serve with Sweet Potato and carrots and beans on the side

Phew, that was a mouthful. Any red wine will do but a big red would be really really nice with this