Beef & Liver Stew

Kaldereta

What is Kaldereta or Caldereta

Kaldereta’s also known as Caldereta name is derived from the Spanish word caldera meaning cauldron. This dish is one of those dishes that was brought to the Philippines during the Spanish colonisation. The origin is not confirmed but I think it might be from Mexico because potatoes, bell peppers and chillies were brought from Mexico to the Philippines. Through the Manila – Acapulco route trade, I could be wrong, Philippine cuisine is still finding its roots and making our mark in the world.

The name came from the word Caldera or Cauldron in Tagalog Kaldero. It’s the cooking vessel it’s stewed in. Kaldereta is usually cooked with goat meat but it’s not easily accessible to me so beef is the best option. It’s also cooked with liver and tomato sauce. Chillies are optional but some like it spicy, some like this dish mild and some don’t like the heat at all. Although most Filipinos are not keen on chillies they make an exception with this dish. Kaldereta is normally served on special occasions but you don’t have to wait for that! HAHA!

Let’s talk about ingredients

There are many variations to Kaldereta, many households have their own ‘secret’ ingredient and their own twist to this dish. My recipe is the very basic of Kaldereta and most if the ingredients are easily accessible.

I used stewing beef instead of goat meat, you can also use chicken or pork too. I haven’t tried this dish with seafood yet so I can’t recommend that yet.

Asians in Britain

I was approached by Steph if Asians in Britain could feature me on their page. I excitedly agreed and suggested that we do a video cooking together while Steph interview me. This is exactly what we did and I decided we cook Kaldereta together. It went really well and finally the video is ready!