What is a perfect meal for you? For some people, it’s extravagance that comes to mind. The finest of steaks, the freshest of seafoods, or the fanciest of other ingredients –– these may be the most ideal! But for others, like myself, there’s a certain joy in simplicity. Even the humble ingredients you can find in your own pantry or kitchen can come together to make something extraordinary. Take, for example, this homey but flavorful beef salpicao. Warm and saucy, this dish consists of an assortment of everyday ingredients that make one of the best comfort foods of all time.
Filipinos –– and people worldwide, honestly –– love a good piece of meat. There’s no denying the satisfaction we feel when we bite into a piece of meat that’s cooked to perfection, and seasoned and marinated with the best flavors possible. This beef salpicao is a prime example of that! Garlicky and rich, this dish is a hearty meal that can satisfy your meaty cravings.
Tips and Tricks for Beef Salpicao
The two most important aspects of beef salpicao are the tenderness and the taste! The beef cuts we’re using for this salpicao are the tenderest portions a cow has to offer. Tenderloin or sirloin pieces will melt in your mouth, perfectly absorbing all of this dish’s fantastic flavors. The beef will most likely be the most expensive ingredient in this recipe, as you’ll need to get good portions for the juiciest chunks and best results. Rest assured, however, all of the other ingredients are those you can easily find in your own pantry.
This recipe calls for letting your beef marinate for about 30 minutes, as this gives it ample time to take in the different flavors. It’s important to use a pan with a wide bottom while cooking your beef salpicao. This is due to the fact that if you crowd your meat too much, you may end up steaming your beef rather than searing it, which is what you’re supposed to be doing. Additionally, since we don’t want our meat to end up too tough or chewy, I recommend cooking it until a doneness of medium rare. This leaves your beef salpicao succulent, tasty, and perfect with every bite!
Some people enjoy a little spice in their beef salpicao, which you can easily replicate with a few pieces of chili peppers. Others add mushrooms or top their dish with green onion, for something that can cut through the rich taste.
What to Serve with Beef Salpicao
When it comes to what you can serve this with, you can’t go wrong with a classic cup of white rice. But fried rice is also a great alternative! The assortment of ingredients in a good cup of yang chow complements the savory beef salpicao well.
I also recommend enjoying these garlicky beef chunks with some tender yet flavorful potatoes! Whether you mash them or bake them, this also makes a wonderful partner to your beef salpicao. It’s made even better when they get to absorb your meat’s delightfully rich sauce!
How to Cook Beef Salpicao
This beef salpicao can make up about 6 portions –– perfect for your whole family, and then some! Before cooking, cube your 1 ½ lbs of beef, and pound 1 head of garlic. Infuse the oil with garlic by frying it in low heat until the garlic turns golden brown. The flavors from the garlic will get infused in oil by then. Separate the oil and garlic and set aside.
Combine your beef pieces, a teaspoon of salt, half a teaspoon of ground black pepper, and the garlic infused oil along with Worcestershire sauce. Mix all the ingredients and marinate the beef for 10 minutes.
Put a clean pan on your stove and turn up the heat. When it’s hot enough, add in the combination of ingredients and sear your beef until it begins to brown. If you can, toss the beef while searing so you’ve uniformly cooked all sides. Pour in 2 tablespoons of oyster sauce and continue tossing until the liquid evaporates. You can also opt to keep a bit of the sauce if you prefer that with your beef salpicao. If you plan to add other ingredients like mushrooms or chili peppers, feel free to do so now, too!
Lastly, add in your ⅛ cup of butter and cook your beef salpicao for 2 to 3 minutes more. And just like that, your dish is ready! Transfer to a serving plate and prepare it alongside your side dish of choice.
You and your family will definitely enjoy this amazingly rich beef salpicao! Let us know what you thought of it.
Beef Salpicao
Ingredients
- 1 ½ lbs. beef tenderloin cubed
- 1 head garlic
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 3 tablespoons butter
- ¼ cup olive oil
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 5 tablespoons Worcestershire Sauce
- 2 tablespoons oyster sauce
Instructions
- Pound garlic using a mortar and pestle tool.1 head garlic
- Combine garlic and olive oil in a pan. Turn on your stove and set the heat to between low and medium. Cook garlic while stirring until it turns golden brown.¼ cup olive oil
- Remove the fried garlic and oil from the pan and place these in separate bowls. Set aside.1 head garlic, ¼ cup olive oil
- Combine beef, salt, ground black pepper, olive oil, and Worcestershire sauce. Mix well. Let it stay for 10 minutes.1 ½ lbs. beef tenderloin, 1 teaspoon salt, ½ teaspoon ground black pepper, 5 tablespoons Worcestershire Sauce, ¼ cup olive oil
- Heat a clean pan. Once the pan gets really hot, sear the marinated beef until the sides turn brown.1 ½ lbs. beef tenderloin
- Add oyster sauce and a bit of butter. Note: save the remaning butter for later. Continue cooking for 3 minutes.2 tablespoons oyster sauce
- Add remaining butter along with the fried garlic and parsley. Continue cooking until the liquid evaporates completely.3 tablespoons butter
- Transfer to a serving plate. Serve with rice. Share and enjoy!
May says
I’ve try this already and I’m making it again. It’s very tasty and I recommend to marinate it overnight because it will come out really good. Thank you panlasang pinoy!
Karen Alix says
i used 1 teaspoon, it’s up to you. 🙂
Karen Alix says
i just cooked this recipe today, my bad i didn’t follow the recipe. what i’ve done, i’ve marinated everything (incl. worcestershire and oyster sauces) for 30 minutes and pretty much it. it turned out really, really good! till next time!
Tim says
I just came back from the Philippines and I loved this dish. The only thing that appears to be missing from your recipe is something spicy. Chili peppers maybe? The version I tried in the Philippines was very spicy and flavorful.
Franz says
Ano po kaya bagay na side dish dito? thanks
Sabrina says
How long should I leave the beef to marinate?
Amy says
Tried this for my hubby’s homecoming dinner (away for a week). He does most of the cooking but i like to do it for him on the rare occasions. It certainly was a hit!
Only concern was the beef was a little chewy tough. I wondered if the marinating time was the culprit? There was salt in the marinade and my batch went for over an hour as I was waiting for hubby to come home. Salt draws out water, I was told. So when I was supposed to be searing the cubes, the initial cooking drew out so much water that I had to drain some and still took some time to dry it up a bit before adding the sauces. (used sirloin cut)
Anyhoo, I think I got it mostly right and turned out to be so savory that the jaw work out was very forgivable. next time I’ll be more time sensitive. Hope it works. Any other tips.
Thank you so much for helping this non-cookin’ wife.
Valleykats says
Hi! Just wanted to ask, is there a way to make the meat more tender or softer? We tried this dish and it was yummy, except the beef felt a little bit hard. Hope you could help. Thanks! 🙂