Beef Pares are cubed beef briskets cooked with spices and tenderized to perfection. The aroma of this dish alone is enticing. The taste is captivating. You will surely ask for more after tasting it.
I was first introduced to this dish during my elementary days. It was in a local Tapsilog restaurant in Las Pinas City. During those days, this was a new addition to the restaurant’s menu. I instantly became a believer.
How to Cook Beef Pares
It is best to always have the beef stock ready before cooking pares. This is the soup that goes with it.
Cooking beef pares is easier when using a pressure cooker. This helps tenderize the beef quickly. Start by sauteing onion, garlic, and ginger. These aromatics brings-in flavor and aroma to your dish. Make sure that the onion softens. This makes it sweeter.
Add the beef and continue to saute until it browns. Pour-in water and then add a piece of Knorr Beef Cube and 2 pieces of star anise. Pressure cook for 15 minutes. You can cook it longer up to 20 minutes, but make sure that the beef is still intact. Add sugar and season with salt and ground black pepper. I also like to put some chopped scallions over it.
Making Beef stock
Beef pares is not complete without the soup. There are two ways to have it. The fastest way is to purchase beef stock or broth from the supermarket. The ideal way is to making it from scratch. This option takes time and should be done in advance. Here is how I do it. Start preparing the soup using beef bones. Beef neck bones the ones that I used in this recipe. I chose this part to make beef stock because it has a good ratio of bone to meat.
It is best to broil the beef bones in the oven before boiling. Doing this makes it more flavorful. This is optional, but it makes a difference. Place the bones in a baking tray. Set the oven to broil. Keep the bones in there for 20 minutes.
It’s time to make the soup or the stock. Pour 6 cups water in a cooking pot. Let it boil. Add the beef bones and mirepoix (carrot, celery, and onion). I also add 3 tablespoons of vinegar to the mix. This helps break down the collagen making your stock more gelatinous. It also helps improve the taste of the stock overall. I add a piece of Knorr Beef Cube to give it that solid beef flavor. This needs to cook in low heat for at least 3 hours for the shortcut version. Best results are seen when simmering the bones for more than 8 hours. It is your choice. Season with salt. I usually do a large batch ahead of time.
Cooking Garlic Fried Rice
Sinangag na kanin is the Filipino term for it. Cold leftover rice is perfect to use in making sinangag. It involves combining salt and rice and mixing together before cooking. Crispy browned garlic makes sinangag a winner. This is done by frying the garlic in low heat until it turns light brown, and the the rice and salt mixture is added and cooked all together until done. Use this sinangag recipe as a guide.
Tips in Cooking Beef Pares
It is best to make the soup from scratch and always prepare it in advance to save time. Do a large batch and freeze the remaining stock for future use.
Pour a few tablespoons of beef pares sauce into your soup before eating to make it even more flavorful. It will be tastier.
A pressure cooker is your friend in the kitchen. Use this to quickly cook your beef pares.
Star anise is an important ingredient for pares, as far as I am concerned. Try to use half a teaspoon of five spice powder if this is not available.
Try this Beef Pares Recipe. Let me know what you think.
Beef Pares
Ingredients
- 2 ½ lbs. beef cubed
- 1 piece Knorr Beef Cube
- 2 pieces star anise
- ¼ cup brown sugar
- ½ cup scallions chopped
- 2 thumbs ginger minced
- 6 tablespoons soy sauce
- 1 piece onion chopped
- 5 cloves garlic crushed
- 2 ½ cups water
- 3 tablespoons cooking oil
- Salt and ground black pepper to taste
Instructions
- Heat oil in a cooking pot or pressure cooker. Saute onion, garlic, and ginger.
- Add the beef once onion softens. Cook until light brown.
- Pour soy sauce and water. Stir.
- Add Knorr Beef Cube and star anise. Cover the pressure cooker and pressure cook for 15 minutes.
- Add brown sugar and season with salt and ground black pepper. Cook for 8 to 10 minutes more or until the sauce reduces a bit.
- Top with chopped scallions and serve with sinangag and beef stock. Share and enjoy.
Rene Noel says
I tried your recipe and its really authentic pares which i have been craving for a long time. I was a regular customer some 20 yrs ago in one pares shop in quezon ave. and usually one has to wait about 30 minutes to have a vacant seat since its always filled with pares lovers. Now, I can have it anytime. Thanks Panlasang Pinoy!
John says
hi, just asking, what soup is best to pair with it, and how?
Andy says
Hello,
Excellent video.
My wife’s tried making pares before (not this recipe) but she just couldn’t get it to taste like the ones from the tapsilog places. I hope when she tries making this one I’ll be like the critic guy from the Ratatouille movie, I want that feeling, eating pares sa Rudy’s and Jonas’ sa La loma when I was a kid
Jomai says
You can find Star Anise in some Groceries at the spices section together with those Indian spices. I found a bag of Star Anise at WestZone here in Al-Muteena street. I’ve been cooking Beef Pares for about a month now and my family really loves it. Although the method i use is quite different from this recipe. I’m gonna try this too.