Sibuyas Republic

One of the many things our family does to enjoy our usual faMEALy day is “barbecuing”. The eldest daughter asked for grilled fish and chicken yesterday. Glad the weather went fine and off we went al fresco dining. 

Here’s the chicken wings marinated in soy sauce, chopped garlic, Worcestershire sauce, ground black pepper, brown sugar, and banana catsup for the color. Chili powder (optional).

Marinating tips:

• Marinated food items shall be stored in the fridge so as not to attract bacterial growth.
• Use/cook the marinade sauce quickly and never try to reuse the mixture.
• Do not froze meat marinades for it will make the meat mushy when cooked.

• Worcestershire sauce or Kikkoman adds depth and enhances flavor to every marinade recipe. Both have salt already, thus, adding salt to the marinade shall be minimal only.

• Brown sugar, with its enzyme-producing enhancement can add tenderness to meat marinades.

• Remember, marinade should enhance the flavor of the meat. Adding herbs and spices shall not overpower the meat flavor itself.

• Acids, such as vinegar, wines and fruit juices can enhance the flavor of the meat, but, too much acid can cause the meat to harden.

• Good marinades shall have a balance mixture of ingredients to achieve great meat flavor.

• 7-UP or Sprite for marinade? Anyone? Except for the sweetness, I am not sure what else the soda can offer to the meat flavor or texture. Hence, I do not recommend it. ^_^

Found this site which post stuffs on marinating techniques and tips. Very helpful, indeed.

Gloomy, rainy, er, flooded..hope not…we’re not sure when this rain’s gonna end. Yesterday, our internet connection went very slow, got jaded waiting for it to normalize…we just watched news on the flooded metro and nearby places…

For dinner, I hurriedly prepared this easy beef dish. This is way too easier than the Beef Broccoli I used to cooked, too. I should have cooked soupy dish that would complement the weather, but, then, I wouldn’t want to spend much time in the kitchen, as the colder breeze is making me lazy…

Say, this beef dish reminds the kids of that 39er order at that bee food chain^_^.

beef loin (sliced thinly)

sliced canned mushrooms

Worcestershire sauce

soy sauce (optional), salt and pepper

minced garlic

COOKING PROCEDURE:

• Marinate the beef in Worcetershire sauce, salt and ground pepper.

• Fry the minced garlic until golden brown. Set aside some for toppings.

• Add the beef and saute until half done.You don’t wanna boil the beef too much as will make the beef too hard to bite.

• Add the mushrooms, salt and pepper.

• Top with fried garlic.

ADDITIONAL TIPS:

• I try not to marinate beef or even pork in Lemon or Kalamansi, as those citrus fruits are acidic and can harden the meat when cooked.

• Worcestershire sauce is a condiment perfect in any way to tenderize and bring needed spices to any meat or fish dishes.

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We had a haste trip to Baguio City last Friday and because it’s an emergency (ouch!) trip, we have no time to roam around. Shall I say, I am too emotional to go about the city. But, I managed to squeeze in a little market rendezvous.

Though, I got only few because at 6 in the morning, Baguio City market is still yawning. Vendors were still starting to open their stores and vegetables were just starting to be wheeled in.

Here’s my little veggie loots:

Fresh mushrooms, cucumbers for five pesos^_^, broccolis and ice lettuces. I really don’t know why they call it ice lettuce, thought they were called Romaine Lettuce…What do you think? I was looking for  “real lettuces”, but, I said, maybe I was too early, fresh vegetables were just arriving.

And, here’s the broccoli the next day we return home…

I got half a kilo of beef loin in the freezer and also found half pack of Knorr Cream of Mushroom in the pantry. I try not to cook beef because as I always said, I m not into beef recipes. Beef usually turns to rubber when I cooked it. Luckily, I the beef turned out to be edible.

WHAT I DID?

-marinade the beef in Worcestershire sauce, salt and pepper

-meanwhile, mix a spoonful of olive oil and few drops of lemon with the broccoli and microwave for 2 minutes at high temp.

-remove the broccoli in the microwave and transfer it to a bowl of iced water. Let stand for a while.

-saute the beef in oil or butter (I used butter) for three minutes.

-dissolved the cream of mushrooms in half a cup of water, then slowly whisked in to the sauteed beef.

-simmer no more than 10 minutes.

-add the broccoli. And, it’s a ready meal.

BROCCOLI TIPS:

-Broccoli’s rich in Vitamin C and said to contain anti-cancer compounds.

-Heat reduces the potency of the anti-cancer compound in broccoli. Steaming is best when preparing broccoli.

-After steaming, placing the broccoli in iced water will make it more crunchier and the broccoli more greener. I have watched that in Food Network.

And, I thought beef’s not my thing…

POSTED THIS TRY-OUT DISH AT