3 Best Pinoy dishes for Celebrations

"People who love to eat are always the best people.” - Julia Child

3 Best Pinoy dishes for Celebrations

 

Me and my Lock & Lock Hard Light series pan- perfect for cooking festive dishes like our favorite Pinoy dish Beef Caldereta

Pinoys have an affinity with food and we can all agree that eating good food is very comforting. From a simple rendezvous with a close friend in a coffee shop to celebrating a life milestone with a lavish banquet, Filipinos easily associate food with good things.

Being a foodie and a designated home cook especially on special occasions I have a list of top Pinoy dishes that should be a part of any celebrations. Whether I am cooking for my immediate family or preparing a party for the kids, they will always request one or two of these best Pinoy dishes. 

Kalderetang Baka (Beef Stew in Tomato Sauce)

Beef Caldereta is a constant favorite in our household. Whether I am going to cook it for lunch or serve it during a special occasion, I have variations of this best Pinoy dish which will depend on my time and budget. 

Lock & Lock pans are good for efficient cooking with less time heating up the pan to the desired temperature and they look good on my stove top range oven

What’s amazing about this pan is that it heats up quickly even under low fire- sautéing garlic is less than half a minute

I’ve noticed that meat cooks faster and evenly on Lock & Lock pans

Kaldereta is a Spanish-inspired dish where meat is slowly braised in tomato sauce. My Beef Caldereta calls for both tomato sauce and paste to create a savory, tangy, thick base. I only prefer beef in this dish since it perfectly goes well with tomato. Mine is richer with butter, cream, milk and cheese. I am sure every cook has his own Pinoy Kaldereta version but one challenge of cooking this dish is having the right choice of cooking pan. 

With my Lock & Lock Hard Light pan cooking with thick sauces and cheeses is easy and worry free- nothing sticks at the bottom of the pan. Yes!

  

Simmering the Beef Caldereta without worrying that the thick tomato sauce with cheese will stick and burn on the pan- amazing!

Good thing I discovered Lock & Lock Hard & Light pan wherein I don’t have to worry about the tomato sauce sticking to the bottom of the pan. Having a good cooking pan is essential to prevent undesirable burnt taste and to achieve perfect cooking temperature which is needed for cooking a Caldereta dish. 

Dinuguan (Pork Blood Stew)

This is one challenging dish for me from preparing the blood to actual cooking. Dinuguan always reminded me of my grandmother whom we all called Mommy Marcy. She was the best cook around our home and now that she is gone the tradition of serving Dinuguan is laid upon my shoulders. 

We prepare ours using a combination of beef and pork blood in a 1:2 ratio. The process of preparing the blood is one arduous task since this will require thorough sifting. What makes Dinuguan click with Pinoys is the tangy sour taste from the vinegar and the sauce that goes well with rice or puto. Yum, yum! Just a tip- the secret is to stir, stir and stir while simmering to prevent blood from coagulating.

Beef Morcon

 

There are variations on Pinoy Morcon dishes but I prefer using beef. The tricky part is to have the perfect beef cut not too thin nor too thick so that you can easily make into a roll. I love having bacon, cheese, hotdog and pickles as fillings.

This is one tough dish to make with several cooking processes involved. First, I have to carefully fry each beef morcon roll in a very good deep pan like the Lock & Lock Hard and Light series that allows even cooking. Afterwards, they will be transferred to the oven for baking. Sauce is done separately using tomato paste and spices.

***There you go! those 3 are my top 3 pinoy dishes for “handaan” or celebrations. Caldereta, Dinuguaan and Morcon fall under the category of Pinoy traditional dishes, and serving them is one way of promoting our heritage which I strongly suggest to all moms and lolas out there to teach their daughters or apos some Pinoy recipes that they can all be proud of. Kain na!
 

If you love cooking and want dependable quality pans and cookware try to get some Lock & Lock products like the pans I use at home. Launched just this September 2015, Lock & Lock pans and kitchen wares are now available nationwide in your favorite stores. Or better visit the Lock & Lock boutique stores located at the Shangri-la Plaza Mall in Mandaluyong, Eastwood Mall in Libis, Glorietta 4 Makati, BF Homes along Aguirre street, Alabang Town Center, Fisher Mall, Megastate Building along Araneta Avenue and Fairview Terraces Mall.

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