Beef Afritada is a traditional Filipino dish that combines succulent pieces of beef, potatoes, and carrots in a savory tomato sauce.
Its flavor is both comforting and complex, making it a crowd-pleaser for any occasion.
With its easy-to-follow instructions, it’s no wonder why this dish is so popular – it’s a delicious and hearty meal that’s sure to please !
In this article, we’ll go over what you need to know about beef afritada so you can make it at home yourself.
What ingredients are needed for beef afritada?
Beef afritada is a simple recipe and uses only few ingredients.
However, there are a few things that you need to be aware of:
- Beef: Beef is the key ingredient in beef afritada.
- Tomato sauce: To make the beef afritada sauce, one needs to use tomato sauce.
- This is what gives it its gooey and savory goodness.
- Carrots: Carrots add a nice sweetness and a touch of freshness to the dish.
Can beef afritada be frozen?
Beef afritada can be frozen for up to 3 months, but it’s best to freeze it without the sauce.
You can cook beef afritada from frozen, but you might have to add a little more time in the oven.
We recommend cooking it for an additional 30-40 minutes to ensure it’s well done.
Another option is to freeze the sauce separately.
You can thaw the sauce in the refrigerator overnight before adding it to your reheated beef afritada.
Just keep in mind that this will require you to add more liquid to properly rehydrate the sauce.
What type of beef is best for making beef afritada?
Any good beef can be used in the beef afritada recipe.
If you’re cooking it at home, you will want to use a large piece of meat or even a whole cow tenderloin.
You will also want to use a meaty cut, so that it turns out tender like stews and curries.
If you’re buying it from the store, you may want to consider purchasing a chuck roast for your next batch of beef afritada.
This can be used for a quicker meal, or even left whole and sliced, then ground up at a later time.
What other dishes can be served with beef afritada?
This dish is ideal as a main course, but you can also serve it as part of a meal or as a side dish.
It’s not unusual to have this dish with a dessert or with rice.
How long does it take to make beef afritada?
Beef afritada is easy to prepare and can be ready in just a couple hours.
A quick marinade will do the trick, so you don’t have to spend time cooking or prepping.
Preparing beef afritada doesn’t require too much time either.
You can have it ready to eat after a few hours of preparation when it’s served with rice and vegetables.
The cooking process takes around an hour.
Is beef afritada a healthy meal?
A Filipino dish, beef afritada is made with potatoes, onions, and carrots.
This recipe exemplifies a cuisine that is both healthy and flavorful.
Though it boasts plenty of carbs, the yummy stew also features essential nutrients like vitamins A and C.
Take a look at the nutrition facts for a typical serving of beef afritada:
- Calories: 621
- Sugar: 8g
- Fat: 14g
- Cholesterol: 48mg
- Protein: 18g
What vegetables are used in beef afritada?
There are two key elements that determine how beef afritada tastes – the beef, and the cooking method.
Beef afritada is traditionally cooked using only beef and potatoes, with carrots added in to provide additional flavor and moisture.
- The beef: This is where you’ll notice a big difference between beef afritada and other savory dishes.
Beef afritada is a one-pot dish, meaning that all of the ingredients go into one pan and are cooked together in the same pan.
2. The cooking method: Beef afritada is traditionally cooked by stewing for two to three hours on low heat in one pot.
Cooking this way is gentle enough so as to not break down the meat.
How can beef afritada be flavored?
Beef afritada is a traditional Filipino dish that combines succulent pieces of beef, potatoes and carrots in a savory tomato sauce.
Its flavor is both comforting and complex, making it a crowd-pleaser for any occasion.
With its easy-to-follow instructions, it’s no wonder why this dish is so popular – it’s a delicious and hearty meal that’s sure to please !
But beef afritada has more to offer than just taste – the flavors of this dish are easy to adjust to your own tastes.
The first time you try the recipe, leave out the garlic and onion, as these are common flavorings used in other dishes in the Philippines.
What spices are used in beef afritada?
Beef Afritada calls for lots of different spices, such as pepper, bay leaves, garlic and onion.
Why?
It all boils down to the flavors of the ingredients you use.
Beef is naturally very bland, so you use spices to enhance the flavor and balance the taste so it remains pleasant throughout the meal.
You can’t go wrong with any staple cooking supply store for your cooking needs !
Some popular brands include McCormick, McCormick Gourmet, Chef Paul Prudhomme, Rachael Ray Cooking Line, Swanson Kitchens and Webstaurant Store.
Is beef afritada an easy recipe to make?
Beef afritada is probably one of the easiest traditional Filipino recipes to make.
If you’re familiar with cooking, then you’ll find that the ingredients and steps are simple enough for you to follow without much trouble.
That said, it’s important that you use quality ingredients.
The best beef used in this recipe should have a tender texture and favorable marbling throughout.
You’ll also need to use fresh vegetables because your dish will lose its flavor if they’re old.
Equipment
- Skillet
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup canola oil
- 2 medium potatoes peeled and quartered
- 1 large carrot peeled and cut into cubes
- ½ green bell pepper seeded and cut into 1-inch cubes
- ½ red bell pepper seeded and cut into 1-inch cubes
- 2 pounds beef chuck cut into 2- inch cubes
- 1 onion peeled and chopped
- 4 cloves garlic peeled and minced
- 1 tablespoon fish sauce
- 15 ounces tomatoes crushed
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 2 cups water
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Heat the oil in a skillet over medium heat. Cook, turning once or twice, until the potatoes and carrots are lightly browned. Remove from pan and pat dry with paper towels.
- Cook for 30 to 45 seconds after adding the bell peppers. Remove from pan and pat dry with paper towels.
- Remove all but about 2 tablespoons of the oil from the pan. Increase the heat to medium-high. Cook for 1 to 2 minutes, then turn and cook for another 1 to 2 minutes, or until lightly browned. Remove from the heat and set aside to keep warm.
- If necessary, add another tablespoon of oil. Cook, stirring frequently, until the onions and garlic are softened.
- Add the beef.
- Cook for 1 to 2 minutes after adding the fish sauce.
- Pour in the crushed tomatoes, water, and tomato paste. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly until evenly distributed.
- Reduce the heat to low, cover, and cook for 1 1/2 to 2 hours, or until the beef is tender. If the sauce is drying out before the meat is tender, add more water in 1/2 cup increments as needed.
- Cook for another 4 to 5 minutes, or until the potatoes and carrots are tender and the sauce has thickened and reduced to your liking.
- Cook for about 1 minute, or until the bell peppers are tender but still crisp.
- Season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve immediately.
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Nutrition
My blog is all about creating delicious meals with ingredients that are easy to find in your local grocery store. I’m passionate about making yummy meals that I can share with my friends and family.