Crispy tadyang ng baka

Simmered until it falls off the bone, dried hard, then fried until the outside shatters.

Beef. Not vegetarian — contains beef.

Ingredients

• 1.5 kg beef ribs, in large pieces
• 1 whole head of garlic, crushed
• 4 bay leaves
• 2 onions, quartered
• 2 tablespoons salt
• 2 teaspoons coarsely ground black pepper
• oil, for deep frying
• spiced vinegar, to serve

Method

1. THE DRYING BETWEEN THE BOIL AND THE FRY IS THE RECIPE. Wet ribs steam in the oil, spit, and come out leathery. There is no shortcut past it.
2. Simmer the ribs with the garlic, bay, onion, salt and pepper, covered in water, for 2 hours 30 minutes, until the meat shrinks back from the bone.
3. Lift them out whole and as gently as you can -- they want to fall apart and you need them in one piece.
4. DRY THEM UNCOVERED ON A RACK IN THE FRIDGE, at least 4 hours and ideally overnight. The surface should go matte and slightly tacky.
5. Heat the oil to 190C -- high, because the meat is already cooked and all you want is the crust.
6. Fry in batches for 4 to 5 minutes until deep brown and blistered. Stand back: even dried, ribs spit.
7. Rest on a rack for 2 minutes, then cut between the bones. Spiced vinegar alongside.

Our own recipe. This one was written for this site rather than taken from anywhere, so there is no source to point you at. The quantities and the order of the steps are choices, not the only way to do it.

Filed under Philippines · All recipes