Philippines Sinigang na Baka
Sinigang is popular everyday fare in the Philippines and typically features a meat complemented by a number of vegetables. A common addition is the fruit of the bilimbi tree—known in the Philippines as kamias—though this can be difficult to find outside of Southeast Asia. The trickiest part of preparing this flavorful soup is ensuring the vegetables are cooked but still firm.
Recipe Servings: 5
Prep Time
10 minutes
Cook Time
1 hour 30 minutes
Total Time
1 hour 40 minutes
Vegetarian
Vegan
Gluten Free
Dairy Free
Kosher
Halal
Ingredients
- 2 cups (480 ml) beef broth
- 9 cups (2.1 L) water, divided
- 2 medium tomatoes, wedged
- 1 medium yellow onion, wedged
- 10–12 pieces fresh or dried bilimbi (kamias) fruit (optional)
- 2 lbs (907 g) beef chuck, cubed
- 4–5 pieces taro root (gabi), peeled and cleaned
- 7–10 pieces okra
- 4 pieces Indian eggplant, each sliced in half
- 12 string beans, cut into 2-inch (5-cm) lengths
- 2–3 cups (300–450 g) spinach
- 2–3 Tbsp (30–45 ml) fish sauce
Directions
- Pour beef broth and 5 cups (1.2 L) of water into a large pot and bring to a boil.
- Add tomato, onion, and bilimbi (kamias) fruit, cooking for 5–8 minutes.
- Add beef and continue to boil over medium heat for 45 minutes.
- Add taro root (gabi) to boiling mixture and cook for 45 minutes, until beef is tender.
- Bring remaining 4 cups (1 L) of water to a boil in a separate pot.
- Blanch okra, eggplant, string beans, and spinach for 3 minutes (45 seconds for the spinach).
- Drain water and arrange vegetables on a plate.
- Add fish sauce to the beef, stirring to combine. If mixture seems too dry, add more water.
- Transfer beef, taro, and soup broth to serving bowls and arrange blanched vegetables on top.
- Serve sinigang hot.
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