Beef Steak: Bistek for Tagalog

Bistek Tagalog is the Filipino version of the Beefsteak. It is comprised of thinly sliced beef cooked in soy sauce and lemon juice and garnished with caramelized onion rings. It is one of my favorites, my papa used to cooked this in every special occasions and I like the way it cooked in sweet way, usually the meat is cut perpendicular to the muscle fibers. Beefsteaks are usually grilled, pan-fried, or broiled. The more tender cuts from the loin and rib are cooked quickly, using dry heat, and served whole. Less tender cuts from the chuckor round are cooked with moist heat or are mechanically tenderized

Beef Sinina:Halal Food by Cotabatenios

Beef Sinina

One of cotabatenios favorite dishes Beef Sinina is the Maguindanaoans local version of one of the Filipino's favorite beef stew. It is widely available in most restaurants in Cotabato City. Certainly a must eat when visiting Cotabato City or the Maguindanao Province.
According to my research this food is not available on the list of any restaurants in whole philippines, because of the low of its demand. So if ever you want to try this food you have to go and visit some relatives in Cotabato and ask or request to your host to cooked this specialty of them.

Sinina is also a traditional Muslim delicacy that is usually served during festivities or what locals normally call “Kanduli”. Traditionally, made from tenderized goat meat, the recipe found it's way to a "beef", thus "Beef Sinina". It is usually served without vegetables but because of enterprising cooks (specially mothers), vegetables such as carrots and potatoes were added to it.

Tasty Pork Hamonado

Pork Hamonado
Hamonado is a type of Filipino cooking where meat is braised in a mixture of pineapple juice, soy sauce and brown sugar. In pork hamonado, pork leg is simmered for hours in the sweet and tangy liquid until melt-in-your mouth tender. Although a whole leg is generally used, My aunt prefer to used the leg in to two cut piece and hasten cook time. This delectable pork dish is best served with generous helpings of rice. And served in celebration especially in fiestas.Enjoy!

Prawn Cracker

Prawn Cracker

Prawn crackers, also known as prawn chips and shrimp puffs are deep fried crackers made from starch and prawn that serve as flavouring. They are a popular snack in parts of Southeast and East Asia. It has a different flavors like shrimp flavor. It is best as a appetizer and served as "sumsuman" in alcoholic drinks.
These are called krupuk udang in Indonesian, prawn crackers inBritish English and shrimp chips or shrimp crackers in American English. They are known as kroepoek (old Indonesian spelling forkrupuk, based on Dutch spelling rules) in Dutch, Krabbenchips (crab chips) in German, chips à la crevette in French and nuvole di drago (dragon clouds) in Italian.

Grilled Squid

Grilled Squid

Grilled stuffed squid or inihaw na rellenong pusit is a dish of marinated squid stuffed with onions and tomato mixture then grilled over live charcoal. Actually you can cooked this squid without putting any stuffing because the marinade is already flavorful. You can use medium size squid if you can’t find large squid which I think is easier to cook because grilling a large squid takes longer and sometimes the stuffing is not well cooked. And as for basting, using a little cooking oil or butter will prevent the squid from becoming too dry while grilling and will also taste better.

Sugpo

Prawn Cracker

Sugpo

One of the most tastiest Filipino seafood dish is prawns in coconut milk or locally known as ginataang sugpo. If prawns are hard to find in the market, you can also use jumbo shrimps but in my opinion, prawns are tastier specially those big black tiger prawns. I have known some fishponds here in Cotabato that are caring some sugpo. They are also big, and have many variety. Also in Lake Cebu.

Ginataang Alimango

 

Ginataang alimasag is another of our many seafood dishes cooked in coconut milk and chilies. I included long beans and calabasa to the pot I made today but other vegetables such as pechay, spinach or eggplant are also common additions. Have plenty of rice ready, folks, and forget the forks and spoons. This scrumptious crab dish is definitely best enjoyed kamayan-style. Let’s eat!