PCAT - Beef with Broccoli

While on our way to sledding yesterday, one of our nieces said something about farming and taking care of animals. I don't quite remember how the conversation went to that topic but my hubby remarked that he can't see himself taking care of cattle. His reason is that I would probably name the animals and treat them as pets and by the time they are grown and needed to be slaughtered I would be too attached to them that I would cry if he kills them for food. Sound reasoning I might say.

Don't get me wrong, I love eating beef as much as I love eating chicken, pork and other meat. It's the taking care part that would spell trouble. Anyway, I have already featured two chicken recipes for Project Cook and Tell so I decided to share my own beef recipe that has evolved from Beef Salpicao.

Here's what you will need:

• 1/2 lb (approximately 1/4 kg) beef stew meat
• 1 can 6.5 oz (187 g) button mushroom pieces and stems, drain the water
• 1 cup frozen cut broccoli
• 6 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/2 cup worcestershire sauce
• 2 Tbsp brown sugar
• garlic powder
• ground black pepper
• cayenne pepper
• butter
• canola or vegetable oil

Here's how to prepare it:

1. Cut the beef stew meat into smaller pieces. In my case, I cut a piece of meat into 2 or 3 pieces.
2. Combine the worcestershire sauce, garlic powder, sugar, ground black pepper and cayenne pepper in a bowl. Marinate the beef stew meat in this for at least an hour.
3. In a non-stick skillet, melt about 2 tbsp of butter. Saute the garlic until light brown. Then put in the mushrooms, taking care not to crowd them as they would not cook well. (That's according to Julia Child by the way.) Set aside the cooked garlic and mushrooms.
4. In the same skillet, melt 2 more tbsp of butter and add oil. Sear the beef stew meat until it appears burnt because of the brown sugar caramelizing. Pour in the marinade and let simmer in medium heat for about 10 minutes.
5. Add in the broccoli and cooked garlic and mushrooms. Stir.
6. Let it simmer again for 5 minutes or until the broccoli is cooked.
7. Serve with steamed rice.

And that is my pseudo-beef salpicao with added veggies. I hope you'll enjoy it too.