Beef chuck and mayo

The inspiration for this dish came from a dip. A former officemate of my husband taught him to make a dip by mixing together some mayonnaise, finely chopped garlic and milk. It’s a fast and easy concoction that we have been enjoying with fried or grilled fish and meat for years. It is especially good with bangus fritters.

A couple of nights ago, I wanted to know if the simple dip could serve as a sauce for cubes of beef chuck. You can see the result below.

I set aside two servings for the kids’ packed lunch the following day and, according to my 12-year-old, even her classmates said it was delicious.

Ingredients :

1-1/2 kilos of uncut beef chuck (batok)
4 large potatoes, peeled and cut into wedges
2 medium-sized carrots, peeled and cut into wedges
1 c. of sweet peas
1 head of garlic, peeled and finely chopped
2 large white onions, peeled and cut into wedges
1-1/2 c. of mayonnaise (not sure if this will work with low-fat mayo)
1/4 c. of butter or margarine (or non-fat substitute)
1-2 c. of vegetable cooking oil (for frying the potatoes)
salt
pepper
chopped parsley for garnish

Cooking procedure :

Place the uncut beef in a thick bottomed cooking pot and cover with water. If you intend to use the broth at a later time, add a whole garlic, onion, peppercorns, a bay leaf and an assortment of vegetables (leeks, celery, carrots) for flavor. Simmer the beef for 2-3 hours or until very tender.

Take out the beef from the broth, cool and chill for a few hours to make it firm enough to cut. Chilling will prevent it from crumbling during cutting.

Strain the broth and store in the freezer for future use.

When the beef has been chilled, cut it into 2-inch cubes. Chill again until needed.

Heat the cooking oil in a frying pan. You will need less if using a non-stick pan. Fry the potatoes until golden. Drain on paper towels, transfer to a plate and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Keep warm.

Stir the garlic into the mayo and pour in 3/4 of water slowly, stirring as you do.

Melt the butter in another frying pan (I always use a wok). Pan fry the carrots for a few minutes. Add the onion wedges and peas, and cook for about 30 seconds. Add the chilled beef cubes and cook in the butter just until heated through. Add the potatoes. Pour in the garlic-mayo mixture. Season with salt and pepper. Stir lightly. Cover and simmer for about 7 minutes. Sprinkle with chopped parsley, stir and serve hot.

Very important tip: This dish is much, much better after sitting in the fridge overnight. Reheat over low fire to avoid scorching and drying.