Guisado - Stew of meat or vegetables that is cooked by simmering

Guisado is one of the most common dishes served on a Filipino table and the guinisa is the premier cooking method in the Philippines. It starts with sautéing garlic, onions and tomatoes in oil and adding meat and vegetables.  I believe this method originated from the Chinese stir fry cooking but the main trio of basic ingredients - garlic, onions and tomatoes are clearly a derivative from the Spainish sofrito. Other cuisines have a similar trio of base ingredients or aromatics that lends the distinct flavor to their food. The French has the mirepoix ( celery, onions, carrots) which Creole cooking also uses and calls the Holy Trinity. The Portuguese refogado (braised onions, garlic, tomato), Italian soffritto (onions, garlic, celery), German suppengrün (leek, carrot, celeriac) are more examples of 3 base ingredients used in cooking.

Guinisa is an easy and quick cooking technique and once learned is the basis of mastering Filipino cooking.

Basic Guisado

Basic Guisa Ingredients

Oil - I use canola oil or vegetable oil since it does not impart any additional taste to the food

Protein (ground beef, pork, sliced beef or pork or chicken, shrimp, tofu or a combination of two or more of these proteins)

Vegetables, almost any vegetable can be used. You can feature one vegetable or a combination. Just remember that some vegetables cook longer than others, so cook those earlier.

Garlic, macerated

Onion, sliced or chopped

Tomato, sliced or chopped

Salt 

Pepper

Soy Sauce or Fish Sauce, to taste

Water, depends on if you are making a sauce or soup dish

Basic guinisa involves heating a pan at a relatively high temperature, adding oil until well heated but not smoky,. Add macerated garlic and stir until you can smell the garlic but being careful not to burn, immediately add the sliced or chopped onions and sauté until translucent and then add the tomatoes and sauté until they are cooked (soft but not burned). In some dishes. sliced ginger is used with the basic guisa trio. After the basic guisa mixture is sautéed, then the meat or protein to be used is added and stir fried until just cooked, Some salt and pepper,  patis (fish sauce) or toyo (soy sauces) and other seasoning the particular dish  calls for  is added. The vegetables are then  mixed in. At this point, water is added. The amount depends on if you are making a sauce  or soup. The heat is lowered and the dish is covered to continue cooking until vegetables and meat are completely cooked.

Tip:

It is always a good idea to have all your ingredients ready and prepared for cooking prior to actually starting the cooking process. For the guinisa that means, your meat sliced and marinated, if needed, all the vegetables cut and the seasonings handy. The French refers to this as mise en place, pronounced MEEZ ahn plahs, means is to have all your ingredients prepared and ready to go before you start cooking. The tomatoes and the onions should be of relatively the same size pieces when sliced. I usually will cut them in half and slice each half piece into less than 1/4” slices. This ensures even cooking.

Guisado is a staple at the Filipino table because there are endless combinations of meat and vegetables you can prepare as guinisa. One of my favorites is Ampalaya con Carne ( Bitter Melon with Beef)

As I was growing up, I was told that ampalaya (bitter melon) is good for me. I never knew why. Now science has proven that ampalaya contains properties that make the pancreas produce more insulin and is a good source of vitamins A, B, and C and iron, folic acid, and calcium. It is also rich in anti-oxidants.

Tip:

I prefer my ampalaya bitter but most don’t. There are many ways to reduce the bitterness of the ampalaya. One is to sprinkle  the ampalaya pieces with salt, let stand for about 20 minutes and rinse before cooking, The salt will draw out the bitterness from the ampalaya. You also have to make sure you core the ampalaya completely removing all the seeds and as much of the thin white membrane as possible. But my Auntie Columbia had the best solution. She told me her secret is that she never cooks ampalaya when she is in a foul mood. Apparently, when you are happy while cooking, the bitterness goes away. I tried this and it really works.

Ampalaya con Carne ( Bitter Melon with Beef)

1 1/2 lb beef sirloin, sliced into thin strips

1 large ampalaya (bitter melon);  washed, cored and cut in half lengthwise and then cut into diagonal strips, about 1/4” thick

1/2 cup soy sauce

1 tablespoon sesame oil

1 tablespoon cornstarch

Salt, pinch

1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper 

1 medium-sized onion, thinly sliced lengthwise

1 small thumb ginger, julienned

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 small tomato, diced

1 1/2 tsp tausi (salted soy bean) 

1/2  cup water or more if necessary

5 tablespoons cooking oil

Combine soy sauce, salt, ground black pepper, cornstarch, and sesame oil. Marinade beef strips in this mixture for about an hour in refrigerator.  This allows the beef to tenderize and absorb the flavors.

Heat a frying pan or wok and add 3 tablespoons of cooking oil. When the oil is hot enough, pan fry the marinated beef in medium heat until the outer part turns medium to dark brown (about 3 to 5 minutes per side). Remove browned beef from pan and add remaining oil. Once oil is hot, sauté garlic until fragrant,  then add onion and continue to sauté until translucent, add ginger and sauté until fragrant and softened and then add the diced tomato and continue sautéing until tomato is softened. Stir in the ampalaya pieces and stir fry for about 3 minutes until cooked. It should still be crunchy and retain its bright green color.  Mix in  the tausi (soy bean) and allow to heat up a bit, then stir in the beef, Add 1/2 cup of water(you may need more if you want a saucier dish) and cover the pan. Let simmer for 5 minutes more until beef is fully cooked and tender. The sauce will thicken up a bit. Serve hot.

Here is a typical variation of this dish where shrimp is used. With just changing the main protein, a new dish is formed

Ampalaya con Hipon (Bitter Melon with Shrimp)

1 lb medium shrimp, shelled and devined.

1 large ampalaya (bitter melon);  washed, cored and cut in half lengthwise and then cut into diagonal strips, about 1/4” thick

1/2 cup soy sauce

1 tablespoon sesame oil

1 tablespoon cornstarch

pinch of Salt

1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper 

1 medium-sized onion, thinly sliced lengthwise

1 small thumb ginger, julienned

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 small tomato, diced

1 to 2 tsp patis (fish sauce), to taste

1/2 c water (or more, if necessary)

1 egg, beaten

5 tablespoons cooking oil

Combine soy sauce, salt, ground black pepper, cornstarch, and sesame oil. Marinade shrimp in this mixture for about an hour in refrigerator.

Heat a frying pan or wok and add 3 tablespoons of cooking oil. When the oil is hot enough, sauté garlic until fragrant,  then add onion and continue to sauté until translucent, add ginger and sauté until fragrant and softened and then add the diced tomato and continue sautéing until tomato is softened. Stir in the ampalaya pieces and stir fry for about 5 minutes. It should still be crunchy, Stir in shrimp and saute until just pink.  Add 1/2 cup of water(you may need more if you want a saucier dish) and patis to taste. Cover the pan. Let simmer for 3 minutes more. The sauce will thicken up a bit.  Stir in beaten egg until cooked. Serve hot.

Kakain na!




Please come back and visit. More GUISADO dishes to come