Cooking Pinay: Sinigang na Baka

Sinigang na Baka

3-4 Beef Shanks (already pre-cut and individually wrapped found at Wegman's or your local grocery store or butcher shop)
or
2 lbs of Beef Chuck (although I must say beef with bones are better for this type of soup)
1 large Vidalia Onion, chopped
3 cloves of garlic, minced
2 Tomatoes, sliced
1 Packet of Sinigang - Tamarind Seasoning (Knorr Brand-found in Asian markets - some even have a Taro flavor added)
Ground Pepper and a few black peppercorns
The following vegetables are to be steamed or boiled:
A bunch of Bokchoy or quartered Cabbage
Green Beans or Long String Beans (Sitaw)
2-3 Potatoes, quartered
4-5 Taro roots, halved
Fish Sauce

Place beef shanks in a large stock pot, fill it with water. Let it come to a full boil. Discard the first boil, then fill it up with water again. This time add the tamarind seasoning, black pepper and whole black peppercorns, onions, garlic and tomatoes. Continue to let it boil while until beef are nice and tender, skimming the top off with any froth from the soup. By doing this, it will make your broth clear as a crystal ball!
On a separate pot/steamer, let all the vegetables (except for the potatoes and taro root) steam for a few minutes, usually for 8 to 10 minutes. For the potatoes and taro root, boil them separately until they are soft. Set the cooked vegetables aside.
To serve this soup, simply pour the broth and pieces of meat or shank in a big bowl, then add some of the steamed and boiled vegetables. Serve with a bowl of steamed rice and a side of fish sauce for seasoning.

Cooking Pinay