Beef Pares

I didn’t grow up eating beef pares. In fact, I didn’t try this Filipino dish until just last year, which is kind of surprising considering how much Filipino food I ate growing up. Once I finally had it, though, I immediately understood the appeal.

Beef pares is the kind of Filipino comfort food that hits all the right notes: tender beef simmered in a sweet and savory soy-based sauce, with garlic, ginger, and star anise adding tons of flavor. It's traditionally served with garlic fried rice and a bowl of beef broth, making it a seriously satisfying meal.

Now that I've discovered it, beef pares has become one of those dishes I wish I'd grown up eating and my wife likes it because it smells like pho. I make it using a Crock Pot but can be made much quicker in an instant pot.

Ingredients:

2 pounds beef chuck, cut into 1½-inch cubes
1 small onion, diced
5 cloves garlic, minced
½ cup soy sauce
¼ cup brown sugar
2 cups beef broth
2 tablespoons oyster sauce
1 thumb fresh ginger, sliced
1 teaspoon black pepper
2-3 whole star anise
1 bay leaf
1 tablespoon cornstarch 
2 tablespoons water

1. Cut the beef chuck into approximately 1½-inch cubes and pat dry with paper towels. Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Working in batches, brown the beef on all sides. You don't need to cook the beef through, you're just looking for a nice browned exterior. Transfer the browned beef to your Crock Pot (I skipped browning in my video).

2. Transfer the onion, garlic, and ginger to the Crock Pot with the beef. Pour the beef broth and soy sauce into the Crock Pot. Add the brown sugar, oyster sauce, black pepper, star anise, and bay leaf. Give everything a good stir so the beef is coated in the sauce.

3. Cover and cook on LOW for 6–8 hours or HIGH for 3–4 hours, until the beef is fork-tender. I prefer cooking beef pares on LOW because the longer cooking time gives the beef plenty of time to become tender and allows the flavors to develop.

4. Once the beef is tender, remove the star anise and bay leaf. In a small bowl, combine 1 tablespoon cornstarch with 2 tablespoons cold water. Stir until completely smooth. Pour the cornstarch slurry into the Crock Pot and stir gently. Cover and cook on HIGH for another 10–15 minutes, or until the sauce has thickened.

5. For a traditional beef pares meal, serve it with garlic fried rice and a bowl of beef broth.

6. Top with sliced green onions or crispy fried garlic if you want a little extra flavor and texture.

Soy sauce, brown sugar, garlic, ginger, and star anise give this dish its signature sweet-savory flavor