Connie’s notes
To a Filipino, that sounds like tinola, doesn’t it? It almost is. But this ginger beef soup has chayote instead of green papaya which is traditional in tinola. And, in lieu of chili leaves, there’s spinach.
Why all the substitutions? Why not just cook tinola? The first reason is that we are so into beef short plate these days. We cook it into stew, mostly, but I wanted to find out if the cut can be cooked into a soup too.
The second reason is ginger. A neighbor gave us two huge pieces — each larger than my hand. Ginger has so many uses, in food and as a drink, but one of my favorites is using ginger as a base for soup.
The third and last reason is that there was a large chayote and half a bag of spinach in the fridge that were begging to be cooked. So, why not tinola-style ginger beef soup?
Beef short plate is used in this recipe. If unavailable, or if you prefer another cut, I suggest short ribs or brisket. A lean cut is not ideal.
Because the cooking time is rather long, remember to add more water should the liquid reduce too much before the beef is tender. Check the seasoning from time to time too and add more fish sauce, if needed.
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon cooking oil
- 500 grams beef short plate (1.1 pounds) wiped dry and cut into 1 ½-inch cubes
- 1 two-inch knob ginger peeled and thinly sliced
- 1 onion peeled and thinly sliced
- 3 tablespoons fish sauce you may need more
- 1 large chayote peeled and cut into wedges
- 1 bunch spinach (stems and leaves) cut into two-inch lengths
Instructions
- Brush the bottom of a wide thick-bottomed pan with oil and heat.
- Spread the beef cubes in the hot oil and leave for a minute to allow the undersides to start browning.
- Stir the beef, add the ginger and cook, stirring occasionally, until the beef is browned.
- Add the onion slices and cook, stirring, until the onion slices are soft and starting to appear translucent.
- Pour in the fish sauce and leave until the meat has absorbed it.
- Pour in enough water to cover the beef by at least two inches.
- Bring to the boil, lower the heat, cover the pan tightly and simmer the beef until tender.
- Drop in the chayote wedges and add more fish sauce, if needed.
- Continue simmering until the chayote is tender.
- Stir in the spinach and simmer for another five minutes.
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