Kaldereta is a Filipino stew with flavors influenced by three centuries of Spanish colonization in the Philippines. Tomato-based and traditionally made with goat or beef, potatoes, green olives and peppers, it’s a filling, comforting dish.

The really ingenious ingredient in Kaldereta is puréed chicken liver.

Stirred in at the end, chicken livers give the stew a thick, creamy texture and super-meaty flavor. This technique can be used with any of your favorite stew, chili or curry recipes. There are more sneaky ways to work offal into your meals, but this is arguably one the easiest and tastiest methods.

Liver is a nutrient-dense food, so you don’t need to eat all that much to get a beneficial dose of vitamins A and B, folic acid, iron, copper and CoQ10. Make a batch of Kaldereta, freeze individual servings to defrost for lunches, and you’ll be getting a little liver in your diet every week.

Servings: 6 to 8

Time in the Kitchen: 3 hours

Ingredients:

• 2 pounds beef (stew chunks or short ribs) (900 g)
• 1/2 pound chicken livers, trimmed of fat and membranes (230 g)
• 1 onion, finely chopped
• 6 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
• 1 to 2 red bell peppers, finely chopped
• 1 to 2 green bell peppers, finely chopped
• 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional) (5 ml)
• 1/2 pounds tomatoes, chopped (230 g)
• 6 ounces tomato paste
• 2 1/2 cups water or beef stock (475 ml)
• 2 bay leaves
• 1/3 cup pitted green olives (50 g) (optional)

Instructions:

Season the meat generously with salt and pepper. Heat a thin layer of oil in a sauté pan over medium-high heat. Brown the beef, in batches if necessary. Set aside.

Season the chicken livers with salt and pepper. Add them to the pan. Cook, stirring often, until they are just barely cooked through and still pink inside.

In a food processor, puree the chicken livers until very smooth. Set aside.

Add the onion, garlic and chopped bell peppers and red pepper flakes to the pan. Cook until the vegetables soften, 5 to 8 minutes.

Add the tomatoes and tomato paste. Sauté a few minutes more then add the water/stock, about 2 1/2 cups or enough to just cover the meat. Add the bay leaves.

Bring to a boil. Lower the heat, cover and simmer for two hours or until the meat is fork tender. Stir occasionally during cooking. Add salt to taste.

Slowly stir the chicken liver purée into the Kaldereta until it blends in completely. Add the olives. Simmer 5 to 10 minutes before serving.

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