Celebrity chef shows how to cook Beef Short Ribs Piyanggang
CELEBRITY chef, restaurateur, and international award-winning book author, chef Myke “Tatung” Sarthou had quite an interesting St. Patrick’s Day (March 17). He was marrying European beef with deep Filipino influences, and we wanted nothing else but to reach through our screen during a Zoom “cook-along” with Bord Bia (Bord Bia – the Irish Government Food Board).
For the occasion, Mr. Sarthou prepared a Beef Short Ribs Piyanggang. Piyanggang is related to Southeast Asia’s various coconut-based rendangs and curries, but with a twist. “It’s only in Southern Philippines, where the Tausugs — the warrior tribe — makes it with burning (the coconut) into complete charcoal,” he said. At his side was a bowl of charred coconut shells and meat, where he told host Issa Litton that the burnt shells were discarded. “It’s not bitter at all!”
He presented this dish at 2017’s edition of the Madrid Fusion food festival, where it was apparently a hit. He did make an observation about European ingredients: “I think if you’ll speak of European products and produce, it’s really their lifestyle… though it’s a product standard if you define it, to the market, it’s really a way of life.”
The camera zoomed in on his plate of short ribs. “Such a beautiful marble on it. Very meaty. And very red!,” he pointed out. “It means that they [the cows] are very healthy, and more flavorful.”
Jack Hogan, Bord Bia Market Specialist, spoke about the virtues of Irish beef during the cook-along’s introduction. “Ireland has a population of five million people, yet we have over seven million cows. We are the largest net exporter of beef in the Northern Hemisphere, with a strong global reputation,” he said. Ireland’s environment has a lot to do with it: over 80% of the land is devoted to agriculture. “We have no large factories, which means we have a clean environment free from pollution,” said Mr. Hogan.
The piyanggang, which would normally braise for three hours, was done in much less time (thanks to TV magic and preparing beforehand). Mr. Sarthou, adding burnt peppercorns to finish the dish, said, “I think the nice thing about European beef is that it is grass-fed. The meat is very flavorful, and it’s very close to the flavor of our local beef. But the local beef tends to be very lean.
“This one really adds flavor.” — JL Garcia
Beef Short Ribs Piyanggang
(Blackened Beef in Coconut Curry)
Ingredients:
Set A
(Boil)
1 kg beef short ribs, bone-in
1-1.5 liter beef stock
4 tbsp salt
1 tbsp whole pepper
1 garlic
1 onion
Set B
(Blend then Sauté)
1 coconut, burnt
4 cloves garlic
1 onion
4 thumb-sized piece of ginger
2 stalks lemongrass
5 red chilies
2 cups coconut milk
Set C (Garnish)
1 tomato, medium
½ a cucumber, medium
1 onion, medium
1 eggplant, medium
1 green mango, medium
Procedure:
1. Boil Set A ingredients until tender.
2. Burn the coconut with shell until the meat inside is charred black. Let it cool.
3. Blend Set B ingredients with the burnt coconut.
4. In the sauté pan, add oil and pour over the blended ingredients. Sauté with short ribs until cooked and the oil from the coconut has rendered.
5. Garnish with Set C ingredients.
