Filipino Giniling

I love hearing my wife tell stories of how she grew up, in particular some of the Filipino food items that they would eat. My wife is part Filipino, and since being married to her, I have become very interested in Filipino cuisine. I will admit, you simply do not see a whole lot of Filipino food out there. Think about it. Where have you seen a Filipino restaurant in your neighborhood? If you have never had any Filipino food, you should, as it is actually really good, and when offered, I try to sample as much as I can.

It was not too long ago where I was contacted by a marketing firm to see if I was interested in marketing some product by a ranch in Texas. After doing my research, I was more than happy to sample some really fantastic product by Branch Ranch. I had a handful of ideas to use their delicious cuts of meat, and in particular, a great Filipino dish that I know everyone would enjoy, and especially my wife.

The Filipino dish is called giniling. Don’t let the name intimidate you. Consider giniling as being ground beef mixed with a handful of vegetables and spices that is served on top a bed of rice. Giniling is one of those dishes my wife loved when growing up. It was one of those dishes that once served, would be left out on the stove for her siblings to return to as a snack throughout the day. I will admit, I did the same, and this is a dish that is hearty, and full of great flavor, and is definitely worth returning to throughout the day, whether it be breakfast, lunch, or dinner.

Ingredients:

• 1 lb of premium ground beef (I used, and recommend Branch Ranch Ground Beef)
• 6 cloves of garlic, minced
• 1 large roma tomato, diced
• 1 medium yellow onion, diced
• 1/2 red bell pepper, diced
• 1/2 green bell pepper, diced
• 1 large potato, peeled, and cubed
• 2 carrots, peeled and diced
• 1 cup of frozen peas
• 1 tbsp fish sauce (patis)
• 1 tbsp soy sauce
• 1 tsp cracked black pepper
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 2 tbsp vegetable oil
• Cooked rice

Begin by adding your potatoes to a pot of water, bring to a boil, and set aside for about 5-10 minutes. During this time, brown your ground beef, and once fully browned, drain any access fat. Place the ground beef in a large bowl.

To the same pot you cooked your ground beef in, add in the oil and bring to a medium heat. Toss in your carrots, cooking for about 5 minutes. Next add in your onion and your garlic. Give a good stir, and continue to cook for a few minutes or until the onions become translucent. Drain your potatoes, and toss those into the pot along with the bell peppers, tomato, and the peas. Add in your cooked ground beef, the fish sauce, the soy sauce, and the cracked black pepper. Give this a good stir, cooking for a couple of more minutes.

To serve, scoop some rice into the bottom of a small bowl, pressing down to form a mold. Quickly turn the bowl over onto a serving plate and top with the giniling.

This Filipino ground beef dish is a must try. It packs some really great flavor from the array of vegetables alongside the taste of the fish sauce. This dish is great any time of the day, and is one of my favorites to be used at breakfast time. I hope you enjoy.