Lamb Kaldereta | Lamb Stew Filipino Style

Kaldereta or Caldereta meaning to stew comes from the Spanish word caldero meaning cauldron. Traditionally, the Filipinos use goat because lambs are not native to our country. And, with modern food system, lamb is now (more) accessible globally. Lamb Kaldereta is our Filipino version of lamb stew.  

The addition of liver pate or spread and cheese makes our the Lamb Kaldereta distinctive from other lamb stew recipes. While vintage recipes call for sautéed liver and then minced into pieces, present day home cooks find good quality tins of liver spread adequate.  Alternatively, you may use minced chicken liver as substitute. 

Cheddar is handy for more households but any meltable cheese will do. Gouda, Asiago, Monterey Jack are my usual go-tos. As we all know cheese makes the sarsa (sauce) delectably richer so don’t skip this ingredient. 

A few more things to remember. Like with other stews, slow cooking is best, instant pot or pressure cooking is convenient. Taste and adjust to your liking with salt and chili peppers. No judgments. Do your thing in the kitchen. 

Instant Pot for Lamb Kaldereta

If cooking with IP, use the sauté mode for steps 1-3, then pressure cook for 30 minutes for step 4. For veggies you can do this ahead and sauté then add later after the natural release mode. OR, just sauté it in a separate pan. Lastly, addition of olives, liver spread and cheese can be added in the keep warm mode. 

Friendly Reminders 

Recipes are meant to be guides. My recipes will take you almost there… if not THERE.

Cook with your senses – taste, smell, look and feel.

And finally, cook often to develop your common cooking sense.

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HAPPY COOKING!

MIA

Lamb Caldereta Espesyal

Mia Estolano-Levert

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Course Main Course

Ingredients

  

• 1 lb lamb leg or shoulder cut into 2 inch cubes
• Grape seed oil high heat oil
• 1 medium onion chopped
• 1/2 head garlic minced
• 1/2 kilo or 1 lb fresh tomatoes, peeled or 15 oz diced tomatoes
• 2 bell peppers (red and green)
• 2 russett potatoes 1.5 inch cubes
• 3 carrots peeled and cut into bias
• 2 bay leaf
• 1 tin 4.76 oz liver spread or liver pate
• 1 cup pitted green olives
• 2-3 Tabasco chili, Thai chili
• 1/4 cup cheddar cheese

Instructions

 

• Add oil to a hot braising pot (kaldero, cauldron).
• Salt and pepper lamb chunks, then sear until all sides are brown. Do this in batches. You will not achieve the brown sear if the pan is too crowded. Set seared meat aside.
• In the same pan, add onions and cook until glassy. Add garlic. Once you smell the aroma of garlic, add tomatoes until softened, then the bell peppers and bay leaf.
• Add the lamb with all its juices in the pot. Let it simmer until tender for about 40-50 minutes stirring ocassionally.
• When lamb is almost tender, add potatoes, carrots. Let it simmer for 15 more minutes or until the vegetables are cooked.

  Add olives and liver spread and then chop the chilis.
• Turn off heat then add cheese. Stir.
• Serve with warm rice.