My Sinanglaw Recipe

This is my recipe for Sinanglaw, one of the most adventurous soups in Filipino cuisine. This is a beef and offal soup flavored with kamias and bile, creating a unique sour and slightly bitter taste that's addictive once you get used to it.

I'll be honest, this isn't for everyone. But if you're feeling adventurous and want to try something authentic, this sinanglaw recipe will give you a real taste of traditional Filipino cooking.

My Ingredients

• 500g beef brisket or any cheap cut, cubed
• 300g beef tendons, cut into squares
• 300g pre-cooked beef tripe, cubed
• ¼ cup diluted beef bile OR 2-3 bitter gourds, roughly chopped (for beginners)
• 500g kamias or tamarind
• 1 whole garlic, minced
• 1 thumb-size ginger, thinly sliced
• 2 large onions, quartered
• 6 finger chilies, thinly sliced
• Fish sauce or sea salt to taste (I use Datu Puti)
• Spinach leaves (optional for some greens)
• Oil for sauteing

How I Make My Sinanglaw

1. First, I heat oil in my deep pot and saute garlic, onions, and ginger until fragrant. This creates the flavor foundation.
2. I add the beef cubes and brown them on all sides. Once the beef is browned, I add the beef tendons.
3. I add enough water to cover the meat pieces, bring it to a boil, then simmer for 45 minutes on low heat. This starts tenderizing the meat.
4. I turn off the heat and drain the soup using a fine sieve to get a clear broth. I set aside the meat pieces and put the clear broth in another pot with the tendons, setting the beef aside for later.
5. I then tenderize the tendons. I bring the broth with tendons to a boil and simmer until the tendons are soft. This takes 90 to 120 minutes more. I add water as needed.
6. I add the beef back in, along with the tripe, finger chilies, and bile (if using). If I'm using bitter gourd instead, I wrap it in muslin cloth with the tamarind or kamias and place it in the pot. Then I simmer for 30 minutes.
7. I press the muslin cloth over the soup to extract all the juices, then season with salt or fish sauce (patis) to taste. If I want to add spinach, I do it at the very end.
8. Serve hot and enjoy your sinanglaw!

My Personal Tips

• If you're new to bile, start with bitter gourd wrapped in muslin cloth instead.
• Don't rush the tendon cooking. They need to be really soft.
• Straining for clear broth makes a huge difference in presentation.
• Kamias gives the best authentic sourness. But tamarind is okay, too.
• The muslin cloth technique helps control the bitter/sour intensity.
• Start with less bile or bitter gourd and adjust to taste.
• Sinanglaw tastes even better when reheated the next day.

Related

Looking for other recipes like this? Try these:

My Sinanglaw Recipe

My sinanglaw is a bold, sour soup made with beef, offal, and tendons slowly simmered with kamias and bile for a unique, authentic Filipino flavor adventure.

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Prep Time 30 minutes mins

Cook Time 3 hours hrs 43 minutes mins

Total Time 4 hours hrs 13 minutes mins

Servings: 4

Course: Main Course, Soup

Cuisine: Filipino

Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients

  

1x2x3x?

• 500 g beef brisket or any cheap cut cubed
• 300 g beef tendons cut into squares
• 300 g pre-cooked beef tripe cubed
• ¼ cup diluted beef bile OR 2-3 bitter gourds roughly chopped (for beginners)
• 500 g kamias or tamarind
• 1 whole garlic minced
• 1 thumb-size ginger thinly sliced
• 2 large onions quartered
• 6 finger chilies thinly sliced
• Fish sauce or sea salt to taste (I use Datu Puti)
• Spinach leaves (optional for some greens)
• Oil for sauteing

Method

 

1. First, I heat oil in my deep pot and saute garlic, onions, and ginger until fragrant. This creates the flavor foundation.
2. I add the beef cubes and brown them on all sides. Once the beef is browned, I add the beef tendons.
3. I add enough water to cover the meat pieces, bring it to a boil, then simmer for 45 minutes on low heat. This starts tenderizing the meat.
4. I turn off the heat and drain the soup using a fine sieve to get a clear broth. I set aside the meat pieces and put the clear broth in another pot with the tendons, setting the beef aside for later.
5. I then tenderize the tendons. I bring the broth with tendons to a boil and simmer until the tendons are soft. This takes 90 to 120 minutes more. I add water as needed.
6. I add the beef back in, along with the tripe, finger chilies, and bile (if using). If I'm using bitter gourd instead, I wrap it in muslin cloth with the tamarind or kamias and place it in the pot. Then I simmer for 30 minutes.
7. I press the muslin cloth over the soup to extract all the juices, then season with salt or fish sauce (patis) to taste. If I want to add spinach, I do it at the very end.
8. Serve hot and enjoy your sinanglaw!

Notes

• If you're new to bile, start with bitter gourd wrapped in muslin cloth instead.
• Don't rush the tendon cooking. They need to be really soft.
• Straining for clear broth makes a huge difference in presentation.
• Kamias gives the best authentic sourness. But tamarind is okay, too.
• The muslin cloth technique helps control the bitter/sour intensity.
• Start with less bile or bitter gourd and adjust to taste.
• Sinanglaw tastes even better when reheated the next day.

Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!