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The love of beef

Food/Drink / by

I admit… I love beef.  Good flavorful and tender beef.  There is no meat better in my opinion.  Problem is, it’s not easy to find “good beef” in the Philippines.

I rarely eat beef though, because it is usually so tough, and virtually inedible here in the Philippines.

A few years back, Feyma and I went to a restaurant in Davao and I ordered a steak.  I wash shocked when I ate the steak because it was so tender I didn’t even need a knife to cut it.  The owner of the restaurant is a friend, so I asked him how he got such tender beef, and where I could get it.  He told me that he bought it at the same place where I did (I bet he got a discount, though!), but that he aged it for about 5 days before serving it.  What a difference those days of aging made, the meat was tender and a joy to eat.

Feyma did this for a while, and I enjoyed the steaks.  For some reason, I can’t recall why, though, I stopped eating steaks, though.  For a couple of months, I have been missing beef, especially a good steak. So, I asked Feyma to buy a few steaks and start aging them.  About a week later, the steaks were ready to eat, so Feyma cooked it for me.  My favorite cut of steak is a Porterhouse Steak.  The steak that Feyma served to me was obviously not a Porterhouse, and frankly, it was terrible.  I looked at the package, and it was clearly marked as a Porterhouse, but I know what a Porterhouse looks like and this was not one.  Even though it was aged, the meat was super-tough, and the flavor was just not what I was looking for.  I was disappointed.

I tried 3 or 4 steaks, but the results were always the same.  I really missed a good steak, so as I said, I was really disappointed.  The other day, Feyma asked if I wanted a steak and I told her that I didn’t because it just was not good.  Feyma told me that she had bought a whole beef tenderloin, and she wanted me to try it.  Feyma cut the tenderloin into small “steaks” about 1 1/2″ thick.  Wow, it was so tender, I didn’t even need a knife to cut it!  Feyma cooked it to perfection too, as I like my steaks rare to medium rare, and this was perfect!  Flavor was great, the meat was cooked perfectly, and above all it was tender as it could be.

So, I’ve decided, forget about all of the other cuts, just go for the best… a tenderloin.  I hope it keeps up the consistency, because I am really enjoying it!

Reader Interactions

Comments

    • Hi Brian – I also like chicken and fish, but a nice steak sure hits the spot from time to time! I’ve tried Kobe, and it’s great, but sure not for every day consumption! 😆

      • Ate Kobe Beef, at Kobe japan, the first few bites were good, then after a while it gets sooo gross! Simply too oily and gave me a headache.

        Costco steaks are CHEAP and good, LOL LOL!

          • Bob – Are those Makro places any good?

            I heard that PriceSmart is started up over there under the name of S&R Membership Shopping too, though I don’t think any of their five locations are in your neck of the woods yet.

            • Hi Bill – I personally don’t think that Makro is that good. They really don’t offer anything that you can’t get at other local stores.

              S&R is in Manila, but not down here yet. Hopefully someday.

              • I understand that Makro has been bought by SM.
                Pros?- lots of easy parking, wide aisles, good meat selection, lots of kitchen/bathroom accessories, short wait time at check out [usually]
                Cons? often painfully loud music, horrible huge carts [ no other choice],
                meagre fruit and veggies, prices can be good but can be very bad also- i bought a desk at nccc for 3400 then found the exact same desk at makro for 4600, self serve at check out counter [ altho being a foreigner usually gets around that], items go thru check out counter than have to be inspected vs the tape one by one at a later point,

              • Hi Ian – Yes, I believe it’s already been nearly 2 years since SM bought Makro. So far, I don’t see many improvements, at least whatever improvements have happened are only marginal in my mind. Will it continue to improve? We shall see.

              • Bob – I understand S&R is in Cebu now, or is coming shortly. Sounds like it’s starting to migrate south. I understand it’s been hugely popular there. I was reading th

              • Bob – I understand S&R is in Cebu now, or is coming shortly. Sounds like it’s starting to migrate south. I understand it’s been hugely popular there. I was reading these came about about as a result of a change in the law that made it easier foreign retailers to open up there.

      • Bob

        Nothing like a good filet mignon. Don’t eat too often do to high cost. Bob, one thing that can help tenderize beef is a marinade. Italian dressing is a good marinade. You can do it for a day or two. Plus gives it a good flavor. When i cook a cheaper cut of beef i cook it slow and low and turns out real tender. Good article

        • Hi Randy – I have had a steak marinated in italian dressing, and you are right, it is very good. It is not easy to find italian dressing here, though, and when you do the price is sky high! Probably the marinate would cost more than the steak! 😆 Take care, Randy.

          • Bob;
            That’s when you call in the Calvery and have a BB Box sent in from the west or is it east whatever. By the way have you tried to cook it in a crock pot? 🙂

        • Nothing like a good, old fashion filet mignon is right, Randy. But if you put a lump of Maryland crabmeat on top of that filet mignon, you got a surf n’ turf, even better. Speaking of crabs, the popular East Coast chain of seafood restaurant called, Phillips, has a processing plant somewhere in either Visayas or Mindanao, but don’t know exactly where.

  2. I’m a beef lover as well, Bob. Love those porterhouse, New York strip, and prime rib served with baked potato with sour cream and chives. When I order prime rib at a resto, I always ask for extra serving of the au jus in a soup cup. I like to really soak the meat in the au jus. Btw, the rarest cut I like in a prime rib is medium rare. As for the NY strip, I like it grilled Pittsburgh style – seared outside, pink inside. My favorite restaurant as far as getting good steak the way I like it cooked has to be Kilroy’s in Fairfax County, VA. A close second is Ruth’s Chris’ Steakhouse in D.C., but you pay a fortune to eat there, around $40 to $60 for a steak. The Outback comes a distant third, but doesn’t compare to Kilroy’s or Ruth’s Chris’ Steakhouse. High end hotel fine dining in Manila serve good steaks.

    • Hi Ricardo – High end hotels in Manila… sure! But, I’m not in Manila, and I go there maybe once every 5 years, so I have to come up with a local solution! 😆

          • There’s a good possibility that I will sample the Marco Polo cuisine in a few months when I visit Davao, Bob, God willing, but for sure I will not to be staying there, as rooms are expensive, I heard. I will be staying at this place GenSan Chris wrote about.

            • Ha ha.. gotta be careful recommending a place if you’ve never eaten there, my friend! 😆 But, seriously, I don’t think that Marco Polo even serves a steak. They have a buffet and a chinese restaurant.

              • Sometimes the Marco Polo buffet flies in a whole beef portion from the US [ dont know what its called, but its huge] and that is absolutely fabulous. But other time I find the buffet to be sadly lacking.
                I havent eaten at the Marco Polo in awhile since I am still angry at them for their discount room scam ! lol They never did respond to any of my complaints btw- but their telemarketers still keep phoning me trying to sell me another years membership

              • Hi ian – I used to eat at Marco Polo a lot, but I don’t any more. For one, it just is a poor value these days. The buffet is usually only “OK” not spectacular, imho. The Chinese restaurant on the 3rd floor is pretty darn good, though, I must say.

  3. Morning Bob,
    My first impression is to just wonder how tough the rest of the meat on the animal is if the “prime” cuts are so bad! I’ve had tough stuff too and don’t eat a lot of beef because of this (plus it is very expensive). I mainly use beef in casseroles. If I do try a steak it is either the T-Bone (as in your photo) or the scotch fillet (rib eye steak). The tenderloin is VERY expensive but is always tender. For those not sure of the terminology or the location on the critter see this from Wiki: A beef tenderloin, known as an eye fillet in New Zealand and Australia, filet in France and fillet in England, is cut from the loin of beef. As with all quadrupeds, the tenderloin refers to the psoas major muscle anterior to the transverse processes of the lumbar vertebrae, near the kidneys. This muscle does very little work, so it is the most tender part of the beef.

    • Hi AussieLee – Good morning to you as well! Whatever the reason… tenderloin is wonderful! Thanks for sharing the “inside scoop” of why it is!

  4. Bob..I love beef..any kind of beef…if its a cheap cut then make beef stew out of it and by time it done it be tender…Next I like pork…but some times good pork is hard to find because most places buy pork that has been enhanced…..that means injected with water and sale and etc…and of course that is not really good for a person…..Next..I like chicken..if its a good one…Try veal some time..its tender….I like mutton if its hot right off the grill..but not if it cools down….Fish is last on my list of meat……and of course dog meat and horse meat is never on the list….I like wild meat like elk,deer, but not antalope….and do not like duck or goose..but a young turkey is nice…..hate bear meat……but a good moose is good…its got kind of a sweet taste to it….person has to get used to it…….do not like snake meat or liszard or monkey or any other exotic kind of meat…….well that near covers the meats………

    • Hi Dan – In my experience, even good cuts of beef that are tough here are still tough after hours of cooking in a stew or similar recipe. Ha ha… I don’t know why, but it is.

      Veal? I love veal, but have never seen it here in the Philippines.

      Have you eaten snake meat? I have eaten rattlesnake, water moccasin and anaconda, and all were excellent.

    • Dan, Have you ever had dog meat, I did unknowingly when I was in Korea 10 years ago. Since that time I have eaten it three more times and there was only one time that it did not taste good. The first time I thought it was beef; it has the same consistency of beef just a like tough. Just like any meat if it is not raised to be killed for meat then it will not taste good, that is why wild meat has a different teaste.

      • You no Bill…as far as I no have not eating dog….but u never know with some of the canned foods you get….I ofen wonder what they put in Chille in the can!…I know that some asians like dog and other meat…..like the Japanese they like raw whale meat and the fat……me..never…….so who knows……maybe some day I will try dog meat…

      • The Chinese of the PRC torture dogs before killing them as it releases adrenaline into the poor animals body which, those sickos think, makes the meat tastier. Hong Kong banned eating dog years ago and if you try there you will go to jail – as some people found out last year. And I always thought that dogs were man’s best friend not man’s best dinner.

  6. Sorry I have to disagree, but I do. In a few months I will be 70 and I eat next to no beef, no dairy, broiled or BBQd fish occasionally, NO prescription drugs, and my blood work “numbers” and BP are all good. Everybody’s heard the old saying, “Misery loves company,” but I prefer, “Vegetarians love company!” I’m aware of both sides of the debate over this issue, so I hope you’ll watch this short video.

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UoHt9cSWJVI&feature=player_embedded

    “Don’t Worry, be Healthy!”

    –James
    P.S. To be truthful: I use a teaspoon of ½ & ½ in my coffee!

  7. Bob;
    Disclaimer I do not work for the Zambalis Chamber of Commerce! But! One of the pleasures of living in the Subic area is the beef available here. There are at least four, foreign owned butcher shops that sell imported US and Australian prime beef. Both are corn fed and the taste is perfect. Locally raised corn fed fresh beef, from an Australian owned cattle farm is also in the stores here. We’ll buy no beef from the local market, as it being grain fed it lacks the flavor I like. Even the Royal Supermarket on base has a well equipped butcher shop selling proper cuts of fresh beef. I can even buy corned beef brisket, if I order it a few days in advance, (I need that next month for St. Paddy’s day.) Bob; It it costs a tad more than Pork or chicken, but then I don’t eat it every day. But beef spear rib, fresh off The Deluxe Mindanao Bob BBQ Grill, is worth whatever the cost. Wow, a London Broil sounds good this week, and sandwiches the next day… “Where’s The Beef?”

    • Hi Paul – I have heard about the quality beef up there, and am a bit envious, I must admit! I will say, the tenderloin that I get here tastes great and is very tender though. I would love to get a brisket and cook it on the Mindanao Bob grill, though, for sure! 😆 Lucky guy!

    • Paul T.

      Its good to hear theres good beef in the Bataan Area. Are the prices comparible to the States? Thanks for sharing the info. Take care

      • Randy;
        It’s a bit higher, but when it comes off the grill onto your plate, you just won’t quible over the cost. When you get in country, I’ll show you the butcher shop’s where I go.

  8. good am bob

    lol I love beef to till the day i did start to work in the meat work where i did work for over 8 years and i worked on cows and sheep and pigs too and when seen the things i have seen in there u would not eat it mate sorry to say that but when u have worked where i have and see year old sheep come in and see the big lumps taken out and u start to ask why we also get some thinks we do mate and see what crap thay put on the land to make it tbetter and then u look and know where most of this is coning from mate it is bad but i dont wont u to stop eating meat mate but i am here to tell u what u are eating lol god bless……peter martin tassie

  9. That was one of the hardest adjustments to the RP, beef and dairy. When I finally found SnR in Manila, they have the some cuts from Australia and the price to go with it. Something happens to the quality when it is frozen. I am a lamb lover and that seemed to maintain its quality even frozen for some reason. After being in the RP for sometime, I ended up at TGI Fridays and had their burger, I almost cried it tasted so good, so my beef cravings at home were burgers lol.

    I guess it is age, but I cant do US beef anymore, the corn fed stuff any cut, grass fed doesn’t seem to bother me as much. When I buy high end beef in Canada often I will see 21/28/35 and 45 day aged beef, I guess in MNL they don’t have the demand nor the facilites to age beef properly.

    Bob try beef bourguignon, the red wine breaks the meat down and almost makes RP beef edible.

    • Hi John, try watching Food, Inc., you may not want to eat beef or chicken the way we are raising them here in the US. The natural farmers still raising their cattle and poultry- grass fed are near Shenandoah Valley of Virginia. They are featured in that movie/docu and also feature how Monsanto sue everybody that has DNA of their soy bean.

      • Hi Mars, I saw it some time back, and you are right it did put me off of beef and meat in general. In Canada cattle is still grass fed, and US beef is only in restos, so I can avoid it.

        I was watching a show the other day on BBC, and they mentioned in terms of free range meat, no hormones, no special feed etc, the best is Vension, but not many people want to eat bambi.

        I can honestly say, I have eaten at Mcdo’s or any other fast food resto in over 20 years, maybe more.

        • John – I have to disagree with you re Canada. Most of the cattle in Canada is grain fed, because the grass fed beef is no where near as good. My friend raises beef cattle in British Columbia

          • Ian , grain yes sorry- but the corn diet is only dont in the last few weeks not like the US beef. Right ? That is what my butcher told me in Toronto

        • I’m still a fan of Beef, although I couldn’t take my mind off that movie. Safeway and giants sells Angus which is pretty good. But even with the same cut like ribeye roast or roll, the color and marbling varies. I like to buy Rib roast and cut my ribeye steak to size.

          In the old days there were only three grades of beef, but due to the lobby of the meat packers, the grades has increased to include butchering the milk cows that was not done in the past.

          Super Bowl is on, is it carried live there in PHL?

            • Hi Bob,

              Well, Packers just scored a TD with 4 minutes left in first qtr.

              Just wondering what’s the cost per pound in PHL. Just bought Ribeye steak on sale (Angus) for $4.99/lb which is normally $10.99/lb. never tried to order beef in Resto when in Phil. I guess just trying to catch up with eating Filipino foods.

              Oh-Oh, packers scored again in an interception. 14-0 Green Bay. three minutes to go 1st qtr.

          • Bob, Mars Z.

            Thats a real good price for the tenderloin. I had a good advantage growing up since my father was a butcher for 44 years and we always had good meat growing up in Ohio. Well i’m glad to see that the Packers won, tired of seeing the Steelers.

    • Hi John – We can get Australian beef here, but I don’t find it to be too good. It is advertised as Australian, but I can’t say for sure what it is.

      Yes, TGI Fridays has some excellent beef, no doubt on that! We are getting a TGI Fridays here soon!

  10. Bob:
    I’m sorry if I sounded dictatorial! It was not my intention.
    I was merely suggesting an alternative.
    I had hoped someone would comment on the content of the video.
    –James

    • James, great video. Everytime I am in the West I am shocked how big people are getting. I agree a vegan diet is the way to go if you can. My Father is 73 and has been a vegan for over 30 years, and same as you not a single health problem.

      I made a small change to my diet in the RP, I only eat meat for lunch a couple of times a week. The problem I would have making such a change is quite frankly how bad the food is and the lack of healthly food options. Nothing irritates me more than buying vegetables in Manila, so I grow what I can.

      I often joke a vegan would die in the RP lol, how do you do it ?

  12. Bob- the only beef steak that I eat in Davao is tenderloin. I buy it at SM- a whole tenderloin at a time. It costs 480 pesos a kilo. I consider the price to be very reasonable compared to other peoples beef which costs less but which most of the time I cant chew through.
    BTW if you go to the meat dept at SM only buy from the right end of the counter- the counter extends to the left but they seem to be different vendors and their tenderloin -the last time i mistakenly bought it- was not edible.
    I never was able to buy tenderloin at Park and Shop, or at NCCC mall, nor anything to my liking at Monterrey meats. I used to buy frozen tenderloin from Brazil at Makro but they raised the price – and lowered the quality- so I quit buying there.
    I cant comment on Lisas Meats, which I believe is from Australia, and which some people have said that they like.

    BTW i do buy pork tenderloin at Makro, and for hamburgers/spaghetti etc buy the ground round at SM.

    • Hi ian – Lisa’s meats is excellent. They are not from Australia.. they are owned by a friend of mine in GenSan named Joven Chua. The manager of the company though, is a Norwegian fellow, another friend. It can be tough to get a beef tenderloin from Lisa’s, because mostly they go to local restaurants only. However, if you call them and reserve one, they will save it for you. I believe that Feyma does buy tenderloin also at SM, as well as Lisa’s. Like you say, tenderloin is the way to go if you want a decent steak in Davao, and other parts of the Philippines too.

  13. Same problem here Metro Manila, no really good beef, however I experimented with my old Italian steak recipe and got excellent results….Heres the skinny… Buy some Italian bread crumbs, Chop up 5 or 6 cloves of garlic very fine, basil, oregano .parmesian cheese (Alot) grated,..put bread crumbs in a bowl add all the other stuff with it ,mix and put back into bread crumb can. It will marinate on its own untill ready to use….You can buy all the ingrediants at Sm and most stores .. I buy the McCormicks brand small jars of seasonings.. Now buy your self some sirloin steak and cut it into pieces bout 3/8’s thick…Beat up a egg or two and dip your steak into it and then the bread crumbs… I use olive oil myself to cook them with,at a medium high heat, you can go 1/2 and 1/2 with olive oil and other oil if you prefer. They are very good this way and excellent even cold the next day.. Give it a try see what you think……….

    • Hi Lenny – Thanks for sharing, I might give it a try. However, to be honest, when I want a steak, I want just a plain steak without all the other stuff, just to savor the flavor of the beef. 😆

  14. MindanaoBob, you mentioned the …
    “how he got such tender beef, he aged it for about 5 days before serving it. What a difference those days of aging made, the meat was tender and a joy to eat.”
    What did he use to tenderize it? beside the aging did he add something to the meat? I am here in Cebu and love to know some tips on making the meat edible, Thanks

    • Hi mark – He used only one thing to tenderize it – time. Time to age. Let it age until it gets kind of a dark color and then cook it. It is tender then, or it was for me anyway.

  15. Hi Bob,
    Maybe that Porterhouse was actually Caribao beef in disguise,lol.
    Just a thought!
    regards,Chas.

  17. One thing about some of the beef that I have seen here is that it looks like it might have been thawed out then refrozen. The other thing is like Paul T said about the “PROPER CUTS” if meat is not cut the right way then it will cook differently and for some reason give it a different taste. I don’t know the reason for this but have been told by a butcher that if the meat is not cut the right way it changes the way it cooks. The other thing with the meats here is I don’t think they age the meat after killing like is done in the States, Austra and Europe.

    TGI Firday’s is always a great place to get some good old US style stakes, I’m going to have to go this week and get me one.

    • Hi Bill – I can’t wait for TGIF to open up in Davao! They are supposed to be in the new Abreeza Mall which will open later this year. I’m keeping my fingers crossed!

  18. Yes, I have to laugh, we have all the ‘grass-fed’ beef here we might want, and for way less than folks pay for it elsewhere, but it is indeed as tough as boiled owl. I have tried cooking it for several days in a stew, and we still have to chew it for a long time. Countryside Steak house used tohave Del Monte (aged) beef, but no longer does. Now their steaks are marinated with plenty of msg, which I can’t really tolerate… and not as tender.
    So, how do you age your beef? In the fridge or out of it? I’d like more details!

    Thanks!

    • Hi AmericanLola – You have me wondering… how tough is a boiled owl? I’ve never had one! 😯 ha ha, just teasing you.

      Feyma always aged the beef right in the fridge, which is what our friend told us to do. It worked great.

      I am really disappointed to hear that Countryside Steak House has changed their beef! The place used to be a favorite place to go in CdO. I remember when we had lunch there with you and AmericanLolo!

    • My Aunt will put beef in the crisper/vegetable bin and lay it on tin foil balls (the size of golf balls), so the air is able to circulate. She keeps it there for 10 days at least. Not to freak anyone but I have seen mold on the meat on day 20 I think, and my god it is melt in your mouth. She always says the butchers rip you off charging more for meat that is aged, the only thing that has changed is the liquid has evaporated and tendons have broken down.

  19. Bob..You said age the beef……what you do just leave it in the fridge…….I no years ago when used to go hunting……would age elk or dear in the shed in novemenber for maybe 2 weeks……then cut it up…….and freeze……was pretty darn good eating…so was just wondering about that aging process…..since you have no cold weather there you for sure could not hang in the shed if you have one…..because be rotton by evening time..

  20. Bob:

    Strange, but for about a year, meat (beef and pork) has been getting me somewhat ill whenever I eat it, so I’ve largely moved to chicken and fish… Maybe just getting older, but I can’t stomach it recently.

    That being said, some of the worst steaks that I’ve ever had have been in the Philippines… I really think that beef eating (Steak) is not really part of the culture here. Cows need lots of pasture, and many times, especially local places, they simply cook the beef like any other meat. Lack of marbeling from skinny cows equals shoe leather. I’ve also noticed that many places have different ideas about rare / medium. Have you ever noticed that most Filipinos like well-done meat?

    Has Chili’s gotten to Davao yet? That is a decent option up here in addition to Outback and Fridays. Some of the Japanese places catering to business have Kobe beef, but it can get really expensive… I’m betting that a few Japanese restaurants in Davao may have that option as Teppanyaki.

    • Hi John – Like you, I find myself eating less and less meat as I get a bit older. It must be part of getting a bit older, I suppose.

      We don’t have any of those western restaurant chains in Davao. Well, we have McDonalds! Ha ha. I hate to eat there, though. With TGIF coming, that will be a nice addition for Davao, though, I think.

    • A study in contradiction, John. For a culture that invented dinuguan, Filipinos I know are squeamish about their meats being rare.

      Packers just won the Superbowl 31-25!

      • Thanks for the update on the Super Bowl, Ricardo! I was just going to watch it on TV, since the free broadcast will begin shortly… now I don’t need to, since I already know the outcome! 😆

        • LOL. Yes, the Lombardi trophy returns home to Green Bay, Bob. The only thing is, the trophy could not be presented to just one owner as is the tradition in every Superbowl win, because the Green Bay Packers is not owned by one man, but is owned by Green Bay shareholders, of which there are many. It was presented to the Superbowl MVP instead, the GB QB, Aaron Rodgers, who was also presented with a red convertible. I’m sure he will not be driving that convertible any time soon in the fronzen tundra called Green Bay. Hahahaha\\

          Now where’s that steak I started to eat more than 3 hours ago? LOL

    • ‘most Filipinos like well-done meat?’ I refer to pinoy meat cooking as twice baked meat…just when you think its done they throw it back in for another 20 minutes !! LOL

  22. Hi Bob
    I love Lamb chops, with mashed potato’s and gravy, veges , optional…Also partial to a good rabbit stew, but since the eradication of rabbits due to them reaching plague proportions in some parts of Australia its getting hard to find one now…..I do enjoy a good T-Bone steak from time to time….When in Phil, Im on the missus’s diet useally consisting of chicken/pork or fish and of course rice with everything, hahahaha, but thats ok cos im relaxing while she is cooking so its all good.

      • Lamb in Manila is actually easy to find at Shopwise (frozen), Rustans (lots of fat), SnR (frozen but sometimes fresh) and Santis (fresh).

        Santis, has it flown in from NZ and offer chops and kebabs, the staff are great and know how long to grill it and will suggest a decent wine. The location at PowerPlant has a cafe and they will prepare a sample for you upon request. All of the Embassy folks shop there so the quality is great. But be prepared 999 PHP a kilo. For those that shop at Santi’s price doesnt matter.

  24. One of the more interesting steaks I have had are the steaks at Del Monte Country Club. WOW, they are good. I live in San Francisco right now, and we get great beef here, so I know the difference.

    So Bob, our plan when we plan on making my move ther for semi retirement in CDO, is to bring several of those 2 foot length of filet mignon. If you want, for providing such a great resource for living in the philippines, I will bring you one, they are about 4 pounds(2 kilos) so you will get plenty of steaks for the family. The only condition is you have to pick it up in CDO, and buy me 2 cups(wife and I) of that civet coffee. Deal Or No Deal?

    • Ha ha… Hi Robert. I have eaten at the Del Monte country club many, many times, and their steaks are excellent. I appreciate your offer, but the “pick it up in CdO” is a deal killer! I’d have to pass by the source to get that one! But, if I am in CdO, I’d be happy to get together, though!

    • Robert

      I am sure what you might bring would be appreciated by anyone consuming but thankfully there is some quality Australian beef available in CDO . Keeping in mind that aussie beef is common here there are huge differences in the quality .

      Much is imported from Australia at a young age and raised to maturity here before being slaughtered . Based on personal experience that beef quality is very hit and miss . There is a location here owned by a former Aussie chef that imports from Australia with the difference being that the beef is matured and slaughtered in Australia .

      What is received here is pre – cut and packaged just like you would purchase in an American grocery less the American price tag . Only three cuts are available , sirloin , t -bone and rump but can’t beat a sirloin and potato ( fries or baked ) for $10 or so . 🙂

  27. Hi bob well ausie beef has to be the best ,we have an advert here were your mob are trying it out in one of your cities and they all rekon its great ,you have an expensive taste bob eye fillet gee that is around 30.00 a kilo here have to agree its damb good i like mine raw in the centre bit like cave man style but grilled on the outer my daughter wont eat it as the blood still comes out or the juices anyway mates of mine eat what they call blue steak it is put on the grill for only a short time to seal the out side and it is almost all rare ,when i was there i think it was in vic plaza there was a aussie beef shop there but i was disssapointed with the range ,maybe all you expat americans had gone in and bought all the great aussie beef ,on a more serious note bob do they have beef cattle in the phillipines i know in the tropiics here they use a breed known as a drought master for its hardy nature but i think there meat it is fairly tough ,i wonder if you guys would eat kangaroo we got millions of them over here ,they sell there meat all over australia very lean hardly any fat at all strong flavour though they also do croc like in the park and emu as well we are the only country in the world that eats its nation symbols hehehe anyway i hope you can find some good ausie beef youll love it
    chris

    • Hi Chris – Ha ha.. sounds like you and I like it cooked about the same! You must be talking about Lisa’s Meats, they sell Aussie beef, all of their beef is originally from Australia, and they are in Vic.

      BTW, we don’t pay anywhere near $30/kilo. It is less than $10/kilo here! So, my taste is not that expensive! 😯

    • Chris, I see that you and I like our steaks seared outside, pink inside. Here’s another secret. Ever tried grilling the steak directly on the embers? You’d feel like you died and gone to heaven once you’ve tasted the slightly bitter taste of burnt meat outside and the juiciness of the pink meat inside. What’s more, while you’re grilling, make sure you’re sipping a martini, extra dry and straight up. It whets the appetite!

  29. A few interesting thoughts on this one Bob. I think the problem is that Beef is not so popular in the Philippines due to the obsession with Pork and Lamb perhaps, and also that it is perhaps relatively expensive. I also think that due to its lack of popularity, butcher’s don’t really know how to treat it, and it’s butchered and put up for sale instead of being “hung” (aged) for long enough prior to being sold. Perhaps that’s why some of the imported beef is better, because it has been aged during the shipping. That would be why your beef is better when you aged it yourself. In the UK, one of the largest supermarkets there has a range of beef in it’s butchery department which is at a premium price, guaranteed “6 weeks hung”, and it’s almost always great, though it tends to lack the redness of the injected dyes that make beef look “attractive” to the buyer.

    • Gordon, I don’t think Filipinos in general have a taste for lamb. Regarding “hanging” the beef to age it, I found that beef is hung at the open market in Iba, Zambales, because of the lack of refrigeration. Would you buy beef hanging out in the open and infested with flies?

    • Obsession with Lamb? In the Philippines? In most of the Philippines it is very difficult to find lamb, and I know only a few Filipinos who will eat lamb. Also, lamb costs 3 or 4 times the price of beef!

      • Bob;
        In 1997 I was at a pier in Fremantle Australia, tied be hind a sheep ship bound for the Persian Gulf, and we were also, “The Silence Of The Lambs”; Good movie but it’s not true, and the stink was beyond bad. I was on a fuel tanker, which can also smell ripe. But the sheep beat us out.
        The Arabs will only buy sheep that are alive, so when they sailed a day ahead of us, we could navigate by following the floating dead sheep the crew would toss over the side, or anytime the wind was off our bow.
        We begged our Ship’s Master to add extra turns to our twin screws and get in ahead of them and he did.
        I, who fomerly liked lamb, have not been able to abide it since then. Thank the stars the Arab’s are not that fond of beef!
        Side note; At the Seaman’s Club in Dubai, we asked the Aussie seaman how could they sail with that smell and noise? Their answer; “Extra pay mate, we’re in it for the money!” They couldn’t mint that much money to get me onboard.

      • Let’s call it goat then, which is what I meant. If the family can’t find a pig the right size right away, they’ll go for a goat. Same family.

        • Ha ha… for me, lamb and goat are nothing like each other. Totally different taste. Goat is dry and stringy in my experience of eating it. Perhaps it was just how it was cooked, I don’t know.

      • My gamekeeper grandfather used to say that you could tell when a pheasant was ready for the pot…when the maggotts were dripping from it! And that’s wasn’t a joke.

  31. Hi Bob,
    I was at a resturant in Davao, and they had rib-eye on the menu, so I thought I woud give it a try. I asked them to cook it medium rare. I was very disappointed as it was a thin cut, over cooked, cold, and very tough. I guess I learned my leason.

      • The supermarket at the G-Mall here had some porterhouse steaks that were about 2 inches thick. They looked good but I passed them up.

        gary

        • They may look 2 inches thick at the supermarket, Gary, but after you cook ’em, they shrink to probably less than an inch. 🙂

  32. I am by no means a steak expert…heck, I don’t even know the names of the cuts but I know what I like and what taste good to me.

    The best place I have EVER had beef was in Dipolog, Mindanao. My ex-fiance and I would go to to this restaurant that was MUCH more like an American restaurant than what you usually see in the filipines. It served many American dishes and beef products.

    I was told the mayors daughter owned the place. I cannot remember the name but the steaks and mashed potatoes were great and the service was top notch. The prices very reasonable. But I guess that type of food was not popular in Dipolog…because the place is now closed.

    Finding good beef in the filipines is not easy. Most filipinos have NO idea what a really good hamburger is…because the hamburgers and other beef in the filipines is usually not up to par.

  36. I had steak at the TGIFridays in Manila but it tasted tough and leathery. I’ll stick to chicken and pork in the Phils.

    • I agree Don, and I mostly eat chicken, pork or fish… but, if you live in the Philippines for the long term, I don’t think there is anything wrong with having a craving for a good steak from time to time! 😀 Variety is the spice of life!

    • Don – I think the mistaken often made with steak is not realizing that it continues to cook off the grill. I had a steak master teach me this some time ago, and once I learned to accept this and work with it the steaks turn out SO much better. Some say for five minutes, some say for fifteen minutes, I use the latter rule. So the secret is to cook it a little bit more to the rare side, and let it “cook” off the heat.

  37. I’ve eaten at some very good steak houses in the US and really to me there is nothing better. I still eat beef here on a regular basis LOL.

  38. Hi Bob.

    I just wanted to let you know that the meat shop, by the GenSan KCC .behind the old McDonalds has frozen American steaks for sale. I would also like to tell you that papaya juice applied to the meat before aging will make it more tender as there is an enzyme in papayas that break down protien. That was the key ingredient in Adolph’s meat tenderizer I believe. make sure you perforate (poke with a fork) after applying the juice so the inside of the meat will also become tender. I have had some good meat from Robinsons but I will never again buy beef from the other mall butchers.

  39. One thing you can do with cheap beef is make cube steaks out of the tough beef…then you can chew it…not sure they have such a think there in the Phillipines but most super markets in USA do as well as most smaller grocerie stores. I think they use wore out milk cows for that or bulls that are no longer worth having around…..

  40. Hi Bob – Everybody loves a good beef! He he. It’s a man’s food too.. it seems. But I like it. Well, I like baby back ribs! The best steaks I’ve eaten is Australian beef but have to Fly to Sydney. For good burgers… Stackers. Well, if ever you decide to go to Manila, he he.

    • Hi sugar – I will come to Manila sometime, I suppose. Maybe I’ll try for once every 10 years or so… I’m good now for another 5 years, because I was there about 5 years ago! 😉 Seriously.

  42. Hi Bob, I Love beef, but I don’t eat it much anymore. When I do though, I love the prime rib best, it’s so good. When I was in Manila I took my fiance to a very nice steak restaurant and it was awesome. It was a very romantic setting and they even had a three man group singing your requests. It was her first time to have steak and she really enjoyed it. Anyway, it’s now chicken and fish and rice…But when I have a steak, I must have a big baked potato too go along with it.

    • Yeah, you can find good steaks in Manila… but I am not in Manila, and don’t plan to be. That’s why I found a solution for here in Davao where I live. I’m with you, though… gotta have that baked potato if I have a steak! 😉

  43. When I am in Cebu I always eat at the Golden Cowrie restaurant. We especially love their back ribs. Good news is that the GC is coming to Davao this year. It seems the new Ayala mall will bring many new and upscale shopping and eating places to Davao.
    I’m also looking forward to the Starbucks opening here in Ayala [ for the packaged coffee]

  44. Well I am in Manila quite often and hope to be there in about a month. I guess I will have to look harder for good steak houses there, especially around Makati.

    If anyone knows of any let me know.

    • In Manila try,
      If you like US beef Outback is ok
      TGI Fridays nothing special for steak, burgers are awesome
      Mandarin Hotel Ok but pricey
      Dusit Hotel US beef ok, OZ beef amazing

      The best I have found for Australian beef is Il Piratta at Eastwood Libis, also Cyma they have locations in Shang, Trinoma and Eastwood. But make sure when ordering you tell them you want to cut the steak otherwise your hunk of meat shows up already cut up for sharing.

      If you want to buy, the only two places I shop at are SnR and Santi’s (added bonus you can get real sour cream there from Oz that is thick and yummy.

  45. I agree Bob ,Mary and i searched for some good rib steaks and finally found some marked”from Australia”..thought they would be perfect..i should have BBQ’d my shoes,,hard to beat USA grown beef..Japan does great though

  47. Hi Bob! Funny how you posted something about beef and I did too on the same day! On Foodnography.com I posted a photo of the Filipino dish, nilagang baka. It’s not steak, but the beef is super tender if cooked right. I’m sure Feyma knows it well. 🙂

    • Ha ha… yes, I saw your post the other day, Blogie. I have never had that dish before… to be honest, it didn’t look too appetizing to me, though. I’d probably give it a try, though! 😆

  48. hi bob, i’m happy i encountered this blog who talks about beef. i have a bit of a problem thinking what restaurant here in Davao where i can celebrate my birthday by fusing my girlfriends who have different food choices…. a vegetarian, a meat-lover, and a figure conscious who eats protein only… is there any restaurant here where i can find excellent quality food (bonus with a good ambiance)? i love steak though but i never had one good steak here before. your recommendation is very much appreciated. thanks! 🙂

  49. If the good Lord didn’t want us to eat cows, he wouldn’t have made them so slow and tasty! Fire up that grill!

    • …and Eric, if cows are not meant to be eaten, why are they made out meat? So chunk those sirloin into three inch square, skewer them, rub it with your favorite spices, slow-cooked in the BBQ grill and just before it is done the way you want it, brush it with a mix of honey and Jack Daniel, half more minute on the grill and ummmm ummmm, ummmm, dripping goodness! (I want mine medium rare.)

    • Absolutely, Eric! Ha ha… BTW, you know what PETA is, right? Some people think it is People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals.. really, though, it stands for “People Eating Tasty Animals”! 😉

  50. Sure a lot of people that love beef Bob…wonder what meat is liked the best…..beef? Pork?Chicken? Fish? or dry fish?

  54. Hi, I share the same sentiments with you that the quality of meat in the Philippines is terribly tough. Thus, I’ve ventured into offering natural meat tenderizers…actually, it’s not just for meat per se. It can be used for anything with protein. Its natural…from papaya where the enzyme just acts when the meat is cooked. Would you be interested?

  55. Hi Bob,
    They do sell a bag like a ziplock for aging steak.I would stay away from artificial tenderizer coz its chemically laden.I would say the best steaks are the one from U.S. or Argentina. Australian steaks are not as good compare to U.S. steaks. I was told that Argentina have good steak too. I should have tried Kobe steak but its way too expensive that my principle can’t even bite it. Japanese really pampered their Kobe cows with massage plus brew with their meal toppled with stress free pasture so it must be really exceptional and people are after its marbling (fat) which claims for its buttery taste. A steak is a steak. Its just a matter of preference how you want it cook (rare, medium rare, well done) and done right serve the purpose. I even have a friend who prefer “her” steak raw. I ain’t lying but its true.
    Economy dictates why Philippines doesn’t have good quality beef. Grain feeds and refrigeration costs are too expensive. I love beef myself so we just resort to a pressure cooker to soften our beef soup or some local beef cuts for frying (not steak cuts). Filipinos don’t like lamb meat for its after taste and smell but when cook right probably would change their attitude. I’ve eaten lamb and I do like rack of lamb. Goat meat popularity is just recent but back then we don’t eat goat meat until we were grown up and this is where I came from.The Ilocanos like goat meat while some and on “higher places” which I won’t mention simply out of respect, they have an appetite for “a man best friend”.
    It’s sad because more than half of the population are poor that’s why its just like survival for most of us.

    Overall, if I have to choose what food to eat, I would prefer all my meat, chicken, egg, fish and vegetables be organic, chemical free and as close to nature as I could get. Some farming really destroyed our nature not only on the agriculture side but even in the fishing industry all for the sake of a bigger profit. I could still remember how a backyard chicken taste a lot better than commercial vitamins/antibiotics injected chicken. I remember I used to eat fresh farm egg cracked on top of rice with just sprinkle of salt. One the best meal I had when I was growing up.

    Moving along… I’m a great meat eater and I won’t deny it. Twenty years ago, I could eat numerous cuts of New York (5-6) steaks at a steak buffet in Vegas and it really caught the eye of my tall and chubby American whose married to my sister- in- law. I was just 2 inches higher than 5 feet (5’2”)! I was skinny back then. He asked where do I put all those steaks? I really make sure that I’m stuffed! ha ha ha…
    The best steak that I had was a dry aged steak. It has a soft, cheesy taste just perfect without even a touch of salt or pepper. The aging process seasoned it well. They hang slabs of beef into a temperature controlled freezer for several days ( I forgot how many to be exact) and then when it’s ready they slice the outer skin of the meat then they slice it into individual pieces and that is why it’s so expensive. A lot of its trimmings goes to garbage if done right. It really changed my preference from filet mignon to dry aged steak. Porterhouse steak is good too coz it has several kinds of cut blend in one.
    Steak blends well with red wine. Its the perfect match.
    Bob, you got to try “Bulalo” or “Soup No. 5”. You might like it. Ask your wife.
    You guys made me read all your comments from top to bottom and now I’m starving.
    God bless…

    • Hello, A.G. – This article is very old, and since the time that I wrote it I have found two sources of excellent beef here in the Philippines. However.. the other thing is that for health reasons, I rarely eat beef any more either! 🙂

      Thanks for sharing your thoughts, though.

      I’ve got to try Soup #5, A.G.? Ha ha… check this post and watch the video.

      • Bob, your thread does raise some interesting considerations.
        It’s easy to find good or at least acceptable beef in numerous places around Metro Manila, and as you suggest, you’ve found some in Davao now. That’s all fine and good but it’s unrealistic to buy it there and then commute for hours or more (depending) – it will go bad faster than it’s possible to get it home in a distant provincial location. A few hours in Philippine mid-day heat, and/or sitting on top of a heat source in a commuting van and one’s hard-earned money results in something the dog may well eschew.

        Back in the days before moving south, back when up there I was friends with the head butcher in the local SM, I always got good beef and could have it home in less than an hour. Not so these days when any SM is way way hours far away from my door, even if the highway is mostly fixed now.

        In practice, I have a trusted tindero at our local palengke. I give him my order, arrange the best pickup time (when he arrives with it there) so that it doesn’t sit growing excessive bacteria for any longer than necessary. Take it home, FAST, immediately wash and prepare it for freezing. No way to really “hang” it for aging here, so important for your Tindero to buy you the best beef he can get and to know when he should just tell you “sorry, pangit yan karon, next time”.

        As for price, obviously things have changed since this thread started, and high-end grocery prices are different than closer to the source. My butcher (tindero) told me last week way too expensive – not the 180/kilo but 240 now! Still, compare that to grocery – when usually the local groceries (including the new Guisano here) typically have zero beef to offer even at inflated prices, let alone good beef.

        Only reasonable hope is my local butcher buddy; get to know one.

  56. Here in Tacloban Savemore and Robinsons sell Caribou as beef. No marbling and tough as leather. I found a small warehouse by the docks that sell vacuum packed boneless rib from Australia. 400p/kg in the big stores as opposed to 1800p/kg at warehouse but it’s worth it.