I hear from a lot of people that you can’t find good meat in the Philippines! Some people say that a good steak doesn’t exist here. Well, I am here to tell you that you are wrong if you feel that way.
I have thought for years that the best steak in the Philippines can be found at Cawayanon Clubhouse in Bukidnon. Cawayanon is the Clubhouse at the Del Monte Golf Course in Manolo Fortich, Bukidnon. The specialty at Cawayanon is Steak! And, I mean some serious steak!
Last week when I went on a Mindanao Tour with John Grant and Migs Bassig, on our last day, before headed back to Davao, we made a stop at Cawayanon. We left Iligan City in the morning, and I told John and Migs that we just would not eat breakfast that morning. Instead, when we got to Cawayanon, we would have an early lunch. Cawayanon is about 2 hours to 2 1/2 hours drive from Iligan. John and Migs were kind of skeptical, but I told them that if we ate breakfast we would not be able to eat the steak, because they were so big! Luckily, they agreed.
When we got to Cawayanon, I ordered a medium Porterhouse, medium rare. All of the steaks are available in Small, Medium or Large. The Medium sized Porterhouse is close to 1 kilogram (2.2 pounds!). It is huge. The large is over 1 Kg. When you first see the prices on the menu, they can indeed be shocking. The Medium Porterhouse that I ordered was P1,090. But, it’s a huge piece of meat, and that price also included soup, salad, two huge slices of home made bread and a fruit salad dessert. I think that overall it is a good value, especially if you consider what that meal would cost in the West! John ordered a T-Bone (Medium) and Migs ordered a New York Steak (Medium).
When they brought the first steak to the table, it was mine. I couldn’t wait to see the look on John and Migs’ face when they saw it, and they didn’t let me down! I think that John’s eyes almost popped out when he saw that slab of meat! It was huge, hanging off the plate in fact, and about 1 1/2 inches thick too! I could see saliva running from John’s mouth to his chin! John commented, “I thought those prices were high, but my God, that is a steak!”
When John and Migs’ steaks came, they were not disappointed either! John commented that it was the best steak he had ever eaten in his life too! I have to agree, I’ve never had a steak better than what is served at Cawayanon myself. The flavor is so good because the cows are fed pineapple at Del Monte! The pineapples gives the meat a slightly sweet flavor, and also tenderizes the meat while it’s still alive and on the bone! It is indeed excellent!
I finished up my steak, except for some of the fat. There wasn’t a bit of meat left, though. It was a big meal, but it was brunch, and it covered us for two meals, and some snacks too! We just couldn’t eat anymore! As a matter of fact, after finishing off our steaks, we had to sit there for a while and rest before headed back up the road. I mean, actually, we were unable to move, we were so full!
So, next time you think that there is no good meat in the Philippines, swing by Cawayanon, in Manolo Fortich, Bukidnon. It’s worth the trip!
Bob
Growing up in the Midwest I feel you cannot get a good steak on the east or west coast of the US and the Philippines does not even rate. But I will admit that steak looked good. Interesting hypothesis you have about feeding the cattle pineapple. While I will remain a skeptic I am looking forward to trying the steaks at Cawayanon.
Another factor that makes those Del Monte steaks so good is that they are aged. They may be the only meat processing set up in the Philippines that hangs their beef in a special cooler to age for however long it needs to become tender.
Yep! Good steak! And the steaks at Countryside Steakhouse in CDO are mostly from Del Monte too.
Hi Bob,good job you didnt have a large one 😯
I played golf there in march, a great course by the way, and then after my round, ate a fantastic steak, along with drinking a couple cold San Miguels..what a day that was. I will certainly go back.
Boy I am glad to hear that ,I will try to go there the next time I am the pines..Thanks Bob for the info I like a good steak….Phil R
Sir Bob. I only eat beef when I'm in the Philippines because I dont like what they feed their cattle here in North America which is made of some carcasses of other dead cattle. Souds like cannibalism to me. That's how mad cow disease has spread here. I maybe wrong but as far as I know, in the Philippines they just feed their cattle with herbs eg. grass, etc
Hi Bob,
Reminds me of at least two steak houses here in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. Same principle – monster steaks hanging over the edge of the plate and dripping on the table cloth! The secret is all in the supply of meat of course – anyone can chargrill a steak. The meat must be from the most reliable source, fed the best fodder, handled by the abattoir to avoid bruising and stress (adrenalin etc toughens the meat), an absolute must is ageing as long as possible and the best chefs will hand-pick the final carcasses just to be sure. I don't think I would be able to handle a large one nowadays given I've reached my target weight of 82kg's!
Very nice steak indeed … I'm hungry. I eat steak when I am in the US but seldom find much that I really care for. Commercial feed lots feed things like polystyrene pellets (the peanuts you see items packed in for shipment) to fill up the steer's stomachs … they only need a few pound sof corn … in the natural state they would fill up on grass and other fodder, but US steaks typically come from mass-fed characteturer's of what beef should to be.
Breed is important. Mnay consider Angus to be the best, but Angus do not thrive in the Philippines…too hot. I do want to explore in the future, though, various floavors of "Brangus", a cross between the Angus and the commonon Philippine Baramha crosss, which should do great here.
A Filipino freind who used to live in Gen San told me there are a couple good steak houses there as well, he beives at least one gets their steaks from Del Monte and another expereiments with thier own pineapple feeding as well.
One thing to note that even a lot of commercial producers don't take into account … steaks, like we ourselves, are 80%+ water, so the water provided for finishing cattle is every bit as important as the feed. I used to be a small-scale beef producer in Colorado. One year my partner and I took advantage of a very good deal on a winter pasturage setup for some steers we were fattening. However, the water there was brackish … not poisonous but you wouldn't care to drink it. Guess what? that year's meat was not good at all … never again.
I've already adjusted the route of our proposed road/roro trip to Davao to include Cawayanon … I'll skip more thna one meal, though, in prepartion 😉
Hi Bob- Looks like you have lost your appetite as there is no french fries on your plate, or were they still to arrive on the table.
By the way did you take the other half home with you for the dog or did you manage to eat the lot?
How big is the small steak? I don't think I could handle the medium, but it sure does look good. No baked potato? 😀
Hi Larry – Hopefully Del Monte can stand up to your critique! Let me know what you think of the place if you go there!
Hi AmericanLola – Indeed, Countryside is an excellent steakhouse in it's own right! And, you are right, I have also been told that much of the beef at Countryside comes from Calayawon!
Hi john.j. – Nice to meet you the other day! Yeah, if I had ordered the large, it might have killed me! It was all I could do to get the Medium down!
Hi ralph – I'm not a golfer, but I'll do my part on eating the steaks! 😆
hi Phil R – I'm happy to pass along the info! Enjoy the great steak!
Hi Eric – Personally, I think that you can find good meat in the States, you can also find plenty of bad meat in the Philippines. Both countries have good and bad, it's just a matter of shopping at the right places! Just my 2 Pesos! 😆
Hi AussieLee – These cattle are imported from Australia, then fattened for a few months at Del Monte Plantation, where they are later butchered, aged and then fed to happy people like me! 😆
Hi Dave Starr – There is one good steak house in the GenSan area that I am aware of, and that is Kalsangi, which is Dole's clubhouse. Very similar to Del Monte, but just the competitor! I am not aware of anybody in GenSan getting their steaks from Del Monte, as Del Monte is a hated company in GenSan – It's Dole territory, after all! 😆
Hi Jim Cunningham – I didn't realize that Del Monte even served fries! I'll have to go back again to check it out! 😆 Thanks for the tip!
Hi Richard D – Honestly, I don't know for sure how large the small steak is, as I've never tried one! I think, though, that it is still rather large! Sorry, no baked potatoes are available either… you can choose between some wonderful homemade bread and rice.
I enjoyed that Steak so much it was the best in my life. I have decided that twice a year I am going to treat myself the best Steak ever, anybody want to come and join?
Hi John Grant – ME, ME. Count me in! 😀
Bob,
That steak looks real good. Here in Davao I have found the best steak I have eaten is the Fillet at Hola Espania. They say it is US Angus and I think it is aged too. I ordered it medium and it came rare. I was afraid it would be tough but it melted in your mouth. It runs 820 pesos. For a decent steak and more than half the price I like the Tenderloin at Coco's.
John, if you read this, count me in on the Steak trip,
hello Bob
i have to admit i never had good beef when i was in mindanao but i have to admit that steak looks great. you give me faith in beef in philippines.to be honest i really loved the rotiserie chicken i found in panabo.i did enjoy the burgers at jollybee. keep the great storys coming.thanks bob
Ron W
Hi Bruce – Hola Espana certainly has great food, although I have never eaten a steak there, so I can't really judge them yet. Maybe I'll give them a try! Thanks for the tip.
Hi Ron W – Hmm.. jollibee…. sorry, i don't care for them much! There are some good hamburgers around Davao, though! You are right, though, there are many places that the beef is not too good here. A lot of people really believe that there is not any good meat here. But, I know for sure that there are isolated places with excellent beef! Thanks for your comment, Ron.
Hi bob,
I read somewhere that in the west they accelerates the rigor mortis of the beef to make it tender? and in the philippines, once the beef is slaughtered it is ready for consumption, and that is why you rarely find a tender beef in the philippines.
Hi dans – Interesting! Tender beef can be found, but not easily!
John…. count me in too.. hehehe. I'm too far 😥 but that steak look delecious. Yummmy and it is big which would appease my infatuation on eating steak. I should include that in my itenirary since my mother lives in Bukidnon and I want to visit her during my visit.
Hi Bob – Del Monte Clubhouse makes good hamburgers too if you don't want anything heavy as the steaks.
Hi Marilou – I didn't even realize that they had hamburgers at Del Monte! Ha ha… I've always been so focused in on the steaks when I went there!
Thanks for the tip! 😆
Awesome news Bob, this saves me having to bring my own meat from Australia. Keep up the good work.
Being from a province in Canada where we raise a lot of beef, and superb beef at that, one of my concerns with moving overseas has always been being able to find a decent steak. I've gotten spoiled by the quality here, but I'm telling you right now Bob, if that steak is as good as you say it is, (and looks) you will be a God in my eyes.haha That will definitely be one of my stops when I head over.
I'm brand new to your site and the wealth of information here from you and the other posts is invaluable. Many thanks
HI Peter – yeah, carrying your meat around can be quite a hassle! 😆
Hi Trevor – I can't say if the Del Monte meat is as good as what you have in Canada, but I sure liked it! 😉
Hello Bob, thank you so much for the great insight. My boyfriend and I will be going to Cagayan this Sept and would like to visit Bukidnon as well.. do you happen to know at what time the Clubhouse closes? Our itinerary only allows us to go to Bukidnon at around 4 and i'm wondering if they are still open for dinner.
Hope you could shed some light… I'd really looove to taste those darn good steaks you're raving about. Haha!
Sincerely,
Meggy
Hi Meggy – I don't know what time they close, but they are almost certainly open for dinner!
Thanks so much Bob, I found the number on the net and called, they close at 730pm. Great! 🙂
That's great Meggy! Enjoy the steak!