Balbacua Recipe
Balbacua is a Filipino stew made with ox feet, ox tail, or beef skin slowly cooked until the meat becomes soft and gelatinous. The sauce is thick, savory, slightly sweet, and flavorful from ingredients like star anise, annatto oil, fermented black beans, peanut butter, pineapple chunks, and pork and beans. If you have never cooked anything like this before, think of it as a beef stew, but with a thicker sauce.
Balbacua looks intimidating at first because ox feet does not exactly scream easy weeknight dinner. The first time I tried making it, I looked at the pot like it owed me money. I kept wondering if I was cooking stew or doing some kind of kitchen science experiment.
Once the meat started getting tender and the sauce thickened, everything made sense. The smell of star anise, garlic, annatto, and peanut butter came together. This is a dish that teaches you patience. You cannot rush Balbacua. If you do, it will humble you. The meat needs time to soften, the sauce needs time to build flavor, and you need time to accept that pork and beans actually belongs here.
I love Balbacua because it feels like a special-occasion dish without needing fancy ingredients. It is not diet food. It is extra rice, please food.
Ingredients
- 3 pounds ox feet, ox tail, beef skin, or a mix
- Water, for blanching
- 8 cups water
- 1 thumb-sized piece ginger
- 1 tablespoon salt
- 2 tablespoons oil
- 1 tablespoon achuete seeds
- 1 tablespoon margarine
- 1 medium onion, chopped
- 5 cloves garlic, minced
- 3 green long chilies
- 3 pieces star anise
- 1 small can fermented black beans, drained, about 180 grams
- ¼ cup tomato paste or ¾ cup tomato sauce
- ⅓ cup unsweetened peanut butter
- 1 small can pineapple chunks, drained, about 137 grams
- 1 can pork and beans, about 390 grams
- 1 medium red bell pepper, sliced into strips
- 1 piece chili labuyo, chopped
- Fish sauce or salt, to taste
Ox feet, ox tail, or beef skin are perfect for Balbacua because they become tender after slow cooking. Ginger helps remove strong smell from the meat, while the achuete gives the stew its orange color. Star anise adds sweet aroma. Fermented black beans bring a savory depth, while tomato paste gives the sauce body and a little tang. Peanut butter makes the stew thicker and richer, and the pineapple chunks balance everything with sweetness. The bell pepper and chilies add color and just enough heat.
How to Cook Balbacua
Step 1
Place the ox feet, ox tail, or beef skin in a pot and add enough water to cover. Bring to a boil and cook uncovered for 10 minutes. Drain, discard the water, and rinse the meat well.
Step 2
In a pressure cooker or large pot, add 8 cups water, ginger, salt, and the cleaned meat. Pressure cook for 45 to 60 minutes, or simmer in a regular pot for about 2 hours until tender.
Step 3
Remove the tender meat from the pot and set it aside. Save about 2 cups of the cooking broth for the sauce.
Step 4
Heat oil in a wide pot over medium heat. Add the achuete seeds and cook for about 1 minute, or until the oil turns deep orange. Remove and discard the seeds.
Step 5
Add margarine to the achuete oil. Sauté the onion, garlic, and green chilies.
Step 6
Add the tender ox feet, star anise, and fermented black beans. Stir well so the meat absorbs the flavor.
Step 7
Pour in 2 cups of reserved broth. Add tomato paste and peanut butter. Stir until the sauce becomes smooth and well combined.
Step 8
Add pineapple chunks, pork and beans, bell pepper, and chili labuyo. Season with fish sauce or salt. Simmer for 5 minutes or longer until the sauce is thick and flavorful.
Serve Balbacua hot with steamed rice. Spoon the thick sauce over the rice and make sure every bite gets a little meat, beans, pineapple, and bell pepper. If you want to make it better, serve it with extra chili on the side and a cold drink. Balbacua is heavy and satisfying, so it is perfect for lunch, dinner, or any day when you want a big meal.
Personal Tips
Do not skip the blanching step. It helps clean the meat and gives the stew a better taste. If you are using a regular pot instead of a pressure cooker, be patient and simmer until the meat is tender. The texture should be soft and slightly sticky, not tough.
Use unsweetened peanut butter so the sauce does not become too sweet. Also, add the pineapple near the end so it keeps its flavor and does not completely disappear into the sauce.
If the sauce gets too thick, add a little more broth. If it tastes flat, add a splash of fish sauce.
FAQ
Balbacua is made with ox feet, ox tail, beef skin, or a mix of these cuts. These parts are cooked until tender, then simmered in a rich sauce with annatto, star anise, fermented black beans, peanut butter, pineapple chunks, and pork and beans.
Yes, you can use beef cuts like beef shank or beef ribs, but the texture will be different. Ox feet and beef skin give Balbacua its signature sticky texture. If you use regular beef, the stew will still taste good, but it will be less rich and collagen-heavy.
No, but a pressure cooker makes the process faster. With a pressure cooker, the meat can become tender in about 45 to 60 minutes. In a regular pot, it may take around 2 hours or more depending on the size and toughness of the meat.
Blanching helps remove impurities, excess smell, and scum from the meat. This gives the final stew a cleaner flavor.
Yes. Add more siling labuyo or green chilies if you want it spicier. You can also serve extra chopped chilies on the side so everyone can adjust the heat to their liking.
Peanut butter thickens the sauce and adds a nutty flavor. Use unsweetened peanut butter so the dish stays savory and balanced.
Yes. Balbacua tastes better the next day because the flavors have more time to develop. Store it in the refrigerator and reheat gently on the stove. Add a little water or broth if the sauce becomes too thick.
Balbacua can last for about 3 to 4 days in the refrigerator when stored in an airtight container. Reheat only the portion you plan to eat.
Yes, you can freeze Balbacua. Let it cool completely, transfer it to freezer-safe containers, and freeze for up to 2 months. Thaw in the refrigerator before reheating.
Balbacua is best served with hot rice. You can also pair it with a simple vegetable side dish or a fresh salad.
Recipe Card
Balbacua Recipe
Ingredients
Method
- Blanch the ox feet. Place the ox feet, ox tail, or beef skin in a pot and add enough water to cover. Bring to a boil and cook uncovered for 10 minutes. Drain, discard the water, and rinse the meat well.
- Tenderize the meat. In a pressure cooker or large pot, add 8 cups water, ginger, salt, and the cleaned meat. Pressure cook for 45 to 60 minutes, or simmer in a regular pot for about 2 hours until tender.
- Reserve the broth. Remove the tender meat from the pot and set it aside. Save about 2 cups of the cooking broth for the sauce.
- Make the achuete oil. Heat oil in a wide pot over medium heat. Add the achuete seeds and cook for about 1 minute, or until the oil turns deep orange. Remove and discard the seeds.
- Sauté the aromatics. Add margarine to the achuete oil. Sauté the onion, garlic, and green chilies until fragrant.
- Add the meat and seasonings. Add the tender ox feet, star anise, and fermented black beans. Stir well so the meat absorbs the flavor.
- Make the sauce. Pour in 2 cups of reserved broth. Add tomato paste and peanut butter. Stir until the sauce becomes smooth and well combined.
- Finish the stew. Add pineapple chunks, pork and beans, bell pepper, and chili labuyo. Season with fish sauce or salt. Simmer for 5 minutes or longer until the sauce is thick and flavorful.
