Stew · Beef

Beef Pares with Garlic Rice

Name: Beef Pares with Garlic Rice
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 110 min
Total time: 130 min
Yield: 4–6 servings
Cuisine: Filipino
Ingredients: 1 kg beef chuck, cut into 4 cm pieces; 2 tbsp neutral cooking oil; 1 onion, finely chopped; 6 garlic cloves, minced; 1 thumb-size piece ginger, sliced; ⅓ cup soy sauce; 2 tbsp brown sugar; 2 whole star anise; 1 small cinnamon stick; 4 cups beef stock or water; 1 tbsp cornflour mixed with 2 tbsp cold water; Freshly ground black pepper, to taste; 4 cups cold cooked rice; 5 garlic cloves, finely chopped, for the rice; 2 tbsp cooking oil, for the rice; Spring onions and fried garlic, to serve; Fine salt, to taste (use less when the dish contains soy sauce, fish sauce or bagoong)

Tender soy-braised beef with warm spices, garlic rice and clear broth.

Prep 20 minCook 110 min Serves 4–6

By Lasang Pinoy at Home · Reviewed 27 September 2026

Homemade Filipino Beef Pares with Garlic Rice

Ingredients

Measure and prepare everything before you begin cooking.

1 kg beef chuck, cut into 4 cm pieces
2 tbsp neutral cooking oil
1 onion, finely chopped
6 garlic cloves, minced
1 thumb-size piece ginger, sliced
⅓ cup soy sauce
2 tbsp brown sugar
2 whole star anise
1 small cinnamon stick
4 cups beef stock or water
1 tbsp cornflour mixed with 2 tbsp cold water
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
4 cups cold cooked rice
5 garlic cloves, finely chopped, for the rice
2 tbsp cooking oil, for the rice
Spring onions and fried garlic, to serve
Fine salt, to taste (use less when the dish contains soy sauce, fish sauce or bagoong)

Instructions

1
Pat the beef dry and season with pepper. Heat one tablespoon of oil in a heavy pot over medium-high heat and brown the beef in batches, giving each piece room to colour. Transfer the browned beef to a plate.
2
Lower the heat to medium and add the remaining oil. Cook the onion for 4 minutes, then add the garlic and ginger and stir for 1 minute. Pour in the soy sauce and scrape the base of the pot.
3
Return the beef and its juices. Add the brown sugar, star anise, cinnamon and stock. Bring to a simmer, cover partly and cook gently for 80–100 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the beef is fork-tender.
4
Lift out about 1 cup of the clear braising liquid and dilute it with hot water to taste for the accompanying broth. Keep it hot and season lightly with pepper and spring onion.
5
Stir the cornflour slurry into the beef and simmer uncovered for 3–5 minutes, until the sauce is glossy and coats the meat. Taste before adding any extra soy sauce because the liquid has concentrated.
6
For the garlic rice, heat two tablespoons of oil in a wide pan over medium-low heat. Fry the chopped garlic until pale gold, remove half for garnish, then add the cold rice. Break up the grains and stir-fry until evenly hot; season lightly.
7
Serve the pares with garlic rice and a small bowl of hot broth. Scatter spring onions and the reserved crisp garlic over the beef and rice.

FROM THE FILIPINO TABLE

About Beef Pares with Garlic Rice

Beef pares is named for the pairing of tender sweet-savoury braised beef with garlic rice and a light bowl of broth. It is closely associated with neighbourhood pares houses and roadside meals, but its slow braise is equally suited to a home kitchen.

Ingredient swaps wherever you cook

Beef chuck is widely available in many countries and becomes tender with slow simmering; brisket is another good choice.
Use a reduced-salt soy sauce if that is what you keep at home, then adjust only after the sauce reduces.
Cold jasmine or medium-grain rice makes good sinangag; day-old rice separates most easily.

How to know it is ready

Brown the beef in uncrowded batches so it develops colour instead of steaming.
The braise should barely bubble; the beef is ready when a fork enters without resistance.
Add cornflour only after the beef is tender and simmer until the sauce is glossy rather than gluey.

Common mistakes and fixes

Tough beef: it needs more gentle cooking, not higher heat; add a little hot water and continue simmering.
Overly salty sauce: taste after reduction and dilute with unsalted stock or water before thickening.
Bitter garlic rice: fry garlic over medium-low heat and remove it at pale gold because it darkens quickly.

Family and regional variations

Cook the braise in a pressure cooker, following the appliance instructions, then reduce the sauce uncovered.
Add a small piece of orange peel for another aromatic note, removing it before serving.
Serve the beef over noodles with broth for a pares mami-style meal.

Storage and reheating

Refrigerate the beef, broth and rice in separate covered containers for up to 3 days. Reheat the beef and broth until steaming hot. Reheat rice only once and ensure it is piping hot throughout; freeze cooled beef and sauce for up to 2 months.

What to serve with it

Serve as the classic trio: saucy beef pares, garlic fried rice and clear hot broth. Offer chilli-garlic oil, spring onions and extra fried garlic at the table.

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