Manong’s Beef Mami is a Filipino street food prepared with beef bone broth served over wheat noodles and cuts of tender beef meat and beef offal pieces accompanied by spring onions, soy sauce and hot sauce.
During the late 80’s and early 90’s this was me and my best friends usual merienda (afternoon teatime snacks). We always have this street food in Project 7 one corner before the church from EDSA. We came here quite regularly, it’s impossible for a week to pass without going here, that is why the Beef Mami vendor knows us already by heart, once he sees our car pass by, he instantly shouts, “2 orders?” which means he will prepare two bowls of this noodle soup for me and my best friends, so as we parked our merienda is being prepared. During those days, it’s one of the most unhygienic food stalls, just imagine a small push cart with everything on it, from kitchen to kitchen sink, utensils are surely not cleaned properly as he only have one drum of water for it, so it’s just a case of quickly rinse and repeat. What’s good though is that the cutleries were environmentally friendly during those times, which means non plastic fork and spoon were used, and the bowls are melamine (no plastic covering over it). We did not care during those days; we have a better immune system as we were so used to a variety of street food.
This food cart does not have a proper place, in fact it was just on a sidewalk and when we eat them, we just sit down on the gutter of the road as we slurp down its delicious broth. In the vendors cart there will be two big drums, one for the continuously simmering beef broth and the other drum for the cleaning water. On the broth drum there are several compartments storing the noodles and the meat, condiments such as spring onions, soy sauce and hot sauce are placed on a container just beside these big drums. The process is quite simple as everything comes precooked, first the vendor grabs a serving of noodles into a noodle basket, it is then dipped into the hot broth, noodles is placed into the bowl. The vendor then grabs several pieces of cooked beef cuts, places it in top of the noodles then a good amount of broth is scooped out and poured over to the bowl. It is then topped with chopped spring onions, drizzled with soy sauce and hot sauce. Now if you are a regular you can ask for more meat, ask for more soup after your first few slurps or add more condiments on it, I even ask the vendor to grab the floating fat on top of the simmering broth and add it into my bowl. It was comfort in a bowl and for just PHP 5.00 (US$.10) per serve, who can beat that. Those were fun times, luckily, I never got Hepatitis during those days because it was a common occurrence when you eat on this stall.
Today we are recreating those days, reminiscing the old times but making this recipe at home. It is quite a simple dish, not laborious but definitely you need to be patient because the key here is the broth, once you get it right then the rest follows.
Manongs Beef Mami is a Filipino street food prepared with beef bone broth served over wheat noodles and cuts of tender beef meat and beef offal pieces accompanied by spring onions, soy sauce and hot sauce.
In a pot add the beef bones and beef brisket, fill it with water until meat is fully submerged. Bring to a boil then simmer for 15 minutes.
Remove pot from stove then drain the liquid, clean bones, and meat with running water to remove any scum.
In a clean pot add oil, place over stove top in medium heat. Add the garlic then sauté until fragrant.
Add the onions then let it sweat for a couple of minutes.
Separate beef bones and brisket, place beef bones in the pot together with black peppercorns, set aside the beef brisket. Add water until bones are entirely covered.
Bring to a boil and simmer in low heat for 2 1/2 hours.
Once done, set it aside and keep it cool. Once cooled down remove the bones and set it aside.
Using a sieve strain the broth and pour it in a large bowl, keep it on the fridge until the oil rises to the top and hardens, now you can easily separate it out then throw it away, you will not be using this unhealthy fat.
Place beef brisket and cooked bones on a deep pot then the clear broth, bring this to a boil then simmer for an hour.
Season with salt or fish sauce and freshly ground pepper.
Prepare your noodles, cook it according to packet instructions. Place noodles on individual serving bowls. Ladle some hot soup into the bowl then add some beef brisket. Garnish with chopped spring onions then serve with soy sauce and sriracha on the side.
While that food cart isn’t something I’d consider nowadays, you are describing the entire process so appetizing haha! The noodles + beef = excellent dish!
Beef for the win and meat heals! I could eat this every single day…darn…every single meal even. This is a comfort food at its best!
I love the story behind us, Raymund. Food from our youth is often the most important food of our lives!
I love noodles in clear beef soup! Bet i’ll love this too!
While that food cart isn’t something I’d consider nowadays, you are describing the entire process so appetizing haha! The noodles + beef = excellent dish!
★★★★★