Carneng Asada

Carneng Asada, Jose Rizal’s favourite dish, blends Spanish flavours with Filipino twists like rice flour-thickened sauce.  A dish once reserved for the Illustrados, Rizal’s favourite Carneng Asada reflects Spanish influence, Filipino ingenuity, and a mother’s love.

When we think of Dr. Jose Rizal, we picture him as the national hero, the prolific writer, the reformist who ignited Filipino nationalism. Rarely do we imagine him at the family table, eagerly waiting for his favourite dish: Carneng Asada.

This was no ordinary meal. Prepared with care by his mother, Teodora Alonzo, Carneng Asada was a dish of privilege, a beef recipe so refined and costly at the time that only the Illustrados, the educated elite, could afford to enjoy it. Teodora would even make the long journey from Calamba to Binondo just to buy the best ingredients, proof not only of their means but also of a mother’s devotion.

In a way, Rizal’s love for Carneng Asada tells us as much about 19th-century Filipino food culture as it does about the man himself.

The Culinary World of Rizal’s Time

Spanish colonisation didn’t just shape politics and religion; it reshaped the way Filipinos ate. Three centuries of Spanish influence introduced beef, olive oil, parsley, and new cooking techniques to the islands. While ordinary families sustained themselves on native dishes, the elite dined on expensive, imported-inspired fare.

Rizal’s family was part of this class, and it shows in his palate. He enjoyed Filipino classics like tinola, monggo soup, and sinigang na ayungin, but also French foie gras and, of course, his beloved Carneng Asada.

But make no mistake, the Filipino table never passively copied foreign recipes. It adapted. That’s why Rizal’s Carneng Asada looked very different from the Mexican Carne Asada or the Spanish asada. His version carried a uniquely Filipino twist.

Carneng Asada vs. Carne Asada

The Mexican Carne Asada is usually made with skirt or flank steak, marinated in citrus and spices, then grilled and served with tortillas and salsa. Rizal’s Carneng Asada, on the other hand, used thick cuts of beef marinated simply in olive oil, dayap juice, and parsley.

But what really set it apart was the sauce. Instead of a chile-based salsa, the leftover marinade was simmered and thickened with giniling na bigas (ground rice flour), a very Filipino technique, also used in kare-kare. This wasn’t just borrowed Spanish cuisine. It was a recipe transformed to suit local tastes and resources.

More Than Just a Dish

Carneng Asada is more than grilled beef. It’s a dish that reveals how food marked class, privilege, and cultural blending during Rizal’s time. For the Illustrados, enjoying such a dish meant access to imported goods, refined cooking, and the ability to merge foreign influence with Filipino ingenuity.

And for Rizal, it was a taste of home, lovingly prepared by his mother, grounding the national hero in something deeply personal and ordinary: the comfort of a family meal.

Today, Carneng Asada survives not as a mainstream dish but as a culinary relic, a window into the past that shows us how food tells the story of who we are, and who we were.

Rizal’s Carneng Asada: A Reconstructed Recipe

Thanks to food historians and descendants of Rizal, we can piece together how this dish was once enjoyed at the Alonzo household. Think of it as stepping back into 19th-century Calamba and tasting history on a plate.

Carneng Asada

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• Author: Raymund
• Prep Time: 15 mins
• Cook Time: 10 mins
• Total Time: 25 mins
• Yield: 6 1x
• Category: Main Course
• Cuisine: Filipino

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Description

Carneng Asada, Jose Rizal’s favourite dish, blends Spanish flavours with Filipino twists like rice flour-thickened sauce.

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Ingredients

Units USM Scale 1x2x3x

Beef

• 1 kg beef (nape, sirloin, or top round), thick cut
• 1/2 cup olive oil
• 1/3 cup dayap juice (Philippine lime) or lemon juice
• 1 spring fresh parsley, finely chopped
• salt

Sauce

• reserved marinade
• 1/4 cup rice flour
• 1 1/2 cups water (or beef stock for richness)

To Serve

• fried potatoes (optional, as historically served)
• fine salt, to finish

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Instructions

1. Combine olive oil, dayap juice, and parsley. Coat the beef well and marinate for at least 6 hours (overnight is better), turning occasionally.
2. Prepare hot charcoal or a grill. Roast the beef until cooked to your liking, brushing with marinade to keep it moist. Medium-rare to medium works beautifully.
3. Let the beef rest before slicing so the juices redistribute.
4. In a pan, simmer the reserved marinade with water or stock. Add rice flour gradually, whisking until a smooth, thick sauce forms.
5. Slice the beef against the grain, sprinkle lightly with salt, and serve with fried potatoes on the side. Present the sauce separately for dipping or pouring.

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