When my family moved to the US, I was left with no household skills. I had to learn everything from scratch. One of the most intimidating tasks is cooking since there are so many ingredients to deal with and one wrong move can make it bland, too salty, or just plain burned. I learned along the way but I still feel anxious when I cook something new.
With quarantine guidelines in place, it’s much harder to go out to buy groceries. I also don’t want to rely on deliveries since it can be unhealthy and expensive. Thankfully, I discovered some meat shops that are ready to cook and heat. And they’re totally gourmet.
Check them out below:
The Good Tapa
The Good Tapa sells, well, tapa, but it comes in a flavorful marinade that it’s hard to go back to the ones we’re used to. What we love about this brand is that they have four flavors in two variants: local beef and Angus beef. We love the Original Good Tapa, which comes in a sweet sauce that’s kind of addictive. Those who want something hot can try the Spicy variant, while the Garlic is for those looking for a flavorful combination of sweet and salty. A unique variant is the Sweet Sesame, which adds a subtle nutty flavor. It also goes well with Basimatsi’s sauces. We recommend the sukang timplado.
Another thing we love about The Good Tapa: each pack comes with a QR code that you can scan, which leads to a video on how to cook it. Now you can cook the perfect tapsilog!
Follow The Good Tapa on Facebook and Instagram. Order on Sooshy’s Foodhall.
Boil-B-Que
Boil-B-Que takes your favorite ihaw products and makes it easier for you. All their items are pre-grilled, so all you need to do is boil the pack in water before serving. That’s right, you can enjoy your favorites from your suking barbecue stand without having to deal with skewering, marinating, burning coal, and the smoke. Boil-B-Que offers the standard ihaw products: pork barbecue, pork and chicken isaw, and tenga. We got to try their new offering, the liempo. As promised, we only needed to boil the pack for 15 minutes and it’s good to go. The meat is soft and perfectly grilled, and tastes just like the ones from our favorite ihawan.
Follow Boil-B-Que on Facebook. Order on Sooshy’s Foodhall.
Sooshy’s Curations
I’ve always avoided steak because I won’t be able to forgive myself if I overcook an exquisite and expensive slab of beef. As they say, steak is best enjoyed medium rare to maintain the beef’s juices. Now I’ve cured myself with Sooshy’s Curations. The brand has US Angus chuck steak that comes in different easy to cook sizes. The recipe is simple enough. Rub the meat with oil, salt, and pepper, then sear each for three minutes over medium-high heat. Add your garnishes and you’re done. That’s it. I overcooked mine a bit (it came out medium well) but I was surprised that it still came out incredibly juicy.
Order on Sooshy’s Foodhall.
Ermeatano
Ermeatano offers pre-cooked meats that you just need to boil. Their USDA Smoked Beef has been slow-cooked for over eight hours, so the meat is tender and comes with a smokey flavor. The beef is generous with its juices. The Smoked Pork Belly follows the same cooking method. Its flavor is slightly sweet, so it’s much lighter fare compared to the beef. All you need to do is thaw it and boil the pack for five to seven minutes. Ermeatano also has thick Smoked Ribs that comes with a delicious pepper sauce. Now it’s easy to have a gourmet meal without having to cook!
Order on Sooshy’s Foodhall.
Food Kit MNL
We got to try Food Kit MNL’s Buffalo Wings and Taiwanese Chicken Pops, and we were surprised at how simple it was to prepare both. All you need to do is coat them in all-purpose flour and deep fry. The Buffalo Wings comes with its own sauce you can toss the wings in, and a seriously addictive blue cheese dip. Meanwhile, the Taiwanese Chicken Pops comes with chicken pops that’s been pre-seasoned so it’s flavorful when you deep fry. It’s a bit on the spicy side but the heat is tolerable, and it is complemented by the pepper seasoning.
Follow Food Kit MNL on Facebook. Order on Sooshy’s Foodhall.
Happy Wolf
Photo from Happy Wolf
Happy Wolf’s thick-cut bacon is definitely not like the thin slivers you see in groceries. This one is thick, hefty, and packed with flavor. We’re not kidding. We got the peppercorn garlic and was blown away. Their bacon is made from premium ingredients, and dry-cured and apple-smoked. It pairs wells with eggs, pasta (we imagine it would go great with carbonara), bread, and salad, but as Filipinos, we paired it with rice. To cap off this indulgent meal, Happy Wolf also has desserts, such as the Chocolate Chip and Dark Fudge cookies, which don’t come with any preservatives. To make it even more luxurious, we recommend the Tres Leches dreamcake with liqueur.
Follow Happy Wolf and order from them on Facebook.
The Neat Meat by J’s
When you hear that The Neat Meat by J’s serves USDA ribeye steak (from grass-fed beef) that’s been imported from the US, it’s easy to be intimidated. Again, I might have overcooked it a bit so it came out as medium well, but the beef was so juicy that it came out just right. I still can’t believe it’s so simple to cook steak. Each pack comes with four slabs, perfect for those with big appetites. You can also upgrade to the USDA Angus Prime ribeye steak, which is 500 to 550 grams per piece.
Follow The Neat Meat by J’s and order from them on Facebook and Instagram.
Meat n Pack PH
Photos by MeatnPack PH
Meat n Pack’s tenderloin is the most challenging steak I’ve had to cook, but it’s a good thing that it’s the last I prepared. A kilo of tenderloin fresh from the Tagaytay Mahogany Market made me slightly nervous, but Meat n Pack has a video guide on how to cook it. The result is an indulgent slab of meat that will be the star of every meal. Meat n Pack has a wide variety of offerings at affordable prices, such as sirloin, porterhouse, and T-bone. They even have beef shank for bulalo that’s perfect for the rainy weather!
Follow Meat n Pack PH and order from them on Facebook and Instagram.
What do you think? Share your thoughts below!
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