Caldereta is the Filipino stew that shows up when it matters, family dinners, fiestas, potlucks, holiday tables. It's rich, deeply sauced, and the kind of thing that disappears fast once the rice is out.
This pork spare ribs version is a little more weeknight-friendly than the traditional goat or beef caldereta, but every bit as bold. Tender ribs, thick tomato sauce, liver spread for depth, and crispy potatoes on top. One pot, worth every minute of the simmer.
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Jump to:
- What Is Caldereta?
- How Is Caldereta Different from Afritada and Menudo?
- Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Ingredients You'll Need
- How to Make Pork Spare Ribs Caldereta
- Rose's Top Tips
- Variations
- What to Serve With Pork Caldereta
- Recipe FAQs
- More Filipino Pork and Stew Recipes
- Did you try this recipe?
- Pork Spare Ribs Caldereta
What Is Caldereta?
Caldereta, or kaldereta, is a Filipino braised stew with Spanish roots, named after caldera (cauldron). It’s traditionally made with goat, but beef, pork, and chicken are common too.
What really defines caldereta is the sauce: a rich tomato base with soy sauce and fish sauce, finished with liver spread for deep flavor and thickness. Add potatoes, carrots, bell peppers, and optional olives, then serve it with rice.
How Is Caldereta Different from Afritada and Menudo?
They look similar, but the sauce is what separates them.
Caldereta is the boldest, made rich and savory with liver spread.
Afritada is lighter and brighter, just a simple tomato and soy braise with no liver.
Menudo uses diced pork and pork liver, and it’s usually the sweetest, often with raisins and a chunkier texture.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- The sauce is the whole point. Liver spread, tomato, and slow-braised pork ribs create a sauce thick and rich enough that rice is almost beside the point. Almost.
- Spare ribs are the right cut. Pork ribs have enough fat and collagen to braise beautifully. The connective tissue breaks down into the sauce and makes it silky in a way that leaner cuts can't match.
- Customizable to your family's version. Peanut butter, cheese, coconut milk, extra chilies. Caldereta is one of those dishes where every family has their own spin.
- Better the next day. Like all Filipino braises, caldereta deepens and improves overnight. Make it ahead and you'll be glad you did.
Ingredients You'll Need
- Pork spare ribs (St. Louis style) - Cut into 2-inch pieces for even cooking. St. Louis style has the cartilage trimmed, which makes them more uniform and easier to braise. Baby back ribs also work but are leaner and will cook through faster.
- Liver spread - The most important ingredient after the ribs. See the section below.
- Tomato sauce and tomato paste - The two-component base gives you both volume (sauce) and concentrated depth (paste). Don't substitute one for the other.
- Garlic and onion - The aromatic foundation. Sauté until soft before anything else goes in.
- Bay leaves (laurel) - Adds a subtle herbal undertone to the braise. Remove before serving.
- Beef powder or beef broth - Adds meaty depth. If using broth instead of water, reduce or skip the beef powder to avoid oversalting.
- Fish sauce or salt - Fish sauce is the traditional seasoning choice; it adds umami without tasting "fishy" in the finished dish.
- Potatoes and carrots - Fried separately first so they hold their shape and texture in the finished stew. Add them back at the end.
- Red and green bell peppers - Added in the final few minutes so they keep a little color and crunch.
- Olives (optional) - Green olives add a briny contrast that's traditional in festive caldereta versions. Add in the last 10 minutes.
- Thai chilies (optional) - For heat. Start with one and taste before adding more.
See recipe card for quantities.
How to Make Pork Spare Ribs Caldereta
- In a large pot or dutch pan, add oil and fry the potatoes until golden brown. Set aside.
- Add the chopped onion and garlic, and sauté until they become translucent and fragrant.
- Add the pork spare ribs and brown them on all sides to lock in the flavor.
- Add the liver spread, bay leaf, beef powder, salt, fish sauce, and pepper. Stir to combine.
- Pour in the tomato sauce, tomato paste, and water or beef broth. Bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce the heat to a simmer. Cover and cook for 45 minutes to 1 hour, or until the meat is tender and the sauce has thickened.
- Stir in the chopped bell peppers, carrots, and potatoes. Cook for a few minutes to allow the flavors to blend. If you prefer extra heat, add the Thai chili peppers.
Rose's Top Tips
- Brown the ribs in batches. Crowding the pot drops the temperature and steams the ribs instead of browning them.
- Add the liver spread before the liquid. Stir it into the aromatics and let it cook for a minute before pouring in the tomato sauce. This blooms the liver spread's flavor and integrates it into the base rather than having it float in the sauce.
- Keep the braise low and slow. Pork ribs need time to become tender, 45 minutes minimum, up to 90 minutes if your ribs are thick or you prefer the meat fully falling off the bone. A vigorous boil toughens the meat and can scorch the tomato sauce. Low and covered is the move.
- Add vegetables late. Carrots go in during the last 10–15 minutes; bell peppers and fried potatoes in the last 5. This keeps everything from turning to mush.
- Sauce too thin? Simmer uncovered for 5–10 extra minutes to reduce. Sauce too thick? Add a splash of water or broth and stir.
- It's better the next day. The sauce thickens and deepens significantly overnight. If you're making this for a gathering, make it the day before, just reheat gently on the stove with a splash of water, and refry or air-fry the potatoes fresh before serving.
Variations
- With peanut butter - Stir in 1–2 tablespoons of smooth peanut butter in the last 10 minutes of cooking. It adds a creamy, slightly nutty richness and thickens the sauce.
- With cheese - Add ¼–½ cup of shredded cheddar in the last 5 minutes and stir until melted. It makes the sauce thicker, creamier, and noticeably richer. This is one of the most popular "festive" versions of caldereta.
- With coconut milk - Replace ½ cup of water or broth with full-fat coconut milk for a slightly sweet, creamy sauce. Works especially well with pork.
- Spicy caldereta - Add 2–3 Thai bird's eye chilies in the last 15 minutes of the braise.
- Beef caldereta - Swap pork ribs for beef chuck or short ribs. Increase the braise time to 1.5–2 hours until the beef is fork-tender.
- Chicken caldereta - Use bone-in chicken thighs and reduce the braise time to 25–30 minutes. Lighter and faster, but still good.
- With raisins - A small handful of raisins added to the sauce adds a subtle sweetness that's traditional in some households, similar to the way raisins appear in Filipino menudo.
What to Serve With Pork Caldereta
Steamed white rice is the only essential, the caldereta sauce was made to be spooned generously over it.
For sides, atchara (pickled green papaya) is the perfect counterpoint. Its bright tang cuts right through the rich tomato sauce. A simple green salad or garlic green beans both work well for a lighter vegetable alongside. For a full fiesta spread, serve caldereta alongside pork guisantes and pancit — that's the classic Filipino celebration table.
Recipe FAQs
Liver spread is a smooth canned liver pâté that adds rich flavor to sauces. Reno is the most common brand. Look for it at Filipino groceries, many Asian markets, or online. Liver pâté or mashed liverwurst can work in a pinch.
They are all tomato-based stews, but caldereta uses liver spread for a deeper sauce. Afritada is lighter with no liver and is often made with chicken. Menudo uses diced pork plus pork liver, and it’s usually sweeter with raisins and sometimes chorizo.
Yes. Pork shoulder chunks or pork belly work well. Avoid pork loin since it dries out with long braising.
Yes. Brown the ribs and sauté aromatics first, then slow cook everything except potatoes, carrots, and bell peppers. Cook low 6 to 8 hours or high 3 to 4 hours. Add veggies in the last 30 minutes and stir in liver spread during the last hour.
Yes, it tastes better the next day. Cool, refrigerate overnight, then reheat gently. Keep fried potatoes separate and crisp them up again in a pan or air fryer.
Liver spread is the key. It adds a savory richness that sets it apart from similar dishes.
Yes, in some regions, especially Visayas and Mindanao. It adds creaminess and a mild nuttiness. It’s optional but really good with pork.
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Pork Spare Ribs Caldereta
Equipment
- 1 dutch pan, large pot
Ingredients
- 3 pounds St. Louis Style Pork spare ribs washed and pat dried, cut into about 2 inch
- 2 tablespoon cooking oil for frying potatoes
- 2 cups Potatoes cut into medium cubes
- 1 cup Onion chopped
- 4 cloves Garlic minced
- 2 cups Red bell pepper and Green bell pepper choped
- 1 cup carrots chopped
- 15 ounce Tomato sauce
- ⅓ cup Tomato paste
- 2 pieces Bay leaf
- 3 ounces Liver spread
- 1 tablespoon Beef powder
- 1 cup Water or beef broth
- 1 tablespoon Salt or Fish sauce
- ¼ teaspoon Black Pepper
- ½ cup Olives optional
- 3 Thai Chili peppers optional
Instructions
- Rinse and pat dry the pork spare ribs. Cut them into manageable piece.
- In a large pot or dutch pan, add oil and fry the potatoes until golden brown. Set aside.2 cups Potatoes, 2 tablespoon cooking oil
- Add the chopped onion and garlic, and sauté until they become translucent and fragrant.1 cup Onion, 4 cloves Garlic
- Add the pork spare ribs and brown them on all sides to lock in the flavor.3 pounds St. Louis Style Pork spare ribs
- Add the liver spread, bay leaf, beef powder, salt, fish sauce, and pepper. Stir to combine.2 pieces Bay leaf, 3 ounces Liver spread, 1 tablespoon Beef powder, 1 tablespoon Salt or Fish sauce, ¼ teaspoon Black Pepper
- Pour in the tomato sauce, tomato paste, and water or beef broth. Bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce the heat to a simmer.15 ounce Tomato sauce, ⅓ cup Tomato paste, 1 cup Water or beef broth
- Cover and cook for 45 minutes to 1 hour, or until the meat is tender and the sauce has thickened.
- Stir in the chopped bell peppers, carrots, olives and potatoes. Cook for a few minutes to allow the flavors to blend. If you prefer extra heat, add the Thai chili peppers.2 cups Red bell pepper and Green bell pepper, 1 cup carrots, 3 Thai Chili peppers, ½ cup Olives
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Notes
- Brown the ribs well: Don’t rush this step. Deep browning = deeper, richer sauce later.
- Cut ribs evenly: About 2-inch pieces cook more evenly and stay tender.
- Peanut butter option: Add 1–2 tablespoons if you like a creamier, slightly nutty caldereta (very traditional).
- Coconut milk swap: Replace ½ cup of broth with coconut milk for a richer, slightly sweet sauce.
- Sauce too thin? Simmer uncovered for a few extra minutes to thicken.
- Sauce too thick? Splash in water or broth until it loosens up.
- Spice level: Thai chilies add heat fast—start with one and adjust.
- Make-ahead friendly: Caldereta tastes even better the next day as the flavors deepen.
- Storage: Keep leftovers refrigerated up to 4 days or freeze up to 3 months.
- Reheating tip: Reheat gently on the stove with a splash of water or broth to keep the sauce silky.
Shane says
Where do you even find liver spread, never seen it at my regular grocery
Rose Sioson says
Hello Shane, liver spread is usually in the international/Asian foods aisle, sometimes near the canned meats or pâté. If your store doesn't carry it, Asian grocery stores almost always have it, or Amazon has it too. And if you don't have it on hand, you can omit it.