Sinigang (Without the Packet)

Wikipedia

Sinigang (or “Sinig-ang” in some dialects of Tagalog) is a tangy, sour soup popular in Philippine cuisine. Commonly it consists of a protein, beef, pork, chicken or seafood and a soup soured by tamarind (Tagalog: “sampalok”), guava, calamondin or “golden lime” (Tagalog: “kalamansi”), bilimbi, unripe mango or miso paste. This recipe uses tamarind -- the most popular.

Tamarind comes in dried pods. But, before cooking, the pods are soaked in water until the seeds can be separated from the sticky, brown pulp. Both the seeds and the outer husk are discarded. This can take some time, so companies such as Knorr have created convenient packets that contain tamarind powder and other seasonings. When you read the ingredient list of these packets you will find… MSG.

Monosodium glutamate (MSG) isn’t a “bad” seasoning, but it’s gained a reputation. There are those who steer clear of it. As for me, I use it occasionally when a recipe calls for it. And, as far as the convenient packets go, I’ve needed to use two or three to achieve that same tanginess that I prefer. How many I would used would depend on what brand. That would spell more packets, more MSG.

I like the idea of having more control over the seasonings I use and using only the tamarind fruit eschewing the packets. But, I just don’t have the experience with removing the fruit. I found a middle ground between convenience and real ingredients, however: tamarind concentrate or paste.

Living in Seattle, I was able to find tamarind concentrate and/or paste in various Asian supermarkets such as Viet Wah, HT Market near Oak Tree Cinemas in North Seattle or at the Uwajimaya in the International District/Chinatown.  Nevertheless, in this day and age tamarind concentrate/paste can be bought online via Amazon.com and the like.

I used about four tablespoons in my latest attempt. I was able to achieve that same zest that the friend that I was cooking for was surprised that I didn’t use a packet. Since I started cooking this way, I have only used tamarind concentrate with great results. I will never go back to the packets again!

Serves 4 - 6

Ingredients:

• 1 Tablespoon oil such as canola (“rapeseed”) or corn oil.
• 1 Medium onion diced
• 3 – 4 Garlic cloves smashed and minced

• A pinch or two of table salt
• 1 1/2 – 2 Lbs. Pork butt (AKA “shoulder”) cut into 1” cubes
• 3 – 4 Roma or plum tomatoes or 1 medium-sized tomato quartered
• Approximately 3 – 4 Cups of water to cover
• 2 – 4 Tablespoons tamarind concentrate or more it you want a tangier soup
• 1/2 Lb. Yard-long beans (“sitaw”), trimmed of their stems and cut into 1” pieces
• 1/2 Lb. Baby bok choy cut in quarters lengthwise

• (Optional) 1 Tablespoon fish sauce (“patis”) – You can substitute with one teaspoon (or less) of regular table salt

NOTES:

• Tomatoes – Most recipes I’ve read include tomatoes, but I’ve found that too much tomato can make the broth sweet, something you don’t want if you want a sour broth.
• The protein in this recipe is pork, but you can use beef or seafood. If you decide to use beef and good stew cut works well, but it might be necessary to cook longer to tenderize the beef.
• The yard-long beans and the bok choy are more of a suggestion. You can substitute any green, leafy vegetable in your dish.

Preparation:

1. Heat oil in a large pot such as 2 quart casserole or Dutch over medium high heat.
2. When the oil begins to shimmer, add the garlic and give it a quick stir.
3. Once the garlic is fragrant (less than one minute), add the diced onion. Add a few pinches of salt to help the onions sweat and become translucent. (3 – 4 minutes)
4. Add the pork and sauté until all pieces turn color. (5 – 6 minutes)
5. Stir in and macerate the tomatoes. If using, stir in the patis or add additional salt. Cover and let cook for 5 minutes.
6. Add water. Stir in the tamarind concentrate. Add one tablespoon at a time and taste. If it is as tangy as you want it at two tablespoons, stop. If you want it tangier, add another. But, make sure to stir and taste after each spoonful. Once it’s in, you can’t take it out!
7. Cover again and let cook for another 5 minutes.
8. Add the yard long beans. Cover again and cook for another 5 minutes.
9. Give the soup a stir. Add the bok choy; cover and cook for another 5 minutes.
10. At this point you can turn down the heat to medium-low and cook covered for another 10 – 20 minutes to allow the flavors to meld and for the pork to become tender.
11. Serve the soup with pork and vegetables in a bowl. Put steamed rice on a plate and pour a few tablespoons of patis into a small dipping bowl as a condiment.

Eating “Wet and Dry”

Sinigang is one of many dishes that can be eaten “wet and dry” in Filipino cuisine. What is meant by this is that the soup (the “wet”) is spooned over the rice (the “dry”) bit by bit as you eat. The rice in never soaked 100%. Fish out the pork or the vegetables and place onto the wet rice, spoon some of the condiment (here patis) over the protein and vegetables. Fill the spoon with the rice, soup and the pork and vegetables so you have everything in one bite. Enjoy!

Patis: Fish Sauce

Fish sauce is a very ancient cooking ingredient popular in South-East Asia. Essentially, it is the liquid extracted from fermented fish mixed with salt. Many fish sauces comprise mostly of anchovies, but other sauces will include other types of fish and sometimes spices.

It is not unknown in Western cooking, however. It was known by the Greeks as early as the fourth or third century BCE. The Romans used garum or liquamen who mixed it with wine, honey or vinegar. In fact, Worcestershire sauce has its origin in the Greco-Roman condiment.

Because of fish sauce’s fermented nature, it is pungent in both smell and flavor. Having said that, it should be used sparingly as both an ingredient and as a condiment. Remember: A little can go a very, very long way.

Making fish sauce is rather simple: Mix fish and salt together and then wait for the liquid to seep out. The main thing that must be kept in mind is the ratio between fish and salt (3:2). Too much salt, and you are preserving and drying out to fish; too much fish and you’re creating a smelly mess.

After making mine, I did not buy any fish sauce for three or four years! For one, I made a lot; and, two, I used it sparingly.

My recipe calls for only one fish (anchovies) and salt. There are no other ingredients needed.

Making fish sauce at home is for the hard-core home cook.

Disclaimer: There is a potential for food poisoning should you follow the steps below. Attempt at your own risk. Otherwise, just read on out of curiosity.

Ingredients:

The weights of the ingredients are a starting point. Adjust the amounts according to how much you wish to make. Maintain the weight ratio and you should be off to a good start. Remember: 3:2!

• 2lbs. Anchovies – If you can get freshly caught anchovies, that would be the best option. Otherwise, using frozen anchovies is the next best alternative. Make sure to thaw the fish.
• 3lbs. Rock Salt – This type of salt allows for the juices from the fish to “filter” out. Kosher salt would also work because of its coarseness. Anything finer such as table salt may not be to your advantage. Remember this is by weight and not by volume.

Tools:

• Latex gloves – This will keep the smell off of your hands as you work.
• One-gallon (at least) air-tight container – Make sure that it has a wide mouth and that it is air-tight to keep the smell in check.
• Turkey baster – Used for siphoning.
• Coffee filters – Used to remove sediment.
• Funnel – Used with the coffee filter.
• Air-tight container – This will be used to store the liquid.
• Serving container – This should be air-tight as well because the liquid will evaporate when not used.

Preparation:

These are directions that I got from my mother whom I have seen make patis/bugguong. The very first step is optional.

1. (Optional) Place the fish in a tightly covered pan or bowl and leave it on the counter for two to three days. If you are using frozen, do not open the bag. Yes! You read that right! The fish will be left out in the open for a couple of days. Leave it out for more days if you are daring. So, keep it tightly covered or place in somewhere else, say the garage, where it will not be disturbed. After the first couple of days, it will reek. I mean really reek!
2. When the fish is “ready” (if you’ve chosen to follow step one), or if you haven’t, and the fish is thawed or fresh, layer the bottom of you container with about 1/4” of the salt. Take some of the fish and make a 1/4” layer on top of the salt. Repeat layering salt and fish. Close the container tightly and store the container at room temperature where it will not be disturbed.
3. In two or three days, carefully open the container. The fermentation process may have already started and the smell will be overwhelming. If you followed the first step, bubbles may have formed and the liquid may have risen. You have need to give the mixture a stir to release any pockets of gas that might have formed in the layers. Once you are done, close the container tightly.
4. For about one month, check the container about every two or three days to stir the mixture. With each passing check, you will find that the smell will mellow considerably and will reek less. At the end of month, it should smell like fish sauce. If it still does not smell characteristically like fish sauce give it another two weeks to another month.
5. Once it smells mellower and like fish sauce, siphon some of the liquid using the turkey baster. Run the siphoned liquid through a coffee filter and into another air-tight container to remove the grey sediment. You will find that you might need to use a few filters before you fill the container you’re using to store the finished product for long term.
6. Use it as you would regular patis that you would otherwise have bought at the store.

Sources:

1. Fish Sauce (Wikipedia)
2. All About Fish Sauce (Nam Pla)
3. How Fish Sauce Is Made
4. Worcestershire sauce