HOW TO MAKE CRISPY BINAGOONGANG BABOY (PORK STEWED in SHRIMP PASTE)

I’ve made this dish in the past using one whole jar of bagoong… It’s a favorite of mine with a potent smell of the fermented shrimp.

THE SECRET TO CRUNCHY CRISPY PORK BELLY REVEALED! (CHINESE STYLE RECIPE)

When I get a chance, I will try this recipe.

Why Eating Pork Cooked Medium Is Not As Scary As You Might Believe — The...

It used to be that we needed to cook pork all the way through just like chicken. But, as of late, that opinion has changed and it's fine to eat pork a little less done.

As Nick says, "Don't be afraid to eat your pork medium, medium-rare..."

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!

Sammy's Ramen

Tonight after coming home I decided to make something with ramen, the typical food of the college-aged kid. Mind you, it's not something I had very much when I was going to college. But, ramen does remind me of my mom who used to give it to us for lunch when we were younger. The best part of it was that she would crack an egg into the broth – my favorite part.

I couldn't devise a good name for this dish, so I decided to name this after the cat with whom I live: Sammy. He was the first to greet me when I came home.

Ingredients:

• 1/4 Lb. of pork. I used the "country style" pork ribs (boneless). Cut into 1/4 inch slices.
• One pack of ramen. Choose any brand you like, but set aside the "flavor packet". Use it for something else if you want or just throw it away. I will have to try with “fresh” ramen.
• 3 - 4 cups of water
• 1 - 3 Tablespoons of fish sauce or soy sauce. Add according to taste. This will be a salty broth.
• 3 - 4 Scallion (green onion) stalks. Sliced. Separate the white from the green.
• 1 Tablespoon of sesame oil
• 1/4 Teaspoon of grated ginger. Or, if you're too anxious, 1 - 2 1/4 inch thick slices.
  

Directions:

1. Mix the pork with the fish sauce or soy sauce in a small bowl.
2. In a medium-size sauce pan, bring to a boil the water and the white part of the scallions.
3. Once boiling add the sliced pork and cook until the pork changes color. 3 - 4 minutes.
4. Remove the pork and set aside.
5. Turn down the heat to medium.
6. Put the pack of ramen and cook for 1 - 3 minutes until the noodles soften. Do not cook until mushy.
7. Add the sesame oil and stir into the noodles.
8. Stirring constantly, cook for another 2 - 3 minutes.
9. Portion out the noodles into each bowl.
10. Portion out the pork slices on top of the noodles.
11. Pour broth into each bowl over the pork and noodles.
12. Garnish with the green part of the scallions.
13. Slurp to your hunger's content.