Lechon

Lechon is one of the great legacy of Spain here in the Philippines. Normally we see Lechon in occasions like wedding, fiesta, graduation, etc.. In the Philippines, lechon is a staple food for celebrations.

Lechon is traditionally cooked in a open roast setting, the whole pig is skewered  in a bamboo and manually rotates the bamboo as the pig cooks/roasted. Cebu has the best Lechon in the whole country and as per Anthony Bourdain says "best pig in the world...". Cebuanos takes great pride on their lechon as they have many variants and one example is the boneless lechon.

Ok guys, in all honesty I have not tried to cook a lechon but I have an idea, I do not want to share it with you because you might end up beating me up. lol We'll leave it to the experts.

Step by step guide on preparing and cooking a Lechon.

#lechon #bestpigintheworld #pilipinoexpress #lechoncebu

Pork (Ribs) Caldereta

Pork Caldereta is one of the most common meat used in a Caldereta dish, but you can really make it special when you use Pork Ribs or Pork Shanks, ribs is a bit more expensive but I prefer ribs because you can cook it as slow as you can so the ribs will be falling off the bone, and all those marrow will provide extra flavor on the sauce. YUM!~

Ingredients

• 1 kg of Pork Ribs or any part of pork you prefer
• 2 Cups of Tomato Sauce
• Pork Liver 1 Cup (minced) or Liver spread 2-3 Tbsp
• 3-5 Cloves of Garlic (minced)
• 1 Medium Onion (chopped)
• 2-3 Dried Bay Leaves (optional)
• 2 Medium Carrots (cubed)
• 2 Medium Potatoes (cubed)
• 1 Medium Green Bell Pepper (sliced)
• 1 Medium Red Bell Pepper (sliced)
• 1/2 Cup of Green Pea
• Salt and Pepper
• 1/2 Tbsp of Sugar

Procedure

• Fry the carrots and potatoes, it will give extra flavor believe me on this. Set aside
• On the same pan/pot, reduce oil and Saute Garlic and Onions
• Add Pork Ribs, let it brown
• Add the Liver cook for another 5mins keep stirring, if you will use liver spread add and stir then go to the next step
• Add the Tomato Sauce, Bay Leaf, Sugar and 2 Cups of Hot Water
• Let it boil for around 30 - 45mins til the meat is tender, check water levels if it dries out add a bit of water.
• Add the carrots, potatoes & peas, Cook for another 5mins
• salt and pepper to taste
• Add the green and red bell peppers, let it simmer for another 5mins
• We are done here

*NOTE: Best eaten w/ fish sauce and chillies or soy sauce and chillies

#spareribscaldereta #calderetangspareribs

Caldereta

Caldereta was adapted from the Spaniards when they occupied the Philippines for 300 years. Originally it was a goat stew cooked with tomatoes, potatoes, spices, liver, peas, olives, bell peppers and hot peppers. Now it is one of the popular dishes in the Philippines especially in the northern part which is Luzon. You can

cook Caldereta using various types of meat ranging from pork, beef, chicken, goat or sometimes game meats. Usually in small eateries, festivities, parties, celebrations or special occasions you will see Caldereta being served.

On my next posts you will see variants of Caldereta dishes like pork, beef and chicken. We'll stick with the common but I do want to inform you that most native people here in the Luzon surely will like a Duck or  Goat Caldereta.

#caldereta #calderetangbaka #calderetangbaboy #calderetangmanok #pilipinoexpress

Mechado

Traditionally Mechado is cooked using cheap parts of meat, just put them all in 1 pot and boil the hell out of them. But now its a different ballgame, we sometimes use high end cuts of meat, we also use beef, poultry or game. Mechado was a Spanish influence in the Philippine Culinary.

Ingredients

• 1 Kg of Pork (Preferably Pork Shoulder w/ Fat)
• 2 cups of Tomato Sauce
• 1/4 Cup of Vinegar
• 1/2 Cup of Tomato Paste
• 1 Onion, minced
• 2 Green Bell Peppers, Chopped
• 4-5 Cloves of Garlic, minced
• 3 Bay Leaves
• 2 Large Potatoes, Cut in cubes
• 2 Carrots, Cut in cubes
• Pork Stock
• 1/4 Cup of Soy Sauce
• Salt and Pepper to taste
• Long Green Chillies, chopped (Optional)

Procedure

• In a large pan, saute garlic and onion
• Add the pork let it brown
• Add the Vinegar, bay leaf, salt and black pepper, let it simmer for about 5-10mins (low fire), do not stir
• Add Soy Sauce, Tomato Sauce & Tomato paste, let it boil
• Add 1 cup of Pork Stock, let it boil (Add pork stock accordingly, just balance the sauce not too saggy not too thick)
• Add the Potatoes and Carrots, Let it simmer til potatoes and carrots softens
• Secret ingredient.... 1 tbsp of Sugar. Believe me, when you are cooking using tomato sauce sugar really helps bring out the flavor.
• Add Green Bell Peppers and Long green Chillies, let it simmer for another 3-5mins. Ready to serve! :)

Best eaten with a mix of fish sauce w/ chillis on the side.

Kare-Kare

Kare-Kare is considered a Stew, normally an oxtail would be perfect but these days some uses lean meat, pork belly, tripe (i love this), chicken and sometimes seafood. But if you know me I would stick to the original just like paying homage to the dish.

Ingredients:

• 1kg of Oxtail, Chopped into 2" length
• 1/2 Cup of Peanut butter (unsweetened)
• 1 stack of Long Beans, cut into 2" length (Sitaw)
• 3-4 cloves of Garlic, minced
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 6 tbsp of Achuete/Atsuete
• 1 Large Eggplant, Cut in half and cut into 2" length
• 2 stack of Pechay or Bokchoy
• 2 tbsp of Shrimp paste
• 4-5 tbsp of Peanut, crushed finely (secret ingredient, makes a huge difference)

 Procedure

• Oxtail Procedure
• In a large pot or pressure cooker boil the oxtail until tender, pressure cooker will only take about 45mins to an hour a normal boiling may take 1hr 30mins to 2hrs depends on the meat.
• Once meat is tender remove the meat from the broth but set aside the broth please.
• Achuete/Atsuete Procedure
• In a pan put about 1/2 cup of vegetable oil and start stir frying the atchuete until the oil turns reddish, mostly takes about 5mins
• strain the achuete and set aside the oil
• Now time to get a "wok" if you don't have one you can use a regular deep pan.
• Add half of the achuete oil and saute garlic and onions, let them caramelize
• Add the shrimp paste, saute for another 2mins
• Add the meat, saute for another 2mins
• Gently add the stock, we start at 2cups, we will gradually add the remaining stock if the dish gets dried out
• Add the peanut butter, make sure you stir it properly so we avoid clumps
• Add the beans cook for 5mins
• Add eggplant cook for another 5mins
• Add the Bokchoy cook for another 2mins
• Lastly add the crushed peanuts and again please stir the dish properly
• Let it simmer for about 2mins
• Consistency check.... If the sauce is too thick we need to add a bit of our stock.

*NOTE: Best eaten with shrimp paste as a side, chillis optional.

#karekare #pilipinoexpress

Binagoongang Baboy (Pork Sautéed in Shrimp Paste)

Binagoongang Baboy or Pork Sautéed in Shrimp Paste is also one of the delicacies here in the Philippines, the salty and savory taste will definitely make a mark on your pallets. Very very very easy to cook. Try it out.

Ingredients

• 1 Kg Pork Belly/Liempo (you can use lean meat but i prefer a mix of fat and lean meat or you can also use any part of the pork that you want)
• 1 cup of Shrimp Paste
• 3 - 5  Cloves of Garlic (minced)
• Small Ginger (minced)
• 1/4 Cup of Vinegar
• 1 Medium Onion (minced)
• 2 Long Green Chilli/Finger Chilli
• 1 tsp of Brown Sugar
• Pinch of Black Pepper
• 1 Red Chilli (optional)

Procedure

• Saute Garlic, Onion & Ginger
• Add Pork Belly,  Saute for about 3 - 5 mins
• Add the Vinegar, Let it boil
• Add the Shrimp Paste, Cook for another 3 - 5 mins
• Add Sugar, Green, Black Pepper and Red Chilli
• Cook for another 5 - 10 mins until pork is tender.

*NOTE: Best eaten while hot with a steamy cup of rice, some also eat this with mangoes, okra, eggplant, bitter gourd, as I've said whatever your pallet enjoys go for it....   Enjoy :)

#binagoongangbaboy #pilipinoexpress

Bicol Express

Bicol Express is a Popular Filipino Dish, before its only Pork Belly and Green Chilli now we have a lot of variants of this dish. But today we will stick with the original. :)

A little trivia before we start. Did you know that Bicol Express is not originally from Bicol? It was popularize in Malate, Manila but cooked as a traditional Bicolano Style. It is named after the Train Trasport "Bicol Express" that travels from Manila to Bicol.

Ingredients

• 1 Kg. Liempo/Pork Belly
• 3 - 5 Cloves of Garlic (Minced)
• 1 Small Ginger (Minced)
• 1 Medium Onion Minced)
• 3 Cups of Coconut Milk
• 1/4 Kg of Long Green Chilli/Siling Mahaba (Chopped)
• Red Chilli (Chopped, optional if you want extra heat)
• 1/2 Cup of Shrimp Paste
• Salt and Pepper to taste

Procedure

• Saute Garlic, Onion and Ginger
• Add the Shrimp Paste, Cook for 3-5 Mins
• Add the Meat, cook for about 3-5mins
• Add the Chilli, cook for another 5mins
• Add the Coconut Milk, bring to a boil
• Taste the heat if you are satisfied if not then add the Red Chillis
• Add Salt and Pepper to taste (I don't really add salt because the Shrimp paste is already salty)
• Simmer for another 10mins and you are ready to go.

Well I want a little fish sauce with chili as a sauce on the side, just a drop for each bite. YUM!

#bicolexpress #wantsomeheat #pilipinoexpress

Sinigang na Baboy (Pork)

Sinigang na Baboy (Pork) is the most common way of cooking Sinigang, because #1 reason is that Pork isn't that hard to find plus it is a lot cheaper compared with other produce, and most of the time it doesn't require pro long cooking like beef.

Ingredients

• 1 Kg of Liempo (Pork Belly) - You can use any other part of the pork, I just prefer pork belly because it is a lot softer than other parts, plus you have the combination of lean meat and a little bit of fat and it makes the dish a lot better.
• 1 Medium Radish (Labanos) - Chopped
• 1 Onion - Sliced
• 1 Tomato - Sliced
• 1 Stack of String Beans (Sitaw) - Cut (2" length)
• 5pcs of Okra - Cut in half
• 1 - 2 Stack of Water Spinach (Kangkong) - Cut (2" length, remove the bottom part which is hard just take the soft part of the Water Spinach)
• 3 - 4 pcs of Long Green Chili/Finger Chili (Siling Mahaba)
• 500g of Tamarind (You can use ready made tamarind powder or Sinigang Mixes but nothing beats the original. :D)
• Salt and Pepper to taste
• 750ml of Water

Procedure

• Tamarind Procedure
• Wash and clean the Tamarinds
• Boil Tamarind in a Separately, cook until tamarind is soft
• Remove the Tamarind from boiled water (do not throw away the water)
• Get a bowl and mash the tamarinds add a cup of the boiled water
• Strain the mixture when all is mashed to remove the seeds and skin of the Tamarind
• Set aside the strained mixture of Tamarind
• In a large pot add the 750ml of water, bring to a boil
• Add the pork belly, let it cook for 5 - 10mins in a medium heat
• Remove or skim the floating scum that is on top of the pot, this is a must for me
• Add onions, tomatoes, long green chili/finger chili and radish
• Add salt and pepper, Cook for another 10mins, medium heat
• Now this is the delicate part, add the strained mixture of tamarind, you need to taste it while adding the mixture, it can be too sour or less sour depending on your taste, I suggest add a little portion at a time. Bring to a boil.
• Add the string beans, cook for another 10mins.
• Add Okra, cook for 5mins (low heat)
• Finally add the water spinach, cook for another 10mins (low heat)
• Now the dish is ready to serve and best eaten with fish sauce as a condiment, get the long green chili's and mash it with a 2 tbsp of fish sauce. Enjoy :) 

#sinigangnababoy #porksinigang #pilipinoexpress

Pork Adobo

Pork adobo, I can describe it as simply the best.

The process of cooking is the same on all Adobo's, but a lot of people like to add some twists on their dishes, this time we will stick to what is traditional.

Let's start with the ingredients.

• 1/2 kg Pork Belly (Again you can use whatever part you want)
• 1/2 cup White Vinegar
• 1/4 - 1/2 cup of Soy Sauce (The measurement varies depends on how dark you want your Adobo to turn out)
• 4 Cloves of Garlic (crushed)
• 1 Whole Medium Size Onion
• 2 Tbsp of Black Pepper

Process

• Saute garlic and onion, add pork when the garlic is brown, now let the pork have some color before adding the vinegar. 
• After the vinegar is added let it cook for about 5mins and then follow it up with the soy sauce & pepper.
• Let it simmer for about 15-20 mins until the pork is tender and sauce is thick.

There you have it a classic Pork Adobo. Enjoy.

#porkadobo #adobongbaboy #pilipinoexpress