Tag Archives: pork

Grilled Pork Belly (Inihaw na Liempo)

It’s barbecue season again and it’s the time when we prepare our favorite barbecue recipes. Grilled pork belly (or inihaw na liempo) is a mainstay in our barbecues because of their ease in preparation and quick cooking on the grill. The only challenging part of cooking with pork belly is sourcing it. In order for us to get it sliced in a particular way, we get our meat from Hong Kong Supermarket and insist that they be cut lengthwise in 3/4 inch pieces. Sometimes they will object in true Chinatown fashion. Your job is to insist. 🙂

Crispy skin and perfectly browned.

Grilled pork belly is a popular dish served in parties, beachside barbecues, or with liquor in the Philippines. With very few ingredients it is easy to prepare in the US if you have access to pork belly and Filipino soy sauce.

Grilled pork belly, sliced.

Recipe below. Continue reading

Pan-Fried Chimichurri Pork Loin

I was able to get a tender and juicy pork tenderloin at the Food Coop that was less than one pound. It was less than two quarters’ width at its thickest and seemed like it would be perfect as a pan fried pork loin. I really enjoyed the flavor of my chimichurri chicken so I decided to use the same rub for the pork loin.

Here it is served with red quinoa and candied kumquats. Continue reading

Pork Afritada (Pork Belly Stew)

I was on a mission. I wanted to cook a dish I’ve made several times, but whose consistency I’ve never been able to achieve the way they serve it in restaurants. Pork afritada is a sinful dish, and I’m not going to tell you otherwise. If you have an aversion to pork fat or bacon, or are suffering from conditions preventing their consumption, I recommend that you stay away.

How could you though, when this dish reminds of home? It is comforting to ladle the sauce onto a plate of hot rice. It is enough to chew on the accompanying potatoes.

Pork afritada is always served with a pool of red grease on top. Its flavors are savory and meaty thanks to the addition of fish sauce typical in Filipino cooking.(Recipe below) Continue reading

Lechon Paksiw: Another Celebration of Excess

It was the day of the Christmas party in the mid-1980s. I woke up to the sound of screaming pigs that morning and later learned that two whole pigs were slaughtered for the evening’s feast. The crime happened in the backyard and went on the entire day, a pit of red coals roasting two pigs turning on bamboo spits until they reached a red and golden color.

Later on it was decided that buying a whole roasted pig (lechon, in Tagalog) was far more convenient and economical than hiring a manglilitson (lechon maker). Either way the morning resulted in a surplus of meat and skin to be made into a stew called Lechon Paksiw.

“Paksiw” in itself is a term denoting a stew with vinegar. Used also for fish, it is designed to prolong the shelf life of food because the acid in the dish prevented bacteria from growing. Just like in adobo, which my family packed on many a beach trip because it kept well.

I was able to scam a roasted pig‘s head and some meat pieces from a recent Sopressata Making Class and we decided to make another favorite stew. To me the taste of lechon paksiw reminds only of mornings-after where a stew would be eaten for many days to come, reliving the original roast and the happy occasion. (Incidentally, we’ve made paksiw with leftover crispy pata or lechon kawali pieces.)

Roast pig pieces are placed in a pot along with bay leaves, peppercorns, garlic, vinegar and sugar.

This mixture is slow cooked for about three hours until falling-apart tender, adding more liquid if necessary.

Lechon sauce (provided when one orders it from a Filipino source) is added. Otherwise Mang Tomas Sauce is a great alternative.
The stew is cooked until it reaches a thick and rich consistency.

Served with rice and greens.

Rosario’s Lechon Paksiw


3-4 pounds leftover meat pieces and skin from a roasted pig, crispy pata, or lechon kawali
1 cup white vinegar
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup water
1 head garlic
5 bay leaves
10 peppercorns
1 bottle Mang Tomas or other lechon sauce

In a pot combine meat and all other ingredients except lechon sauce. Stew covered on low heat for about two hours, stirring occasionally. If sauce dries up, add vinegar and water in a 1:1 ratio. When meat is tender and skin is soft and curled, add the lechon sauce diluted with 1 cup of water and simmer for another 20 minutes. Adjust seasoning with salt or sugar.

Serve with rice and vegetables.

Adobo Fried Rice – Honoring A Dish Twice

If you are an adobo fan then you would know that the leftover sauce is as valuable as the meat. The sauce contains the flavor of the stew as well as the beef, chicken or pork that has cooked in it for hours.

A dinner of adobo usually results in leftovers especially when cooked by a Filipino. We have a reputation of excess which is not limited to making too much food for a meal. There has to be enough for tomorrow or for guests to take home! I have many memories of road trips and waking up early in the morning to stir up a batch of adobo rice from the previous evening’s meal to bring on the road and to spoon feed my sweet driver. 🙂 It seems to keep her eyes on the road.

Anyway, this is another one of those recipes that is hard to quantify. It depends on how concentrated one’s sauce turned out and how much rice needs to be made, so I will just estimate to quantities of these ingredients.

Begin with 2-3 tablespoons of sauce, in this case coagulated from the refrigerator. Try to get any garlic or small meat pieces from the pot and saute in the sauce.

Add the rice and fry on medium to high heat, occasionally pressing down to make some sides crispy from the hot pan. 
Mix well, add additional sauce or salt to taste.

 Here it is served steaming with some Ginisang Itlog (Sauteed Eggs) and sausage.
Recipe for Crispy Pork Belly Adobo here.
Recipe for Beef Short Rib Adobo here.
All about Filipino Adobo here.

Adobo fried rice with leftover pork belly pieces.
Served with grilled eggplant.

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