Here's a sampling of the scrumptious food we had during last Thursday's fellowship at the Rosales'. A staple at any Pinoy affair, the roast pig or lechon was the centerpiece of the buffet. There was a viand to each person's liking - healthy vegetables, tasty fish, gastronomically-delightful beef, tasty chicken and the ever-present pancit. To satisfy one's sweet tooth, a melange of yummy desserts filled one table - leche flan, chiffon cake, macaroons, suman and brownies. It was a truly satisfying and belly-filling meal...burp!!!
Weekend meals are considered special...these are the days when we can indulge in our food favorites. Today, the choice was "inihaw na liempo" and after hearing Sunday mass at the cathedral, we trooped down to Botoy's Inihaw for lunch.
It was a simple, no-frills affair - 2 orders of freshly-grilled pork belly, rice and refreshingly cool Mountain Dew. The kids loved it plain while hubby and I had to have our spicy "sawsawan" (dipping sauce) on the side. The two orders of the grilled pork were actually too much so we still had enough leftover for dinner (how's that for a bargain meal?). All these for only less than P350, it was a great weekend family meal, don't you think?
Ever since I learned to make this "cardiac delight" of a dish, I've made it a point to prepare it at home every other month. Once cooked, it usually lasts about 1 week and a half since only a little amount is needed to flavor hot steamed rice. A tweak on this is also to serve it on top of garlic fried rice with slivers of green mango (Bagoong Rice). This particular serving has so much pork pieces in it, it might as well be called "Binagoongang Baboy".
Here is the recipe for BAGOONG GUISADO:
1/2 kg pork impilya, sliced
1/4 kg pork meat (boneless pork chop works best), sliced into bite-size pieces
7-8 pcs ripe tomatoes, chopped finely
5 cloves garlic, minced
2 medium red onions, minced
200 grams bagoong alamang (shrimp paste)
1 tbsp brown sugar
2-3 tsp powdered chili or 6-8 pcs bird's eye chilies, chopped
In a wok or saucepan, render all the fat from the pork impilya until only crunchy pieces of the pork are left. Drain the pork pieces and set aside. Retain about 2 tbsp of the rendered fat and set aside the rest. In the heated oil, saute the pork meat pieces until browned. Add the garlic, onions and tomatoes until translucent. Add in the alamang, brown sugar and chili powder. Add back the crunchy pork "chicharon" and simmer for 5-10 minutes. Serve with hot rice or green mangoes. Remember, a little goes a long way with this dish.
