Pinakbet is a delicious stew that belongs to the Filipino gastronomic tradition. It is flavored with pork fat and a typical shrimp-based sauce. Since both are very tasty ingredients, the following recipe does not involve adding salt. The vegetables are stewed together with garlic and ginger to give a full and decisive taste to the stew, which is traditionally accompanied with rice. If you want to impress your diners by serving pinakbet, the first thing to do is to prepare the Filipino-style pork, the so-called "bagnet", although sometimes you can find it ready in stores that sell Asian foods.
Ingrediants
Bagnet
Servings: enough for a pot of Pinakbet
- 450 g of fresh pork belly
- 1 onion, chopped
- 2 bay leaves
- 3 peeled garlic cloves
- 1-1 / 2 tablespoon of salt
- Sunflower, peanut, or corn oil
Pinakbet
Servings: 4
- 450 g of bagnet
- 1-2 bitter gourds (also called bitter melons)
- 2 tablespoons of Filipino shrimp sauce
- 2-3 cm of ginger, peeled and sliced
- 150 g of red onion or shallot
- 225 g eggplant (preferably the Japanese or Chinese variety)
- 225 g of okra (about 8-10 pieces)
- 3 tomatoes, cut into large pieces
- 4-6 cloves of garlic, minced
- 5 bean asparagus
- 125-250 g of pumpkin pulp
- 250-500 ml of broth prepared with pork
- A few drops of fish sauce (the traditional Filipino one is called "patis")
- Freshly ground pepper
- 1 pinch of sugar
Steps
Part 1 of 2: Prepare the Bagnet
Step 1. Slice the fresh pork belly
Cut it into thick slices.
Step 2. Put a saucepan on the stove
Place the pork, the two bay leaves, the three peeled garlic cloves, the chopped onion and half a tablespoon of salt inside. Add enough water to cover the ingredients.
Step 3. Use a lively flame
When the water boils, reduce the heat. Let the meat simmer for about an hour. Bacon is cooked when you can shred it simply using a fork.
Step 4. Transfer the liquid
Place the pork on a baking sheet and bake it in the oven at 200 ° C for half an hour to dry.
Step 5. Fry the pork slices
If you want them to be crunchy in your mouth, heat a generous amount of oil in a saucepan or deep fryer. Deep-fry the bacon until crispy.
Step 6. Cut the meat
You have to get bite-sized pieces. Set them aside to add to the stew.
Part 2 of 2: Cooking the Pinakbet
Step 1. Cook the shrimp sauce
If possible, use the same pot you previously made the bagnet in. Pour the shrimp sauce into the bottom of the pot and let it heat for a couple of minutes so that it releases its flavors and aromas.
Step 2. Stir in the chopped garlic, sliced ginger, and chopped onion or shallot
Also add a drizzle of oil to prevent the ingredients from burning. Sauté them until the onion starts to turn translucent.
Step 3. Also add the tomatoes, sugar, pepper and fish sauce
The tomatoes must be cut into pieces, even coarsely, and the pepper must be ground at the moment. Stir and cook for a few more minutes.
Step 4. Add the crispy pork belly and the remaining vegetables
If you are concerned that some vegetables may remain too tough, for example eggplants, you can put them in the pot first and let them cook for some time on their own, before adding the remaining vegetables.
Note that some recipes indicate adding the meat only at the end rather than with the vegetables
Step 5. Add some broth
Just the amount you need to braise the vegetables. You don't have to use it to cover the ingredients.
Step 6. Cook the stew for about 15 minutes
Cover and cook the vegetables for 15-20 minutes. From time to time, move the pot to mix the ingredients inside, but without opening it.
Step 7. Test the texture of the vegetables
After 15 minutes, remove the lid and check if they are cooked. If they are ready, remove the pot from the heat.
Step 8. Serve the stew on a bed of white rice
Arrange the rice on plates before distributing the meat and vegetables to diners.
