Paksiw Na Pata

Pork leg (including the knuckle) is used in this favorite sweet-sour recipe.

• 1 large pork leg (pata), sliced
• 2 cups vinegar
• 4 tablespoons soy sauce
• 2 cups water
• 1 head garlic, minced
• 1 piece laurel leaf
• 12 whole peppercorns
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 cup dried banana blossom (actually dried lily buds)
• sprigs of dried oregano
• salt to taste
• MSG or vetsin (optional)

PROCEDURE :
1. Place the pork leg pieces in a casserole together with the vinegar, water, garlic, peppercorns, laurel and oregano.

2. Place casserole over medium heat and simmer for 1 hour or until tender. (Alternatively, you can also pressure cook for 15 minutes)

3. Add the soy sauce, sugar and banana flower and continue simmering until the sweet-sour broth thickens.

4. Add salt and MSG to taste, if desired.

5. Serve hot with rice.

Menudo

This dish is obviously derived from Spain that colonized the islands for more than 300 years.

• 1 kilo pork, diced
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 large onion, sliced
• 4 large tomatoes, sliced
• 2 cups chickpeas, cooked and peeled
• 3 medium potatoes, diced
• 2 bell peppers, sliced
• 1 cup water
• 1 bay leaf
• 3 tablespoon soy sauce
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper, ground
• 2 tablespoons cooking oil

PROCEDURE :
1. In a skillet, heat oil and saute garlic, onion, and tomatoes.
2. Add the pork and soy sauce and saute for 3 minutes.
3. Add the water, cover the skillet and simmer for 10 minutes.
4. Add potatoes, chickpeas, bell pepper, and bay leaf.
5. Continue cooking until sauce thicken.
6. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Kare-Kare

Native recipe of meat cooked in peanut sauce and served with shrimp paste (bagoong).

• 1 kilo oxtail, cut into serving pieces
• 2 eggplants, slice diagonally
• 5 pieces string beans, cut into 4 cm length
• 2 cloves garlic, crushed and peeled
• 1 medium sized onion
• 3 tablespoons cooking oil
• 2 teaspoon salt
• 5 cups water
• 1/2 cup unsweetened peanut butter
• 3 tablespoon sauteed shrimp paste (bagoong)

PROCEDURE :
1. Put the meat, water, and salt in a casserole and simmer for 60 minutes.
2. Remove the meat from the casserole to a plate.
3. Put the string beans and eggplant in the casserole and boil until cooked.
4. Remove the vegetables from the casserole into another plate.
5. In a large skillet, saute the garlic and onion in hot oil until brown.
6. Put in the meat in the skillet and saute.
7. Transfer the meat back to the casserole with the stewing water and simmer for 10 minutes.
8. Stir in the peanut butter and simmer for another 5 minutes.
9. Serve with the cooked vegetables and bagoong on the side.

Chicken Tinola

There's nothing like a hot Chicken Tinola to warm you up especially when you are under the weather.

• 1 kilo whole chicken, cut into serving pieces
• 1 piece medium-sized unripe papaya, peeled and sliced
• 1/2 cup chili leaves (dahon ng sili)
• 2 tablespoons fish sauce (patis)
• 2 tablespoons ginger, julienned
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 medium-sized onion, chopped
• 5 cups water
• 3 tablespoons oil
• salt and pepper to taste

PROCEDURE :
1. In a casserole, heat oil and saute garlic, ginger, and onion until soft.
2. Add the chicken pieces and stir-fry for about 3 minutes.
3. Season with patis and pour in the water.
4. Bring to a boil then lower the heat and simmer until the chicken is tender.
5. Season with salt and pepper to your desired taste.
6. Add in the papaya and simmer for another 5 minutes or until the papaya is tender.
7. Remove from heat, put in the chili leaves and cover to allow the leaves to cook.
8. Serve hot.

Chicken And Pork Adobo

This is a classic recipe with as many versions as the islands of the Philippines.

• 1/2 kilo chicken, cut into serving pieces
• 1 kilo pork butt, cut into cubes
• 1 cup cane vinegar
• 1 cup water
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper, ground
• 1 head garlic, crushed and peeled
• 2 pieces of bay leaves
• 1/2 cup soy sauce
• 2 tablespoons cooking oil

PROCEDURE :
1. Put all the ingredients except the soy sauce and oil in a casserole.
2. Bring to a boil and simmer for about 30 minutes.
3. Put in the soy sauce and simmer for another 10 minutes.
4. Remove the meat from the casserole to a plate.
5. Remove the sauce to a separate bowl.
6. Put the oil in the casserole and brown the meat.
7. Return the sauce back in the casserole with the meat.
8. Simmer until sauce thicken.

Bistek Tagalog

The Filipino version of the beef steak made from very thin slices of beef cooked in soy sauce and calamansi juice.

• 1/2 kilo sirloin beef, sliced very thinly
• 1/4 cup soy sauce
• 3 tablespoon, calamansi juice
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper, ground
• 1/4 teaspoon monosodium glutamate (MSG), optional
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 large onions, cut into rings
• 2 tablespoon cooking oil

PROCEDURE :

1. In a large bowl, mix the beef, soy sauce, calamansi, black pepper and MSG.

2. Cover the bowl and let the mixture sit in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes.

3. In a frying pan, heat the oil and stir fry the onion rings until soft.

4. Remove the onion rings from the pan and increase the heat until the remaining oil is very hot.

5. Reserve the marinade, fry the beef slices in batches until brown, remove them to a plate as they cook.

6. When all the beef has been cooked, stir fry the garlic in the remaining oil.

7. Pour in the marinade and let it boil for about 1 minute.

8. Arrange the beef slices on a plate, top it with the onion rings, and pour the sauce over them.

9. Serve hot with rice.

Binagoongang Baboy

Delicious pork recipe with shrimp paste, but not recommended for those with Hypertension

• 1 kilo pork loin, cut into small cubes
• 1/2 cup cane vinegar
• 1/2 cup bagoong or shrimp paste
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 5 pieces black pepper, cracked
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 3 pieces siling berde or jalapeno pepper, optional
• 1/4 teaspoon monosodium glutamate (MSG), optional

PROCEDURE :
1. Place pork, vinegar, bagoong, garlic, and pepper corn in a cooking pan and mix well.
2. Cover and bring to a boil without stirring.
3. Lower the heat and simmer for 40 minutes or until the pork is tender, checking occassionally to ensure that it does not burn.
4. Mix in the sugar and MSG, then put in the jalapeno pepper and simmer for another 5 minutes.
5. Serve hot with rice.

Bicol Express

You will need plenty of rice to go with this very spicy pork dish from the Bicol region.

• 1 kilo pork, cubed
• 1/4 cup shrimp paste (bagoong alamang)
• 8 pieces red chili pepper (siling labuyo), whole
• 10 pieces green jalapeno pepper (siling berde), chopped
• 3 cups coconut milk
• 5 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 big onion, chopped
• 3 tablespoons cooking oil

PROCEDURE :
1. In a frying pan heat the oil until hot.
2. Sautee garlic, onion, and shrimp paste.
3. Add the pork and half of the coconut milk.
4. Cover and simmer over medium heat for about 15 minutes.
5. Put in the remaining coconut milk, chili pepper, and green pepper.
6. Cook for another 10 minutes.
7. Serve with rice.

Beef Tapa

Filipino version of Beef jerky usually served with garlic fried rice and fried egg.

• 1 kilo beef loin, very thinly sliced
• 1 head garlic, minced
• 3/4 cup cane vinegar
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1 tablespoon salt
• 1 tablespoon black pepper, ground

PROCEDURE :
1. Mix all the ingredients together and let it stand in the refrigerator for at least 12 hours.

2. Spread the pieces of meat in a tray and let it dry in the sun for at least a day.

3. Serve fried with garlic rice and fried egg (tapsilog).

Beef Nilaga (Nilagang Baka)

The nilaga is an all-in-one meal that combine meat and veggies in one satisfying dish.

• 1/2 kilo beef, cubed
• 1 small head of cabbage, cut into 4 pieces
• 8 pieces string beans, cut into about 3 inches length
• 2 medium potatoes, peeled and cubed
• 1 large carrot, peeled and cubed
• 1 Knorr beef cube
• 1 medium onion, cut into 4 pieces
• 10 whole black pepper
• 8 cups water
• fish sauce or patis

PROCEDURE :
1. Place beef, onion, black pepper, and water into a presure cooker and lock the lid.
2. Bring to a boil, lower heat, then simmer for about 10 minutes or until tender.
3. Open the pressure cooker and put in potatoes, carrot, string beans and Knorr beef cube.
4. Cover but do not pressurize and simmer for another 5 minutes.
5. Season with patis to taste before adding the cabbage.
6. Simmer until the cabbage is cooked.
7. Serve hot.