Binagoongang Baboy (Pork in Salted Shrimp Paste)

I’ve long believed that good food, good eating, is all about risk. Whether we’re talking about unpasteurized Stilton, raw oysters or working for organized crime ‘associates,’ food, for me, has always been an adventure” ~~ Anthony Bourdain

 

 

Those of you who frequent my blog know that I lurves me some Filipino food.

This is yet another wonderful dish from the Philippines.  It’s so good, full of flavor, and sure to please anyone’s palate.  One thing you have to be prepared for is the smell (while it’s cooking).  It’s strong, and some people don’t like it too much.  I mean…you’re cooking with raw fermented ground shrimp.

If you like more exotic food and flavors, then this shouldn’t phase you, as I’m sure you’ve used unusual ingredients before.

If you like to stay inside a certain culinary box…then you might just want to stick with ordering this the next time you’re dining out.

Ingredients

4 1/2 lbs pork tenderloin, cut into 2 inch cubes

3/4 cup vinegar

5 cloves garlic, crushed

1 bay leaf

5 peppercorns, crack

2 tbsp vegetable oil

1 small onion, chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

3 tbsp bagoong (shrimp paste)

black pepper

Directions

Place the pork in a heavy bottomed pot and cover with water.  Add the vinegar, 5 cloves crushed garlic, bay leaf and peppercorns and bring to a gentle boil for about a half hour.  Check back periodically to remove any scum that’s on top.  Once tender, remove the pork from the water and set aside.  Strain the water and discard solids.  Set water aside.

In a large sauté pan, add the oil, onion and garlic and cook on medium low heat until the onion is translucent.  Add the pork and shrimp paste and combine well.  At this time you can add a bit of the reserved water if you’d like a bit of sauce (I like to add just a couple tbsp at the most, but wet or dry are both traditional).  Cover and cook for an additional 5-10 minutes.

Serve over steamed rice.

Pancit Molo

Pancit Mojo is basically won ton soup with a Filipino spin.  I like it alot more than the usual won ton soup we’ve all grown to love.  It’s a staple in Philippine cuisine, and here is a version that I received years ago from a Filipina friend of mine. 

1 lb ground pork

1 lb ground beef

1 stalk celery, minced

1/2 carrot, minced (mince the whole carrot, half for the dumplings,the other half will be used in the broth)

1 tbsp patis (fish sauce)

salt and pepper to taste

25-30 wonton wrappers

Soup Base

vegetable oil, for sauteing

1 onion, sliced thinly

1 clove garlic, minced

2 tbsp pork and 2 tbsp beef (reserved from above)

1 stalk celery, sliced

the other half of the minced carrot

8 cups chicken broth

Soy Sauce

4 green onions, cut on the bias, 1 inch pieces

Directions

Filling

Before combining the ingredients, remove 2 tbsp of ground pork and 2 tbsp of ground beef and set aside.

In a large bowl, combine the remaining meats and the rest of the dumpling ingredients, salt and pepper to taste.

Put approx. 1 tbsp of the meat mixture in the center of each wonton wrapper and fold one flap to the middle.  On the flap on the opposite side of the one folded up, moisten with a little egg mixture.  (dip finger in egg mixture and moisten the flap) Fold that flap over on top of the other flap.  Fold over the 3rd flap and moisten the 4th flap with the egg mixture and fold over.  Once completed, the dumpling should resemble a little package…square shaped.  There is not traditional way of folding these dumplings (or won tons), if you have a way that fits for you, then use that version.  Just as long as they don’t open once placed in the broth.

Make sure you keep your dumplings covered as you make them.

Broth 

Heat the oil in a pot on medium heat.  Brown the onion and garlic until lightly golden.  Add the reserved ground pork and beef and brown.  Once the meat has browned (if the meat has rendered alot of fat, remove with a spoon before continuing), season with salt and pepper to taste.  Add the celery and carrots and cook for another 5 minutes.  Add the chicken stock and bring to a soft boil.  Add the soy sauce to taste and green onion. Gently add the dumplings to the broth one at a time. 

Let cook for 15 minutes. Re-season with pepper to taste if needed.

Lumpia (Authentic)

During the few years I’ve spent in the Philippines, I truly loved each and every dish that I was lucky enough to shovel into my mouth.  It’s hard to be lady like when you’re inhaling your food. 

When we moved back to the states, unfortunately I was too young to even think that I’d ever think about or crave Filipino food again.  You see…I was only 9 years old when we moved back.  Of course I knew I loved the food I was leaving, but since I lived there at such a young age, it NEVER crossed my mind that when we came back to the states, I wouldn’t be able to get some Lumpia, Pansit, or any other dish I so desired; whenever I desired it.  Oh to be young and foolish…

Fast forward about 20 something years. 

I had met a Filipino woman at work.  She had recently moved here from her homeland because she met and married her american military husband while in the Philippines.  Well, as soon as she heard that I lived in the Philippines for a few years, knew a bit of Tagalog, and missed Filipino food, the NEXT DAY she brought a whole shitload of Lumpia to work.  For me.  It was a great surprise, and I was overjoyed that she thought of me so highly.  That was before I took my first bite.  After I had my first Lumpia, I wanted to propose to her.  I’m not sure how my boyfriend at the time would have felt about that though.

Anywhooo…  These were exactly like the Lumpia I had as a child when sitting in the home of one of my many Filipino friends.  And I think that’s awesome because there are many different variations of this recipe and they are all authentic.  Just with different fillings.  I’ve heard of using crab, shrimp, raisins, bean sprouts, mushrooms…etc.   I’ve never had all those different ingredients in mine.  I don’t think I want to actually.  I believe I have probably the most popular, and basic one right here. 

The basic sauce for Lumpia is Soy Sauce, hot pepper flakes to taste, and a squeeze of lime.  Mix it all together, and that’s it.

 Some people like to use sweet and sour sauce.  Though it tastes great, it’s not very filipino-ish.  But in the end, I guess taste is what it’s all about, right?

Ingredients

  

2 lbs ground beef

1 1/2 lbs ground pork

salt

pepper

garlic powder

2 stalks celery, minced

2 carrots, minced

1/2 head cabbage, chopped and minced

3 eggs

1-2 tbsp soy sauce

1 egg white

flour

vegetable oil for deep frying

Lumpia wrappers (I found them in an Asian store in Colorado, if you can’t find them you can use egg roll wrappers, though they are a little thicker) 

Directions

 
Brown the meat and drain the fat.  Season to taste with the salt, pepper and garlic powder, mix and let cool.

In a large bowl, mix the meat mixture and the vegetables together.  Add the soy sauce, and re-season if needed (usually doesn’t need any additional seasoning, but good to check it anyway) add the eggs and combine well. 

In a small bowl, mix the egg white and enough flour to make a paste (it might be a little difficult to combine at first, but just keep mixing for a minute or two).  Take the Lumpia wrappers and cut them on the diagonal (if they’re square) to make 2 triangles.  Place a heaping teaspoonful of the meat mixture at the bottom of the triangle (the wide part, not the pointed end).  Fold each point towards the center of the meat, and roll up towards the top of the triangle.  On the tip of the triangle, dollop a bit of the egg/flour mixture and complete the roll.  The egg/flour mixture should act as a glue to hold the roll closed.

Fry in oil heated to 375 degrees f.  When I remove them from the oil, I usually use tongs, and hold them vertically over the oil for about 10 seconds so the oil can drain from the inside of the Lumpia.

print this recipe here