Pork Barbecue Recipe You Will Love

No Filipino can resist the pork barbecue.  The sweet aroma of sugar caramelizing on the pork barbecue as this is being cooked on the grill wafts through your nose and makes you hungry. This pork barbecue recipe has been in my family for years and has been a staple in family gatherings and reunions.  The secret is in the pork barbecue's marinade and length of time to marinate the pork to let the flavors seep in.  Do this ahead of time, at least 1 day ahead is best.  You can have your butcher cut the meat pork barbecue style.  When grilling, take care to maintain heat at medium to allow the pork barbecue to cook inside and out.  Charcoal grilling is recommended for the pork barbecue to absorb the charcoal grill taste.   Just imagine biting into sweet, savory, marinated pork barbecue with the flavors of charcoal grilling. Ummm.  Try this.

Ingredients :

2 kg pork pork with a little fat (kasim or pigue), sliced for barbecue
barbecue sticks for skewering

Marinade:
1 cup pineapple juice
1 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup soy sauce
1 tsp Knorr seasoning sauce
1 cup white soda (Sprite or 7-up recommended)
1 cup banana ketchup
1 whole garlic, peeled and minced
1/4 kg calamansi (or 2 medium sized lime), juice extracted

Procedure :
1.  Mix the ingredients for the marinade together.  Add in pork and mix well.  Keep in refrigerator overnight.
2.  Skewer the pork pieces.  When skewering, have one piece of pork fat at the end and at the middle portion so that meat and fat are apportioned well.
3.  Grill  pork barbecue over charcoal.  Take care to maintain heat at medium to ensure that the pork is cooked inside and out.
4.  Serve pork barbecue hot and enjoy.

Filipino Food Recipe - Chicken Afritada

This easy chicken recipe is one of the favorites of Pinoys all over the world.  The dish has Spanish influences with the the tomato based sauce.  This is also one of the regulars in our dinner table.  The flavor of this chicken dish is enhanced by the addition of chorizo de bilbao (Spanish sausage), bell peppers and green peas.  It can be a one-dish meal with chicken and potatoes included in the dish. And it is so easy to make.

Ingredients :

1 chicken cut into serving pieces

1/2 cup tomato paste

2 cloves garlic, peeled and mashed

1 onion, diced

1 tsp fish sauce (patis) or to taste

2 pcs chorizo de bilbao, sliced 

2 large potatoes cut into 8 cubes

2 carrots, cubed the same size as the potatoes

1 small can cooked green peas (guisantes), drained

2 green bell peppers sliced into squares

Procedure:

1.  Saute garlic in oil.  Add in onions and chorizo de bilbao.

2.  Add in chicken pieces. Mix and saute lightly

3.  Add in fish sauce (patis). Lower heat and cover pan until it simmers.

4.  Add in tomato paste. Cover and cook over low heat until chicken is fork tender. Add a little water at a time if liquid dries out.

5.  Add in potatoes, carrots.  Cook over low heat until potatoes and carrots are done.

6.  Add in bell peppers and green peas.  Simmer for 10 seconds and your chicken afritada is done.

Where To Buy Bangus - The Freshest and Tastiest Bangus

People who have tasted my bangus recipes have often asked me where to buy bangus.  In one of my earlier posts, I mentioned that I get my bangus (milkfish) from a "suki" (regular bangus supplier).   I get the freshest and best tasting bangus from Mang Danny, a stall holder at the Farmers' Market at the Araneta Center.  He gets his bangus from Dagupan. Dagupan bangus is well  known as being one of the best tasting bangus in the Philippines.  Mang Danny's stall is called "Mar and Neng".   You take your pick from the different sizes of bangus and have it cleaned and sliced the way you want to.  He also offers deboning service for a minimal fee.  Be sure to visit his stall early in the morning as he sells only until around 7am after which another seller takes over the stall.  (Stall holders at the Farmers' Market go on time-sharing to spread rental costs).  I am a regular here and do my bangus shopping after we take our morning jog.  Try it out.

Osmond's No Bake Chocolate Cookies - Cookies That Kids Can Make

Cookies!  Kids just love them (and adults too).  Kids can’t just resist them and imagine my surprise when one day one of my little friends, Osmond, an eleven year old boy, whipped up a no bake chocolate cookie recipe on his own.  The no bake chocolate cookies were moist and chewy, the way I like my cookies.   And they are so simple to make, and fun too.  Try these no bake chocolate cookies recipe.  They don't have to be perfectly shaped.  You can have your kids shape them into anything they like and give them a fun experience.   

Ingredients :

1 pack (200 grams) chocolate graham crackers
1 small can condensed milk

1 pack M&M’s

Sugar for dipping

Procedure:

1.  Finely crush graham crackers.  (You can also use crushed grahams available in most supermarkets).  

2.  Mix together the crushed grahams and condensed milk.   

3.  Form into balls or small patties.  

4.  Roll each cookie in sugar.  Top each cookie with 1 piece of M&Ms.  Cool in refrigerator.  Your no bake chocolate cookies are ready to enjoy.

Adobo Recipe – Adobo Flakes

This is one adobo dish that we really love.  I sometimes make this when we have leftover adobo. But most of the time I make this from scratch when the craving for adobo flakes sets in.  This adobo recipe can be done with pork or chicken but I prefer to do this with a combination of both. This is so good with either rice or as a sandwich filling.  When we eat this with rice, a fried egg would usually go with it.  As a sandwich filling, we usually add in some mayonnaise, tomatoes and lettuce.  It takes longer than usual to cook this adobo dish but the effort is worth it.  Try it and you will find out.

Ingredients :

1 whole chicken cut into adobo serving size

1 kg pork pigue or kasim, cubed

½ cup white vinegar

¼ cup soy sauce

1 whole garlic, peeled and mashed

1 laurel leaf

1 tsp whole peppercorns

4 tbsp cooking oil

Procedure:

1. Combine pork, chicken, vinegar, garlic, laurel leaf and peppercorns in a pan. Boil uncovered. 
2. Add ½ cup water and simmer over low heat until pork and chicken are tender.  Add water a little at a time if the sauce dries up. The pork and chicken have to be really tender to enable flaking. 
3.  When tender remove the pork and chicken from the pan and drain. Set aside to cool.  Do not discard the pan juices. 
4.  When cool, flake the chicken and pork.  Use your hands or do it with a fork. 
5.  Return the flaked chicken and pork to the pan and cook over low heat.  This will allow the flakes to absorb all the adobo sauce and drippings from the pan.  Simmer until the sauce dries up.
6.  When dry, add cooking oil pan fry the flakes over low heat, taking care not to burn the flakes.   When flakes turn golden brown and crispy remove from pan and serve.  

Adobo Recipe – Pork Adobo with Liver Sauce

With the addition of mashed pork liver, it’s like having lechon paksiw with this dish. The mashed pork liver will give this adobo dish a thick and rich sauce.   We usually have this with green mangoes and bagoong on the side. 

Ingredients:

1 kg pork kasim or pigue, cubed

½  kg pork liver

½  cup white vinegar

¼ cup soy sauce

1 whole garlic, peeled and mashed

1 laurel leaf

1 tsp whole peppercorns

Procedure:

1.  Grill the pork liver over charcoal or in the oven will do.  The liver has to be well done. 
2.  Mash pork liver either by rough pounding this with mortar and pestle.  Take care not to pound the liver too finely; the sauce of the adobo will be more delicious with small bits of liver in it.   Set aside.  
3.  In a pan, combine pork, vinegar, soy sauce, garlic, laurel leaf and peppercorns.  Boil uncovered.
4.  Add in the mashed pork liver.  Turn down the heat and simmer until pork is fork tender.  The sauce will tend to dry up fast because of the mashed pork liver so be sure to check out the dish from time to time.  Add a little water if sauce dries up.  The dish should have a thick sauce when done.  Serve hot.

Adobo Recipe – Pork Binagoongan

I have included this dish in the adobo category because it’s basically cooked as adobo with the addition of bagoong (shrimp paste) at the end.  You may used grocery-bought bottled bagoong or the fresh bagoong alamang from the market.  This is another adobo dish that should be served with a lot of rice because of the bagoong. 

Ingredients :

1 kg pork pigue or kasim, cubed

½  cup white vinegar

1 whole garlic, peeled and mashed

1 laurel leaf

1 tsp whole peppercorns

2 tbsp bagoong alamang (shrimp paste)

Procedure :
1.  Combine pork, vinegar, garlic, laurel and peppercorns in a pan and boil uncovered. 
2.  Turn down the heat and cook until pork is fork tender.  You may add a little water at a time if the liquid dries up. 
3.  Once the pork is done, turn up the heat to medium.  At this point, the pork should have rendered its fat and the dish will have some oil. 
4.  Add in the bagoong and cook, stirring continuously.  If using the fresh bagoong, cook until the bagoong is done.  If using bottled bagoong  (which already pre-cooked) as soon as the bagoong is fragrant, the dish is done.  Serve hot.