Slowly but Surely - Slow-cooked Pork and Beans (Not Baked)

Pork and beans is one the food I know my Dad loves to eat for breakfast. But since we don't make it at home from scratch, we buy canned ones and it is indeed delicious. However, it is not the same anymore and there more sauce than beans and you can't barely taste the pork. I can still remember my Mom would cook sinangag and sunny-side up eggs and heat some pork and beans. It's so good with anything either pandesal or rice. My favorite combination would be bacon, beans and egg. If I buy english muffins, I will toast them, place some crispy bacon on top, ladle some pork and beans and top everything with poached egg. So delicious every single time. 

I tried to make them before when someone gave me a ham as a gift. I was thinking what to make with this aside putting it in a sandwich and I thought I should try to make some pork and beans. My first attempt was perfect. My brothers love them because it does taste like or should I say taste way better than what we used to eat from a can. My second attempt was a fail. I cooked them way too much that it turned into a mushy pork and beans. My third attempt was good but my first will always be the best according to them. I measured my ingredients and I must say, this time it's almost or likely the same taste when I first made them. Texture is perfect and the taste is delicious. 

SPAMsilog + Pork and Beans

As I mentioned before, using your stove to make slow-cooked dishes is not economical here. I used charcoal to cook this dish this time. If you've used charcoal before to cook(braised or tenderize meat) , it will be much cheaper. I actually prefer using charcoal because it is less likely for me to overcook it. The heat is fairly even and the "low and slow" way of cooking it makes even better. You only want it on a gentle simmer. If it's starting to boil, just add few charcoals to lower the heat. Just keep in mind that if you use beans that are not of the same size, some beans might be tender and some might need a little more time to cook.  This happened to me. I bought mine in palengke.  I used the small kind because that will cook much quicker. What I did, after I soaked them, I disregard the ones that are big and the-not-so-good-looking beans.I used the bigger kind before and it took me 4hrs to tenderize it  So, pick the size of your beans and stick to that. If you want, you can boil the beans just to give it a little head start. And finish it with the sauce or whatever dish you are cooking it with. Putting salt is a big NO when cooking beans because  it won't get tender anymore. So season them when they are cooked.

Slow-Cooked Pork and Beans

1lb small white beans

1lb pork shoulder (bacon or ham), chopped

1 large onion, diced

1kg tomato sauce 

3 tbsps. tomato sauce

1 cup dark brown sugar

3 cups water (or more)

1 chicken bouillon cube

*If you are using chicken stock, just replace  2 cups of water with stock

1. Washed beans and soak overnight. The next day, rinsed it well then set aside.

2. In a heavy duty pot, sear chopped pork until golden brown. Add chopped onions then cook until soften. Add tomato sauce, tomato paste, sugar and water,chicken cube or stock. Bring it to a boil then add beans. Bring it back to a boil.

3. Meanwhile, prepare your charcoal. Make sure the charcoal is really hot. Add enough charcoal to lower the temperature. Place the griddle over charcoal then place your pot. The temperature might drop at some point so you want to check it from time to time. If it's getting too hot, add more charcoal. You just want it to simmer gently. Stir it occasionally in a folding motion using your spatula. If you think it's getting too thick, just add a splash of water just enough to thin it out. Simmer it for 3 hours or just until the beans are tender. 

Not-so-guilt-free Crispy Pork Belly: How to make non-fried Lechon Kawali

Pork Belly or Liempo in filipino is one of my favorite cut of meat and very common in Filipino cuisine. You can make various dishes from soups to stews and it will turn out delicious. Liempo is the cut of meat while the dish is called Crispy Pork Belly or in Filipino Lechon Kawali because it resembles the taste of lechon or roast pig but cooked on kawali or wok/skillet. 

If you really in for a special kind of lechon kawali, you can visit Ilocos for their mouth-watering crispy pork belly or bagnet in Ilocano. What makes this really special, they double fry it which makes it really crispy. And yes,pork belly +double-fried = crispy skin overload. 

I try to eat the healthiest food as possible, but hey, sometimes I crave for lechon kawali. Why not? But I try to make it myself and avoid buying or eating it in restaurants because I know they deep-fry it (which is delicious) but I will be so guilty while eating it. I tried different methods but cooking it in my turbo broiler gives me the best lechon kawali without the extra fat. Using oven is not economical here in the Philippines but if you don't have a turbo broiler, oven will work just as fine.  Also, I tried the pan-fry method. I sliced the pork belly an inch and a half, put on a cold skillet and just like cooking bacon, I let it render out its fat and it will leave you the crispiest pork belly. 

About choosing your pork belly, go for the bacon part, It has an even layer of fat and meat and will less likely to have bones but if there's any, the bones will just come out easily as long as you cook it until tender but not falling apart. I also used simple aromatics but you can add more vegetables to your boiling water for another layer of flavor. Just think you are making your own pork stock. 

My favorite dipping sauce will be suka na may bawang (vinegar with garlic) or lechon sauce (Mang Tomas).

I forgot to make little incisions across.This will help the chopping easier and the edges will be crispier.


CRISPY PORK BELLY

1whole pork belly (1kg or 2.2lbs)
5 dry bay leaves
6 whole peppercorns
3tbsps. kosher salt
pepper to taste




1. In a pot of boiling water, add bay leaves, whole peppercorns,salt and pork. Do not cut the pork in half, instead use a big pot to cook the entire pork. It won"t shrink that much when you cook it in the turbo broiler or oven. Flip it over to cook the other side. You know it is tender enough when you insert a knife and it just comes out easily.

2. Once the pork is cooked,let it cool until it's cool enough to handle. Pre-heat your broiler/oven to 450F. Poke the skin with a fork to release pork fat. Make little incisions across maybe an inch apart. Season the pork liberally with salt and pepper. If you are using your broiler, make sure it's skin side up and if it's too big, just cut in half or do it in batches. 

3. When the skin is nice and crispy, flip it over for an even crispiness. Flip it on the left and right side until all sides are crispy. Not all broilers are the same. Some will take longer or less cooking time.Let it cool but not too long just cool enough to chop it. Do not cover the pork while resting because it will create steam and make the pork soggy.


You can deep fry the pork just make sure that you let it cool completely and pat it dry really well.

Keep Rollin': Filipino Fresh Spring Roll (Lumpiang Sariwa)

Fresh Spring Roll or Lumpiang Sariwa is quite similar to a Vietnamese Spring Roll. The thing with Lumpiang Sariwa, vegetables are cooked and wrapped in crepe-like wrapper while Vietnamese Spring rolls use  fresh vegetables like lettuce, carrots, scallions with herbs like mint or cilantro and wrapped in rice paper wrapper.

We also have our sauce along with lumpia, we often called it as "maalat" because it usually has that salty-sweet taste with finely chopped garlic and peanuts. Just like any other dishes, everyone has their own version of their lumpia. I remember my grandmother using coconut shoots (ubod ng buko) when making fresh spring rolls. It has a nutty and crunchy texture but I always prefer the usual vegetables. With meat,some use pork, shrimp or chicken. Actually, when I have some leftover pork skin, I boil it until tender then cook it on a cold pan until it turned out crispy. This is also a great tip when cooking your  bacon because it will render out its own fat and turn out crispy.

The wrapper which can be found in most palengke or market has no eggs (also known as egg roll wrapper)and it's just made of water and flour. Likewise, we also use it to wrap different food like for turon (plantains wrapped in egg roll wrapper) or lumpiang toge (bean sprouts with vegetables wrapped in egg roll wrapper) but I really don't like the texture of this wrapper. I like the crepe-like wrapper that is soft and eggy.  Making this wrapper is not hard it's just like making your crepe batter minus the sugar.Also, the usual  sauce with Lumpiang Sariwa is sweet and salty but I tasted a different sauce for lumpia before  and instead of the usual, they made a peanut sauce with lots of peanuts and from them on, I always make my own peanut sauce for my lumpia every single time.

I don't have specific vegetables for my lumpia. I just use whatever I have in my fridge and use whatever is in season. My brothers don't like sweet potato so I don't add them in. They don't like snow peas either so I use a different vegetable. Use whatever you prefer or even your favorite vegetables that you think goes well with each other. Just keep in mind that some vegetables cook differently. Make sure you chop them thinly or almost same in size for it to cook evenly.

FRESH SPRING ROLLS (LUMPIANG SARIWA)

Filling:

1 medium cabbage, thinly sliced 

8-10 pcs. thinly sliced baguio beans or string beans
1 medium size vegetable pear (sayote), thinly sliced
1 medium size onion, thinly sliced
3 cloves garlic chopped
1 carrot, thinly sliced
3 tbsps.oyster sauce
lettuce
fish sauce to taste
boiled leftover chicken ( you can substitute with shrimp or pork)

Wrapper:
3/4 cup water
1/4 cup whole milk(not evaporated milk)
1/2 cup flour
2  large eggs


Peanut Sauce:
3tbsps. brown sugar
2tbsps. creamy peanut butter or preferably pure peanut butter
2tbsps. plain soy sauce
1/2 cup water
slurry (1tbsp cornstarch +1tbsp water)
peanuts or cashews, sligthly roasted
pepper to taste

1. Make the batter by pouring all wet ingredients in a bowl and mix well. Add sifted flour then mix until flour is incorporated. There will be lumps at this point so you want to let sit for 30mins.

2. In a wolk or skillet on medium-high heat, cook onion until slightly translucent then add chopped garlic. Cook until fragrant. Add string beans, sayote and carrots. Season with salt,pepper and fish sauce. Cook the vegetables then add oyster sauce. When it's cooked, add cabbage and cook until it turned bright green. Add chicken then season everything to taste. Transfer in a bowl and let it cool completely.

3. To make the wrapper, grease a pan preferably a non-stick pan with a little bit of oil then wipe off excess using a kitchen towel. Over low-heat, using a measuring cup, pour the batter then quickly swirl it until it's evenly spread out on the surface of the pan. It's done when it starts to bubble up . If you prefer a bigger wrapper, use 1/3 cup and you can make 5 wrappers but if your prefer smaller wrapper, just use 1/4 cup. When it's all cooked, cover them with plastic wrap, set aside until it's cool to handle or until ready to use.

4. To make the peanut sauce, just pour everything except the slurry into a pot and cook over medium low heat until the peanut butter is melted. When it starts to boil, add the slurry and chopped nuts. Season with pepper to taste.

5. To make the spring rolls, add lettuce on the side of the wrapper. If the lettuce is too big, tear in half. Add vegetables then fold the other side then roll it along with the lettuce.



*Serve the peanut sauce a long the side instead of pouring it on spring rolls

*You can make the wrapper and peanut sauce a day ahead to save more time.



It takes a little of your time to make this but I am telling you it's all worth it!

Garlic Rice + Egg = Silog (Sinangag at Itlog)

Longsilog 

As an Asian, rice is part of every meal and you won't consider it a "meal" if there is no rice included. We always say "iba talaga pag kanin ang kinain" or "it is really different if you had rice". It's more filling than bread. But in case you had some leftover from last night dinner, that is not a problem to us Filipinos because there are many ways to use that leftover rice and cook something really good especially for breakfast.

Breakfast is always the important meal of the day and I always look forward with the classic Filipino breakfast, garlic rice and perfect fried eggs or what we called SILOG, short term for Sinangag(garlic rice) and Itlog (egg) . The aroma of the rice tossed with slightly toasted garlic will really pull you out of your bed. But this classic breakfast staple does not stop here, of course we made different combos like Tapsilog(Tapa,sinangag,itlog), Longsilog (longganiza,sinangag,itlog) Tocilog (tocino,sinangag,itlog) and many other more. These just happened to be the most common silog you can find in most eateries.

Moreover, the true heart of every Silog is the garlic rice or sinangag. The garlic,rice and even the cooking time contributes on making the best sinangag. I don't know how to make the perfect one not until I learned and cook it myself. It may sound simple but it takes few steps to make the perfect Sinangag.

GARLIC RICE (SINANGAG)


cooked cold white rice or any other rice
finely chopped garlic
salt

1. Mashed cold rice until grains are separated. Using cold rice will help this step much easier and will give nice texture to the rice.


2. Chopped some garlic then add a pinch of salt until it is finely chopped.


3.Using a wok or skillet that has high sides, pour oil then add the garlic. By adding garlic into the cold oil will help infuse its flavor. Cook garlic until slightly brown.

4. Add in rice. Mix until garlic is well-incorporated within the rice. Season it with salt. Cook it by  tossing occasionally until the rice turned slight golden brown.



There are no measurement for this blog post. Just use the amount of rice and garlic you preferred. Kainan na!

THE LONGER IT SITS, THE BETTER IT GETS: THE BEST and EASY ADOBO RECIPE

*Updated this recipe. Check it down below!

Okay, I am a Filipino and of course I love food just like anybody else but one thing that I really love the most is ADOBO. I think I am not the only one who loves this dish, right? It is so good, it is so easy, everyone will definitely love it. To be honest, when I was just starting to learn how to cook, adobo is the dish that I always mess up. I am a Filipino but I mess up with our iconic dish. What ashamed! I even asked my mom how she cooks her adobo. She doesn't measure, she just eyeball everything and I am like crying because I don't know how she did it! So, I made my own recipe. And I always use this recipe for years and it always turn out PERFECT! This recipe is the classic. Soy sauce, vinegar and garlic. Those three simple components will create the most delicious dish you could ever have but of course some have their own recipe. Some prefer it sweet, spicy, or creamy by adding some coconut cream or gata. Even the type of meat is about preference because some don't eat pork. I used whole pork belly and just sliced it myself but you can ask your butcher to do it for you. I just like doing it myself so it will be uniform in size and cook evenly. Also, not all add eggs in their adobo but it's not adobo without eggs for me! I like how the egg,that ever so lightly creamy yolk cuts the strong flavor of the dish  Moreover, you can cook it in two ways depending on your preference: Saucy or Dry. Saucy means it still has sauce on it that you can top on your rice or mix with,whereas Dry adobo is cooked just enough for the sauce to thicken and coats the meat which makes it look dry. In our household, pork adobo is the most preferred one than chicken but hey, they are both adobo and they are delicious, with perfectly cooked hard-boiled eggs with steamed fluffy white rice, I am telling you, you will ask for another plate. 

PORK ADOBO RECIPE

1kg Pork belly, (preferably bacon part) sliced into bite size piece

3/4 cup white vinegar

1/2 cup plain soy sauce (not dark nor light)

2 heads of garlic roughly chopped

2 bay leaves 

lots of pepper or to taste

hard boiled eggs, peeled (optional)

1. In a wok or skillet, pour vinegar, soy sauce, garlic, bay leaves and pepper then add pork. Let it sit for an hour to marinade. 

2. After marinade, bring the adobo to a a boil, then lower the heat and simmer for 1hour and 30mins.  Add water if it is staring to reduce too much liquid. 

3. Meanwhile, bring a pot of water to a boil then add salt. Lower the heat then place your eggs gently and cook for 7mins and 30 seconds for perfect hard-boiled eggs. Let it cool completely before peeling. 

 4. If you want yours to be a bit dry, cook it for 5-7 more mins. until it starts to sizzle or the sauce started to thicken. If you prefer it a bit saucy, add little water just to thin it out. Add your peeled eggs then serve it with rice. 

And that's it my friends!Make sure you cook some extra because this Adobo is a great keeper because the longer it sits, the better it gets. Enjoy!

REVIEW: GAYUMA NI MARIA, MAGINHAWA ST. QUEZON CITY

Maginhawa St. is located in Quezon City and it is not just an ordinary st. because there are a lot of restaurants located here which offer different cuisines around the globe. Its popularity gave different restaurant owners to showcase different twists on classic dishes, elevate the food or keep it simple but delicious. When we searched for the best restaurants in Maginhawa St., one restaurant caught our attention, Gayuma ni Maria.

photo: Diana Arcas

The name of the dishes are really distinct. Every name of the dish has always  something to do with love or about love which makes this restaurant best for dating couples.

photo: Diana Arcas

photo: Diana Arcas

They are few items on the menu but all seemed good based on the reviews I read.


I always want to taste pasta dishes in every restaurant I visit. I chose their Mi amore which is a bolognese pasta. This dish is 225pesos per order.

This is Oh baby. It is a T-Bone steak with white sauce on top (not sure what type of white sauce was that) and some pesto but that doesn't taste like one perhaps a chimichurri. It was not my order, so I am not sure lol. This is 285pesos per order

They were 2 more orders, Please Be Careful with My heart (photo below ) 235 pesos per order and Chinoy in Seventh Heaven is like their take on an asian chicken which is 225pesos per plate.

 VERDICT: 

Mi Amore (Penne Pasta): It was really a bad dish. It doesn't have that deep,meaty flavor you expect on a classic italian meat sauce. The penne pasta (which is supposed to be spaghetti) is mushy and over cooked. The bread is like a day old and it was not even toasted.

Oh baby (T-Bone Steak): Even it was not my order, I took a bite to taste the beef. It was not tender. Tough and dry. Very bland as well.

Please Be Careful with my Heart: This was a surprise to me. I did not choose this for my son because I read (on their menu) there were herbs and spices with it. I thought my child won't like this so instead, my cousin's boyfriend chose this.To our surprise, the chicken has no spices and herbs whatsoever. It was also dry. The description of the dish didn't match with the actual dish. It was just a cornish hen, cut in half, deep-fried with no salt and pepper then serve with banana ketchup.Very far from my expectation. This was a huge disappointment.

Chinoy in Seventh Heaven: This is the saving dish of the day. The chicken was good but  very dry. I can taste the chinese five spices with a hint of sweetness. It was pretty good and flavorful but not the best.

None of the dishes I tasted will make me come back again. The food is expensive but the quality is cheap. I don't know why some people think it is one of the must-visit restaurants in Maginhawa St.

REVIEW: Rancho in Ketchup Food Community and Cafe by The Ruins, Baguio City

I visited Baguio City last January 23, 2016. Baguio is not only known for their flowers, strawberries and cold climate but with their food as well. So,this year we took the chance to explore and checked out two of their known restaurants. 

We visited Ketchup Community. There are varieties of restaurants to choose from. It was lunch time and the only restaurant that is not too occupied was Rancho. They serve Filipino food. Nothing special. But that is what i love simple food. It doesn't have to be complicated. As long as it is good, it is a real food.

Photo by: Diana Arcas

We ordered Sinigang (Pork Tamarind Soup), Sisig and Pakbet (stir-fry mixed vegetables). 


VERDICT: I have eaten in Gerry's Grill and other famous restaurants. They say they offer delicious Filipino food. But this restaurant,it is just the real deal. Cheap, delicious, fresh. Again, nothing really special about their menu. But the food they serve are just on point.DELICIOUS.



I will definitely come back here!



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photo by: Diana Arcas

 We arrived at the restaurant around 7'o clock. You can see the long line outside. We were told they no longer accept guests that night and we should come back by tomorrow. Likewise, reservations are not accepted during weekends (it was Saturday). 

This made us so disappointed but excited so we came back the next day.

photos by: Diana Arcas

It was 4pm that day. We were told it is the best time to visit. When you enter their restaurant, you can see their freshly baked bread displayed in their bakery

photo by: Diana Arcas

The ambiance is really beautiful. Very quite and relaxing. 

photo by: Diana Arcas

That day I am craving for pasta. So, I picked a creamy pasta dish. They claim they make their own bacon (haven't tasted fresh bacon) so I chose Carbonara and their classic Espresso Coffee. I love croissants so i picked one for myself too.

photo by: Diana Arcas

 I ate the croissant right way HAHA. It was really good. Just like how it should be. Flaky, buttery and warm. PERFECTION!it was served with strawberry jam and butter. But with a croissant,for me, it is good on its own. 

When my order arrived I can't wait to taste the dish. They were very generous with the bacon (which is AWESOME....who doesn't love bacon?!) My assumption,just how it looks, this will be superb.But it will always go down with the TASTE.

VERDICT: it was good. but not how i expected it. I had high expectations with their food. The long lines last night gave us an impression of perfection about it. The carbonara was bland. and there was a thin slice of FRESH garlic which is so unappetizing it just over powered the dish. The bacon was good but i am looking for some more flavor and smokiness. To think it is 245pHp ($5) it is just not worth it. I am not a fan of coffee. I don't know if it is just how it should be ( i mean that strong-roast coffee taste ) but I just didn't like it. Very strong to my liking. 

photo by: Diana Arcas

It was Diane's order, my boyfriend's cousin. She picked Crepé in lemon curd. I don't know where did the lemon curd go but I did not taste it all. The mango sauce was good though but there were no lemon curd in her crepe. 




My experience in this restaurant is not bad after all. The people and ambiance is really nice. However, the food will always be the highlight of every restaurant. Perhaps, I should try other dish next time. 




Have you eaten in these restaurants before? How was it? Share me your experience :)