The Lucky Cook: Filipino recipes of a househusband

Pork Binagoongan

My recipe for today is simple, sumptuous, savory and sulit (affordable). Pork binagoongan is simply pork cooked in shrimp paste. This is a native Filipino dish that most of my kababayan loves to eat. Tender pork cuts that was cured by the salty shrimp paste and hot chili fingers. You must prepare a plenty amount of rice when this is your ulam for the day. Shrimp paste are widely used in Filipino cuisine, it is most often used as flavor enhancer for vegetables, meats and seafoods. It's mostly known as a dip for unripe mango's and the best partner for kare-kare (peanut stew). You can prepare and cook this dish for 15 minutes.

Ingredients

1 kilo pork (cut into bite size)

2 medium onion (julliened)

5 cloves garlic (minced)

3 pcs tomato (julliened)

1 cup shrimp paste

2 tbsp vinegar

5 pcs chili fingers (chopped)

1/2 cup water

salt and pepper to taste

oil

Instructions

1. In a large pan, heat oil then saute garlic and onions until golden brown.
2. Add the tomatoes and simmer until the tomatoes are cooked.
3. Put the pork and stir properly then add water. Simmer until the pork is tender. Add water as necessary.
4. Pour the shrimp paste and vinegar then cook for a minute.
5. Add the chili fingers.
6. Sprinkle salt and pepper to taste.

Just got Lucky!

Last week my wife and I dine in at Tajimaya Charcoal Grill. It is located in SM Mall of Asia in Pasay. This Japanese restaurant offers yakiniku style of dining. "Yakiniku" is a Japanese word that means "grilled meat". This Japanese style of cooking bite-sized meat, seafood and vegetables over charcoal. The customers will order different types of raw meat and veggies which are brought to the table with built in grill. Most of their ingredients were from Japan.

The grill was not like other yakiniku style restaurant here in Manila because they use charcoal which gives you more smoky flavor. Most yakiniku styke restaurant here use electric grill.

We ordered this set which cost 580 pesos per head + 12% vat. It's and eat all you can yakiniku set, they will be the one who will serve the ingredients right at your table. You don't need to go back and forth for the things that you want to cook. They will quickly refill if you request but single serving was enough for both of us. It includes one serving of rice and bottomless ice tea. As a freebie you will receive a side dish or a salad. We opted for the salad, it consist of lettuce and Japanese vinaigrette. My wife love this one.

The ingredients are cooked by the diners on a grill built into the table throughout the duration of the meal, several pieces at a time.Usual ingredients are beef, pork, chicken, seafood and veggies.

beef

chicken

pork

cuttlefish

japanese hotdog

shrimp

The ingredients are then dipped in sauces, you can create your own sauce for this one. It is best eaten with a cup of Japanese rice, they also serve an abundant serving of romaine lettuce which you can dip and then wrap the meat.

They also change and refill the charcoal once there was no enough flame to cook the meat. Each of you will also have tongs for cooking. They uses charcoal but it's a smokeless grill. You will still smell the aroma of the food while cooking that will makes you savor more of this grilled goodness. My wife live in Japan for 2 years that is why she like and love this kind of dining ambiance.

Most of the time she's in charge of the cooking and yours truly in indulging. We will surely go back here since we enjoyed our dining experience.

Tajimaya Charcoal Grill

SM Mall of Asia

2nd Level, Pasay, Metro Manila, Philippines

Phone Number
(+63 2) 556-8929

Operating Hours
Monday to Sunday 10:30am to 11:00pm

Today I will share one of Filipino's most favorite dish, Pork Sisig. It is made from pig ears that was boiled and grilled with chicken liver. There are many varieties of Sisig in the Philippines, the most popular version is from Pampanga. This dish is a best seller among restaurant's around Manila. It is usually served on a sizzling plate together with fresh egg on top. When we dine out together with my family this is the one that I always pick from the menu. When we go out with our friends for some booze we always have this one on the table. It is the best pulutan for most of us.

I hope you can enjoy this one together with a glass of beer or serve it to your family with steamed rice.

Ingredients

3/4 kilo pig ears

1/4 kilo liempo (pork belly)

1/4 kilo chicken liver

2 medium onion (minced)

3 pcs calamansi

3 tbsp soy sauce

1 knob ginger (minced)

5 pcs chili fingers

1/2 cup butter

2 tsp oil

2 pcs egg

salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

1. In a large pot, boil water together then put the pig ears and pork belly. Simmer for 45 minutes then drain.
2. Grill pig ears and pork belly until it turns to golden brown. Chop and mince then set aside.
3. In a large pan, heat oil and add butter then saute half of the onion until its soften.
3. Add ginger and chicken liver then cook for 5 to 10 minutes.Crush and break the liver finely.
4. Put the mince pig ears and pork belly then simmer for 5 minutes.
5. Add the soy sauce and chili then mix well.
6. Sprinkle some salt and pepper to taste.
7. Put the eggs and stir it gently until it blends with the pork.
8 Serve it on a large plate and put chili and onion on top. Put calamansi when you're ready to eat.

Just got Lucky!.

Pork belly or "Liempo" is a boneless cut of fatty meat from the belly of a pig. This pork cut is popular among Asian countries that is used in many different cuisines. Tofu or bean curd originated from China and may Filipino use this as an extender. Tofu is a great source of protein and has a low calorie content which is good specially for vegetarians.

This tokwa't baboy recipe came from my mom's homecooked meals. I remember when this was our lunch or dinner, I assure you that leftovers has no room for us. Try this tasty recipe to add some varieties to your daily meals and this is best eaten with steamed rice.

Ingredients

1 kilo pork belly

1 block tofu

4 cloves garlic (minced)

1 medium red onion (julliened)

1/2 cup soy sauce

1/4 cup vinegar

1 cup water

4 tbsp brown sugar

1/4 cup chinese celery/kintsay (minced)

1/4 cup butter

cooking oil

salt and pepper

Instructions

1. Cut pork belly and tofu to your desired serving sizes.
2. In a frying pan, heat oil and fry tofu until golden brown. Set aside.
3. In a medium pot, saute garlic and onion then add the pork belly, soy sauce, vinegar and water. Let boil and simmer until the meat becomes tender. Add water as necessary.
4. Add the tofu and simmer until it absorb some of the sauce.
5. Put the chinese celery and stir well.
6. Sprinkle some salt and pepper to taste.

Just got Lucky!.

One of Filipino's favorite comfort food "Papaitan". This dish is mainly compose with innards of beef or goat. It includes small intestines, ox tripe, cow's heart or liver and the bile. The bitter taste or flavor of this dish mainly comes from the bile. It is sometimes bitter-sour stew because other varieties includes tamarind (sampalok). Its a hit among beer drinkers here in our country and it's one of the most requested "pulutan". In manila if you want to eat "Papaitan" just visit the nearest cafeteria or carenderia and I assure that they got a serving for you. Most of my kababayan prefer this as a pulutan but for us it is best eaten with steamed rice.

I've prepared this one on a gloomy afternoon, the richness of this stew can invigorate your body in this kind of weather. You can easily distinguish papaitan meat vendors in the market. Just tell the butcher if how many kilos are you going to buy and they will give you proper portion of the innards. You also need to buy some meat of beef.

My wife enjoyed this one, she even reserve a bowl of papaitan for her to munch while watching TV later that night. I hope you can also enjoy this recipe.

Ingredients

1 kilo beef innards

4 cloves garlic (minced)

2 pcs medium onions (quartered)

5 pcs long green chili

1 thumb ginger (julliened)

sampalok mix

1 sachet Maggi magic sarap

2 tsp freshly ground peppercorn

1 tsp bile

2 tsp oil
5-7 cups water

salt to taste

Instructions

1. Properly clean the innards by washing it through running water. You may scrub it with salt then rinse.
2. In a large pot or pressure cooker, boil water and add the innards. Wait for 45 to 60 minutes until all the innards are tender.
3. Drain the water and cut the innards into small pieces. Set aside.
4. In a large pot, saute garlic and onion until its soften then add ginger.
5. Put the innards and simmer for 5 to 10 minutes.
6. Add 5 cups of water and let it boil.
7. Put bile and chili's then add salt and pepper to taste. If you want a bitter-sour taste add the sampalok mix.

Just got Lucky!.

Last year when my wife and I unwrapped all the gifts for our wedding we are so excited and guessing what's on the big boxes and small boxes. Appliances are the most common gifts for wedding couples here in the Philippines. First, we opted to open small boxes which consist of a flat iron, kitchen utensils, plates and a lot of glasses. There are also a set of sleeping pillows and two cute small pillows that says "Mr. Right" and "Mrs. Always Right". When we are finished with the small ones, here comes much bigger gift boxes. I told my wife before our wedding if how many rice cooker are we going to have. When we are done unwrapping, we got three different rice cooker. Some of the gifts are an airpot, induction cooker, electric stove and a turbo broiler. The main reason why I come up with this recipe is because of our turbo broiler. First thing that comes to my mind we I saw this thing was a sumptuous baby back ribs. This recipe is easy to prepare it will only take less than an hour or two to enjoy this fancy meal.

By the way here's the gift live in action :)

Ingredients

1 kilo baby back ribs (cleaned)

for the dry rub:

2 tsp rock salt

1 tsp freshly ground pepper

1 tsp cayenne pepper

4 tsp brown sugar

2 tsp garlic powder

for the bbq sauce:

1/2 cup soy sauce

5 tsp tomato ketchup

3 tsp brown sugar

2 tsp oyster sauce

Instructions

1. Clean the baby back ribs by removing the membrane of the meat. The membrane is a thin skin-like layer on the bone side of the ribs. It will make your dish more tasty and flavorful if this was remove properly.
2. Combine all the ingredients for the dry rub in a bowl. Mix well until it all the powder blended well with each other.
3. Put the dry rub all over the baby back ribs, make sure that dry rub are distributed well on the meat. Put it on a plastic or zip-lock bag and refrigerate for 3 to 5 hours. Overnight is much better.
4. Wrap the meat with aluminum foil, put it on the turbo broiler and turn the temperature to the highest level. Cook it for 75 minutes.
5. In a separate bowl, combine all the ingredients for the bbq sauce.
6. Turn off the turbo broiler then take off the foil on the meat. Distribute and spread the bbq mixture on the meat.
7. Put the baby back ribs on the turbo broiler and wait until its charred for a more smoky flavor. Occasionally put bbq sauce on the meat every 5 minutes.

Just got Lucky!

Bibimbap or mixed rice with vegetables and meat are one of the first Korean dishes that I've tasted. It's like a Mongolian bowl but the ingredients are cooked separately. This one is a complete healthy meal, rice for carbohydrates, meat and egg for protein, vegetables for vitamins and minerals. The main highlight of this dish is the chili pepper paste but in this one I used garlic chili paste. Korean food are now popular in many countries together with their music and tv series/drama. Maybe someday I can visit Korea and try their authentic cuisine. Most Korean dishes are spicy, this is because of the cold weather in their country. You will notice that most of my recipes are about spicy and hot foods. Its a great thing that both my wife and I share the same spicy taste buds.

Ingredients

250 grams beef strips

2-3 cups steamed rice

2 pcs egg

1 medium carrot

1 medium cucumber

1 large onion

1 cup beansprouts

1/4 cup onion leeks

salt

freshly ground peppercorn

for garlic chili paste:

5 cloves garlic

3-5 chili fingers

2 tsp flour

5 tsp water

Instructions

1. Cut carrot, onion leeks, cucumber and onion according to your preferred size.
2. Blanch the carrot, beansprouts and cucumber in hot water for 3-5 minutes. Set aside.
3. In a pan, saute onion and onion leeks, add salt and pepper to taste. Remove from oil and set aside.
4. Put beef strips on the pan and saute until meat is cooked then set aside.
5. In a blender, put the garlic, chili fingers, flour and water. Blend until the consistency becomes smooth. You may add more chili's depending on the level of spiciness that you prefer.
6. In a bowl put rice on the center and all the other vegetables on the side including the beef strips.
7. Fry egg then put it on top and add generous amount of garlic chili paste.
8. Mixed all the ingredients and enjoy.

Just got Lucky!

Did you know that pork is the most widely consumed meat in the world? I've eaten a lot of pork dishes using different style of cooking and for me "Lechon" is the best. According to Anthony Bourdain: No Reservations, the best pig in the world is here in the Philippines which is "Lechon Cebu" (roasted pork) . It captured the heart of the American chef, author and television personality who loves to eat pork. There are many ways and style on how to cook pork. Just like chicken, most parts of a pig is consumed for food. This time I will share how to prepare one of my favorite pork dish, "Paksiw na Pata" (braised pork hocks). I learned this recipe from my mother who loves to cook fatty dishes. I hope you can enjoy this dish and make sure don't forget to serve it with steamed rice.

Ingredients

1 kilo pork hocks

oil for frying
1/2 cup soy sauce

1/4 cup vinegar

2 tsp oyster sauce

5 tablespoon brown sugar

4 cloves garlic (crushed)

1 medium red onion

3 pcs dried bayleaf

salt

freshly ground peppercorn

water

Instructions

1. In a large pan, heat oil and fry the pork hocks until golden brown. Drain excess oil and set aside.

2. Heat 2 tablespoon of oil on a separate pan then saute garlic and onion until its soft.

3. Add the pork hocks, soy sauce, oyster sauce and 1/4 cup of water. Let boil.

4. Put vinegar, sugar and dried bayleaf. Simmer for about 60 to 90 minutes under low heat. Add water as necessary. Make sure that the meat fall off the bones.

5. Add salt and pepper to taste. You may add additional sugar if you prefer.

6. Serve it with a cup of steamed rice.

Just got Lucky!

"Itadakimasu", "Kampai", "Irasshaimase", "Domo Arigato", "Gochiso-sama". I know everyone heard this traditional phrases when you dine in Japanese restaurants. Meals in japan begins with the phrase "itadakimasu" ( let's eat) and ends with "Gochiso-sama" (it was a feast). Japanese cuisine is very popular and well renowned worldwide. Most of us can easily identify dishes that are distinctively Japanese like sushi, maki, sashimi, tempura and ramen. This Kani Bacon that I've prepared has been always one of my favorite thing to order in Japanese restaurants. It is actually a crab stick wrapped in bacon. For a healthier option, you can also add veggies such as carrots, asparagus, bell pepper, etc.. There are many ways to cook this dish, it can be pan-grilled, grilled, deep fried or steamed.

Ingredients

15 pcs crab stick

250 grams honey cured bacon

cooking oil, for frying

1 tsp garlic powder

5 tbsp soy sauce

1 tsp oyster sauce

5 tbsp brown sugar

1/4 cup water

salt and pepper

Instructions

1. Cut crab stick in half, wrap the bacon around the crab stick and secure with a toothpick.
2. In a large pan, heat oil, deep fry until bacon turns to golden brown. Drain excess oil and set aside.
3. In a sauce pan, put soy sauce, oyster sauce, and water. Let boil.
4. Add brown sugar and garlic powder. Stir until sugar begins to caramelized and make sure that the sauce is thick enough.
5. Sprinkle salt and pepper to taste. You may add more sugar if you want a sweeter sauce.

Just got Lucky!

This time the dish that I will share was courtesy of my friend "JP" (Janna Patricia). She brought this one during one of our putlock session at our office. This dish was a hit to all of us and we requested that she must bring another batch the next day. I asked JP on how she prepared this one and I "Just got Lucky" that she shared the recipe on how to create this tasty dish. Same dish was serve by different food chains here in manila like "Bon Chon" and "Manang's Chicken". You can try this one to add twist to your fried chicken. I assure you that your kids and also kids at heart will really enjoy this together with a cup of rice.

Ingredients

1/2 kilo chicken
cooking oil for frying

1/2 cup soy sauce

1/4 cup brown sugar

3-4 cloves garlic (minced)

1/2 cup cornstarch for breading

Instructions

1. Coat the chicken with cornstarch.
2. Heat oil in a large frying pan, deep fry chicken until golden brown. Drain well and put on a plate with tissue paper to remove excess oil.
3. In a small pan put soy sauce and bring to boil.
4. Add garlic, simmer for a minute then put the sugar. Mix thoroughly until sugar melts. (you can add more sugar depending on the sweetness that you prefer)
5. In a small container with cover put the mixture and chicken. Shake until chicken is fully coated.

Just got Lucky!

"Chicken!" most of us love chicken, right? and the most popular one "FRIED CHICKEN".. haha. Most parts of the chicken here in the Philippines are being utilize for cooking. Nearly all the parts of the chicken can be used for food. Thigh for frying, breast for fillet, buffalo wings, isaw (grilled intestines), isot (grilled chicken butt), helmet (grilled chicken head), adidas (grilled chicken feet), liver and gizzard. There are so many recipes that can be found on how to cook certain parts of the chicken. One of my favorite chicken dish "Spicy Chicken Feet Adobo". I hope you can enjoy this simple but indulging recipe, you can eat this as an appetizer, snack or even serve it with rice :)

Ingredients

1/2 kilo chicken feet

1/2 cup soy sauce

1/4 cup vinegar

1/4 cup brown sugar

1 tsp freshly ground peppercorn

3 pcs dried bayleaf

3-5 pcs chili fingers

3-4 cloves garlic (minced)

1 medium onion

1 cup water

salt to taste

Instructions

1. Clean chicken feet by removing the scales and cutting the nails. Rub salt and rinse thoroughly with water.
2. On a non-stick pan, saute garlic and onion together with the chili fingers.
3. Add the chicken feet, soy sauce, vinegar and water. Wait to boil.
4. Put the dried bayleaf, peppercorn, sugar and salt. Simmer until the chicken feet becomes tender or until meat "fall off the bones".
5. Add sugar and salt depending on the sweetness that you prefer.

Just got Lucky!