The Happy Home Cook: Cordilleran Etag (smoked meat) in Lentil and Kale Soup
/The Happy Home Cook features cherished recipes of Filipino dishes from well-known foodies and contributors. If you have a recipe that you are proud of and would like to share, please send it along with a photo of the dish, your two-sentence bio and your picture to submissions@positivelyfilipino.com.
Cordilleran Etag (Smoked Meat) in Lentil and Kale Soup (Photo by Rene Astudillo)
We seldom question how these are prepared, especially in these times of commercial and high-tech processing and manufacturing that is prevalent in the food industry.
But before the era of refrigeration and commercial manufacturing, how did people preserve their food to last for days, weeks or months?
For the Cordillerans, smoking meat has been part of their culture for ages. It was a necessity borne out of yet another tradition — the cañao or celebratory feast whereby pigs, cows and goats are butchered, cooked and served to guests and family. Because these feasts were lavish and extravagant, there was always the issue of leftover meat. Hence, the Igorots smoked the leftover meat to preserve it for days and weeks. This is done by salting and drying the meat under the sun or hanging them atop burning firewood or regular places of cooking to expose it to constant smoke.
Smoked meat is popularly known in the mountain provinces as etag.
I’ve always had the fascination for smoked meat, not only because of its distinctive flavor but the aroma as well. It’s just like smelling bacon when one wakes up in the morning.
I bought some etag from local vendor at a Sunday street fair on Session Road in Baguio City, and he suggested that I use it as an ingredient to enhance my soup. His one tip: since the etag is already salty, no need to add salt to my cooking. Hence, I came up with this recipe. The result? Umami – perfect combination of salty, sour, sweet and spicy!
Ingredients
1 cup, thinly sliced etag (can be substituted with any smoked meat from the supermarket)
1 cup, green or brown lentils, thoroughly washed
1 cup, sliced, fresh kale
4 cups water (more if desiring more soup)
2 tablespoons white vinegar
1 tablespoon, brown sugar
½ teaspoon ground black pepper
Directions
In a pot, mix lentils with 4 cups water. Bring to a boil, then add the smoked meat. Reduce to a simmer for 20-25 minutes, adding the vinegar, sugar and black pepper. If adding more water, adjust taste by adding more vinegar, sugar and pepper. Mix in the kale in the last three minutes of cooking. Serve warm.
Rene Astudillo is a writer, book author and blogger and has recently retired from more than two decades of nonprofit community work in the Bay Area. He spends his time between California and the Philippines.
More articles from Rene Astudillo
