The Happy Home Cook: Pinakbet
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Pinakbet (Photo by Guilhem Vellut, Wikimedia Commons)
Good for 6-8 people
Ingredients
2 small slabs of pork meat with fat
12 pcs regular size shrimp
1 head garlic - chop up in small pieces
1 big head onion - chop up in small pieces
4" x 1" size ginger - slice thinly
3 regular size tomatoes - cut in not too big pieces
Sauteed Bagoong Alamang (I use Kamayan brand and if you like the pakbet to have some bite, use the spicy sauteed kind) - 3 heaping tablespoons
2 small size ampalaya
3 good size eggplants
13 pcs okra
string or green beans (handful)
a bunch of scallions cut into one inch sizes
half a bunch garlic flowers (young leeks, normally available only in Asian stores) - cut in one-inch sizes
3 pcs green or red, sweet or hot peppers
Chicharon with laman (or bagnet if available)
Preparation
- Boil pork until tender with just enough water to cover the meat. When done, slice meat in small pieces
- Cut the sharp tip of the shrimp head, snip out the "whiskers", then cut out the head
- Peel the body of the shrimp and cut into 3 pieces
- In a pan and using about 1/4 cup oil, saute garlic -- then onions -- add the pork and sautee until pork turns golden brown -- add ginger, stirring for 1 minute -- add 3 tbsp (heaping) of bagoong, continue to stir until blended with rest of the ingredients -- add tomatoes, cook until soggy, then add the shrimps and stir until they turn red (esp. the heads) -- add about 2 or 3 ladleful of the broth from the boiled pork -- allow to simmer for a couple of minutes then add the veggies starting with the beans and okra, cover for a few minutes -- then add the ampalaya, eggplant, green/red pepper and chicharon/bagnet -- simmer in low fire and keep covered. Stir occasionally for even cooking or shake pot to stir -- add the scallions and young leeks last for a flavorful smell. Cook a little more until desired consistency of pinakbet is reached.
Melanie Q Suzara
Melanie Q Suzara is a retired official of the United Nations. To keep up with her growing family, she has taken up home cooking in the last couple of years.
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