Pork Adobo

Usually I make Chicken Adobe, but I was wanting something a little different and since I knew I had a pork loin roast in the freezer, I decided to try a Pork Adobo.

Wow! Was this amazing!!



Pork Adobo w/Gravy
1 1/2 C white vinegar
1 C soy sauce
5 cloves of garlic, minced
1 TBLS peppercorns
3 bay leaves
1 C water
3 - 4 lbs pork loin roast, cut into large chunks

Gravy
1/4 C flour
3/4 C water

In a hot pot, sear pork chunks on all sides.
Then add remaining ingredients and simmer at least one hour until meat is tender. You can totally just put it on the back of the stove on low for a few hours and it only gets better.

Remove meat and set aside, strain peppercorns out of broth.

In a shaker, combine 1/4 C flour with 3/4 C water and shake to create a slurry. Whisk slurry into soy sauce/vinegar/pork broth, whisk over medium heat until gravy thickens. Add meat back to gravy.

Serve with rice.

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First, put those beautiful chunks of pork into a hot pan and sear on all sides.


There is more beautiful searing than this... but I guess I didn't get a pic...


Add the remaining vinegar, soy sauce, garlic, peppercorns, bay leaves and 1 cup of water.


Simmer at least one hour


Remove the meat and set aside.


Strain the broth to remove peppercorns.


Put 1/4C flour & 3/4C water into a shaker and shake into a slurry.


Add to strained broth and whisk until gravy thickens.


Add meat back to gravy.


This can stay on the stove on low heat until you're ready to serve it.



I have to say this was far and away the BEST adobo I've ever made! I don't know if I'll ever make Chicken Adobo again.

Boneless skinless chicken (what my family perfers) doesn't hold up to braising anywhere near as well as pork.

The tender flavorful melt-in-your-mouth pork was so delicious!

And the gravy!!! WOW!!! Silky, sour, so adobo-y... and thicker than the usual broth so it really sticks to the rice.

Our friend Mike said, "Sarap!"

I'll definitely be making this again!!

Bibingka ~ Spryte Style

More Filipino food for my kidlets!

Bibingka is a sweet custardy rice cake.

I know I called this Bibingka... but I think it's really kinda like Bibingka with a Biko topping. Maybe someone more familiar with Filipino Cuisine can help me out!



Bibingka ~ Spryte Style
Cake:
1 C granulated sugar
1/4 C butter
3 eggs, beaten
1 C milk
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 1/2 C mochiko (sweet rice flour - you can get it at the Asian market)
1 TBLS baking powder

Topping:
1/2 C thick coconut milk
1 TBLS mochiko (sweet rice flour)
7 oz (1/2 - 14 oz) sweetened condensed milk
1 egg yolks
1 TBLS grated cheddar cheese (optional)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Mix sugar and melted butter.
Add eggs and mix until blended with sugar mixture.
Add milk and vanilla. Mix.
Add sweet rice flour and baking powder.
Mix well.
Pour into a 8x8-inch pan and bake for 35 to 45 minutes.

When cake comes out of the oven, start making the topping.
Mix coconut milk with the mochiko.
Add sweetened condensed milk and cook over medium heat till thick.
Whisk in the egg yolks.
Return to heat and cook 5 minutes more.
Pour over baked bibingka.
Sprinkle with the grated cheese and broil till golden brown.

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Mix sugar and melted butter.


Add beaten eggs and mix until blended with sugar mixture.



Add milk and vanilla. Mix.


Time for the mochiko, sweet rice flour.


I have to go to the Asian market for mochiko, but maybe you have a better local grocery store.

Mix in the flour.


Pour into baking dish.

I had no idea how cheap and easy to find banana leaves are. If you have them, line the baking dish with a banana leaf. I'll definitely be trying that next time.

Bake at 350F for 35 - 45 minutes.


When you take the Bibingka out of the oven, it's time to make the topping.


You need coconut milk.


I find that no matter how hard I shake the can, you really can't get it all mixed back together.

So I dump/scrape it out into a bowl and whisk it back together, then measure out how much I need.


In a saucepan, mix the coconut milk with the mochiko. Add the sweetened condensed milk and cook over medium heat until thickened.


Whisk in the egg yolks and cook for 5 more minutes.
It will get thicker.


Pour topping over warm cake.


Spread evenly, and top with shredded cheddar cheese.


I only put cheese on half because everyone doesn't like it with cheese.

Now under the broiler until the cheese is melty and golden brown.


This is wicked moist and rich. I serve it in small pieces.



I try to make this at least once or twice a year for Tawny. She really loves it!

So any readers familiar with Filipino food? Would you call this Bibingka or maybe just Spryte's Custardy Rice Cake?

Ukoy ~ Shrimp Fritters

So a couple times a year, I try to make a Filipino feast for my kids. They rarely get to see that side of the family, but I want them to be at least familiar with the food!

Now the Filipino side of the family is not my side of the family. So I mostly have to wing it.

While reading one filipino dish a week, I stumbled across Ukoy... Shrimp Fritters.

I knew right away that I had to make them. It took me almost a year... but I finally did!

They are sooooo good!!!!



Ukoy

Batter:
3/4 C rice flour
1/3 C all purpose flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1 egg
3/4 C water

Mix all the dry ingredients in a bowl. Beat the egg together with the water. Mix the dry and wet ingredients and until smooth. Let cool in the fridge for about 45 minutes to 1 hour.

Filling:
1 C shrimps
1 C leeks white part julienned
1 C carrots julienned
1 C bean sprouts
1 C snow peas julienned
1 C cabbage julienned

frying oil
4-inch square banana leaf (I used a few!)

Mix all the ingredients in a big bowl. Pour enough batter just to coat. Oil one side of the banana leaf. Place banana leaf on a spider and put a little bit of the mixture on top. Fry in 300-350 degree F oil. After about 1 minute of so take the banana leaf out. Continue frying for about 1 minute. Then flip over. Serve with vinegar, garlic, and salt sauce.

He has a video on his post and I highly suggest you check it out.

Frying stuff on a banana leaf was intimidating enough, but if I hadn't been able to see how he does it, there's no way I would have even tried!

You need rice flour.


If they don't have this at your grocery store, you can get it at an Asian market.

You can get banana leaves there too. It's a gigantic package of frozen banana leaves for $1.25! I don't know how much I thought they'd be. But I didn't expect them to be that cheap!

So whisk up your batter and put it in the fridge.


Toss together all of the veggies & shrimps, until well combined.


Fast forward an hour...

Cut some banana leaf squares.

(Did ya notice I finally have REAL kitchen scissors now?!!)

Heat the oil.

Add just enough batter to coat the veggie/shrimp mixture.


Now for the really intimidating part... the frying.

I had no idea frying anything would intimidate me... but I had never tried to fry loose things that are supposed to end up together!

Grab a little handful/big pinch of veggie/shrimp stuff and put it on a banana leaf square.


Now into the oil.

I had a hard time coordinating the spider after it was in the oil and ended up kinda holding the leaf in place with tongs.


When it's kinda held together, you can let go.


Then you can slide the leaf out of the pan.

When the fritter golden, turn it over and cook until it's golden on the other side too.

You really really really need to watch his video to have a better idea of how to do this.

Drain on a rack and serve with your favorite dipping sauce. I meant to try the sauce in this recipe but forgot and ended up using vinegar/soy sauce/garlic. (I can drink that stuff it's so good!!!)



Everyone LOVED these!!! I'll definitely be making them again!

My pictures don't begin to show you how yummy they are! You must try them!

Yikes! I almost forgot!!

paoix... this is for you!