Filipino Pork Guisantes

Ingredients:

3-4 pounds boneless pork country style ribs

4-6 cloves garlic

4-8 bay leaves

1-2 tablespoon patis (fish sauce to taste)

1 tablespoon freshly cracked or coarsely ground pepper to taste

2 large yellow onions, sliced

1/2 cup water as needed

1 cup tomato paste or 4 cans unsalted tomato sauce

2 teaspoons chopped or sliced pimentos (sweet bell pepper) or 1 jar fancy chopped or sliced sweet pimentos with the juice

2-4 cups frozen peas

2 sticks of cinnamon

Instructions:

Separate the fat from the lean in the pork and slice the pork into stir-fry-size pieces. In a large saute pan, dutch oven or wok over high heat, saute pork fat until melted and drain off excess. (You don't need much more than a couple of teaspoons.) Reduce heat to medium-high and add garlic, bay leaves, black pepper, onion and lean pork. Stir-fry for 15-30 minutes or so until pork is cooked and browned well. Add water and simmer until it is evaporated. Add tomato paste/sauce and pimento and cinnamon sticks and simmer for a 30 minutes or so. Finally, add peas, stirring carefully to break up frozen clumps. Simmer more if meat is not yet tender;  Add more patis to taste.  Add sugar for sweetness Serve hot with rice.


Makes 6-10 servings.

Cantonese Braised Beef Brisket and Tendon

Ingredients:

2 lbs beef brisket cut into 1-2 inch cubes

2 lbs beef tendon, cut into bite sized pieces (1-2 inches)

3 Tbsp canola oil

1/2 cup Shaoxing wine or any type of whiskey

2 cinnamon sticks

3-4 star anise

4-6 cloves of garlic, crushed, peeled, and minced

2-4 bay leaves

1 fat thumb ginger, peeled and sliced into thick disks

1 medium piece of rock sugar (or to taste), if you can’t find rock sugar, use regular sugar or splenda

1-2 tsp salt

1-2 Tbsp soy sauce

2 large or 4-5 small daikon, peeled and cut in large chunks (optional)

2 cups water

Method:

1. In a large pressure cooker heat oil and saute the garlic, ginger, and herbs to release the aromatics.
2. Add rinsed and drained beef to brown in pot. Add tendon and continue to brown evenly.Next
3. add water, soy sauce, wine, and vinegar.
4. Bring to a high heat to boil and simmer.
5. Cover pressure cooker and let reach appropriate PSI for you cooker. (or when the valve rattles etc)
6. Time at set pressure for about 45mins or so. check tenderness of meat and tendon consistency.
7. Add salt and sugar for desired taste level. Add more water or less for desired sauce thickness. (some like it sticky gooey over rice!!)

You can do the same without a pressure cooker but it will take 2-3 hours longer and if you have the time and patience.

Get your rice ready and enjoy!!

Serves 4-6