Binuthang Baboy, Western Batangas Style

A slow-cooked, almost dry pork dish with a savoury coating and a hint of smoke.

Ingredients

• 886 g pork, bone-in, chopped into roughly 5–7 cm pieces
• 45 mL (3 tbsp) regular soy sauce
• 25 g banana ketchup — about 1½ tbsp
• 15 g tomato sauce — about 1 tbsp only
• 1 medium onion, 100–120 g, roughly chopped
• 5 cloves garlic, 20 g, crushed and chopped
• ½ tsp freshly ground black pepper
• 1 small bay leaf
• 1 tbsp cooking oil, only if the pork isn't fatty
• 40 g liver spread — about 2½ tbsp
• 500–650 mL water, added gradually
• ½ tsp brown sugar, optional; don't make it sweet
• salt only after tasting
• liquid smoke: start with just ⅛ tsp (0.6 mL)

Method

• Combine pork with soy sauce, banana ketchup, tomato sauce, half the onion, garlic and pepper. Marinate covered in the refrigerator for 6–12 hours, or at least 45–60 minutes after thawing.
• Lift the pork out, saving the marinade. Brown slowly in a wide, heavy pan for 8–12 minutes; add the optional oil only if needed. Add the remaining onion, then the marinade aromatics.
• Pour in the saved marinade and boil for 2–3 minutes, scraping the browned bits. Add 300 mL water, bay leaf. Cover and simmer gently; expect 60–90 minutes total, adding hot water as needed.
• When the pork is very tender, stir in liver spread. Taste before adding optional sugar or more salt. Uncover and reduce for 10–20 minutes until the sauce coats the pork and some fat separates.
• On low heat, mix ⅛ tsp liquid smoke into a spoonful of sauce, then stir through the dish. Cook 1 minute. Add no more than another ⅛ tsp if needed. Rest covered for 15 minutes. The finish should be smoky, not barbecue-sweet.

Before you cook

Read the ingredient labels for allergens, especially seafood, soy, wheat, dairy and eggs. Prepared sauces and seasoning powders vary in saltiness, so taste before adding more. Cooking times are guides; check doneness in the actual batch.

Cook poultry and reheated leftovers to 74°C, ground meat to 71°C, and fish to 63°C. FoodSafety.gov cooking guidance ↗