Humba

One dish that my father would love to cook if he's still around is humbang pata ng baboy or carabeef that we buy in Malolos Market at the early hours of the morning so as not to lose the chance of buying the last piece.  My father would always tell me to buy the unahan or the front hock not the hind ones since the first has most of the meat than the latter.  I was always amazed on how he would gently and patiently tenderise the meat without using the pressure cooker.  He was indeed a good cook.  I hope he is proud that I turned out to have the same passion in cooking.  How I miss him...

Humba or Umba may have originated in the Visayas is a braised pork with sugar.  The best pork cut touse in this kind of dish would be those with fats like hocks and belly as they add more flavour to the the humba. 

Anyway, enjoy this wonderful dish that will certainly take your palate to another world when the meat and fat melt in your mouth with the burst of the delicious flavour.

Ingredients
1 pork hock (pata ng baboy)
6  pcs bay leaf
6 cloves, chopped
2 large onions, chopped
1 1/2 c pineapple juice
2 tbsp peppercorns
2 tbsp kikkoman soy sauce
3 tbsp white vinegar
2 tbsp brown sugar
5 pcs or more, banana blossoms
salt and pepper to taste

Procedure
Boil the pork hock for 2 hours in water with 1 tbsp peppercorns, 3 pcs bay leaf , salt and pepper to taste.  Remove from fire when the meat is almost detached from the bones.
Heat oil in a non stick pan.
Sear the meat.  Remove from pan.
Sautee onions and garlic in the same pan.
Add in the remaining bay leaf and peppercorns.
Put back the meat.  Stir and let the meat absorb the flavour from the bay leaf, peppercorn, onions and garlic.  Put on low fire.
Pour in the pineapple juice.
Put in sugar and soy sauce.  Boil for at least 2 minutes.
Add in the vinegar.  Do not stir. 
Add in the banana blossoms and simmer until the juice has evaporated a bit.
Remove from fire.
Pour in the
A comment or two will be appreciated...