Nilagang Pata ng Baboy (Pork Hock Stew)

I don't know which one I like better --- Beef or Pork Nilaga but all I can say is I love them both! Hehe.  Beef has a strong taste and would be more lovely if you add the fats to it when you cook your nilaga.  Pork Pata is also wonderful especially if the pork fats would be really cook for a number of hours that when you eat them, they just melt in your mouth.  I know both are bad for your health especially if you have a problem with your blood pressure but they're just so tempting to eat :).

I have already posted Nilagang Beef recipe so I will just add a bit this time.

Make sure that you get the front pork hock because it has more meat.
Ask your butcher to cut the pork hock into at least 5 pieces.  Boil them in a salted water for at least 3 hours ( I boiled mine for 4 hours) or until the fats and skins are alsmost off the bones.
Then follow the recipe for Nilagang Beef.

A comment or two will be appreciated...

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Beef Soup Bones Mami

When I went to NSO, Quezon City years ago, I noticed this karinderia on wheels just across BIR.  It was lunch break and there were lots of people rushing to make their move in crossing the street. In a flash the rolling karinderia was full of customers.  I went near the place just to see what's there and I've found they're selling lunch meals and one of these was the Beef Mami.

I suddenly got transported in time in Sagrada.  Way back when we were still young, I remember there was a small table across the street from our house selling meals and the best seller was beef mami.  It was really delicious!

I don't  know why we weren't able to cook this dish in the house but instead we settled for those instant mami noodles.   I still prefer the homemade one with fresh veggies and lots of garlic. 

Craving for mami occupied my mind and tummy so I had to tell my hubby to get me some noodles.  I already have all the ingredients so it's not going to be a problem.

Cooking mami is just cooking nilaga except that you sautee onions and garlic for the first and just boil the onions with the meat for the latter.  Star anise is just optional so if you don't want the aromatic strong flavor of anise just don't add them.  My husband immediately knew that anise was in the soup.  He loved the soup and that made me real happy.

Ingredients
1 k beef soup bones
1 beef broth cube
3 star anise (optional)
1 medium onions, minced
1 tbsp garlic, minced
1 tbsp fish sauce (or to taste)
1 bundle spring onions, minced
1 chinese cabbage, shredded
4 hardboiled eggs
pepper to taste
egg noodles
garlic granules (toppings)

Procedure
Tenderise the beef bones thru boiling.  Add the beef cubes.  The water you add would depend on how much you would like your soup be.  Add salt (just enough to your liking) and star anise  .  Set aside the meat and broth.
Sautee onions and garlic in a wok.  Put in the beef bones.  Pour in the broth and boil.
In a bowl, put some cooked noodles, shredded chinese cabbage and sliced eggs.  Pour the beef soup and put some beef on your bowl.  Top with garlic granules.
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Racquel's Sinigang na Ulo ng Salmon sa Miso (Salmon Head in Miso)

Miso is a traditional Japanese seasoning paste.  This is made from fermenting rice, barley and/or soy with salt and fungus.  The result is a thick paste used in sauces, spread, pickling veggies and meat. 

Miso is a staple ingredients in many Japanese dishes that calls for soup.  The earliest miso is made basically from grain and this is called "hishio."  It is believed that this grain and fish miso has been around Japan since the Neolithic Period.  However, there is also a study that miso has actually started during the 3 century BC or even earlier in China.  It is very interesting to know that it was later introduced in Japan around 6th century AD just as the same time when Buddhism was also introduced in Japan.  Miso is quite very high in protein, vitamins and minerals and had become a part of the nutritional diet of feudal Japan.
This miso soup is also popular in the Philippines.  I would remember my father cooking fish in miso.  He didn't use the ready made miso soup base but he would use the miso paste that you can buy from the vegetable stalls in Hagonoy Town Market or palengke.  Here in australia, you can buy miso from Asian Store at McWhirter's in Brunswick, Brisbane or any Asian stores around.  I am not that confident in using the paste though.  I think I have used it before when we were still in the Philippines.  The result was nice...but I must admit, my tatay's (father) and my Ate Susan's or her hubby's miso soup are better.  I have a number of Mama Sita's miso soup base in my pantry but I never had the time or the urge (?) to cook one.  I would probably cook one when my hubby's able to get me a nice fish head.

Racquel, a cooking enthusiast and a lover of food, has shared with me this recipe.  I should really try it!  I think you should too!

Here's the recipe...

Ingredients
1 k salmon head
30 g ginger (squashed)
1 medium onion, diced
3 cloves of garlic
2 medium size tomatoes, diced
green chillis
1 horse radish (labanos), sliced diagonally
1 bundle spinach (mustasa)
30 g fresh tamarind (boiled, juice)
miso paste

Procedure
Boil tamarind and squeeze juice.  Remove the tamarind skins and seeds.  Add the miso to the tamarind juice and boil them together.
Sautee garlic, onions, ginger and tomatoes.
Put in the fish. 
Pour in the tamarind - miso soup mixture.
Put in the veggies. Simmer and serve hot.
I hope I did a good job in fixing and translating the recipe Racquel =)

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Crab, Corn and Pea Soup

Last night, I was supposed to cook a crab and corn soup but unfortunately all the crab and soup recipes need corn kernel in heavy syrup (which I don't have). Since it was too late for my hubby to go to the shops to buy me a tin of corn kernel, I had to use whatever we had in the pantry and fridge. I decided to use the corn and peas packet and it turned out really good. So, instead of having crab and corn soup, we ended up having crab, corn and pea soup.


Ingredients:
1 1/2 C corn and peas
1 C crab meat, shredded
1 medium size onion, minced
1 tbsp garlic, minced
200 ml thickened cream
salt and pepper to taste
2 chicken broth cubes dissolved in 4 C hot water

1 1/2 C corn and peas, pureed

Procedure:

1. Puree the corn and peas in a blender.  Set aside.
2. Dissolve the chicken broth cubes in the hot water.
3. Sautee onions and garlic.  Add crab meat and corn and peas.
4. Pour the broth to the saucepan.  Bring to a boil.  Put in the puree.
5. Add salt and pepper.
6. Remove from fire.
7. Add the cream while the soup is still warm.
8. Serve hot.

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