The Happy Home Cook: Paksiw na Lechon (Roast Pork in Homemade Liver Sauce and Vinegar)

The Happy Home Cook: Paksiw na Lechon (Roast Pork in Homemade Liver Sauce and Vinegar)

"The winds that wafted roast pig into our culture were strong ones," declared Doreen G. Fernandez, "engraving lechon indelibly in our lives. Lechon kawali, lechon Bocaue, lechon de leche; lechon por kilo; pigs roasted by hand at fiestas, mechanically in cities, in bakery ovens in the U.S.; litsunin stuffed with whatever is customary or desired (tanglad or lemon grass, tamarind leaves, mango leaves, or banana leaves; paella, tausi or salted soy beans, pork and beans even). Then, after the roast, paksiw na lechon."

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The Happy Home Cook: Inihaw na Baboy (Grilled Pork)

The Happy Home Cook: Inihaw na Baboy (Grilled Pork)

The traditional cut of choice for this is liempo, the pork belly.  But here, thick bone-in pork chops were chosen as a leaner alternative. Having them french cut by the butcher makes for an elegant presentation, while also offering the option to eat the inihaw neatly with your hands. 

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The Happy Home Cook: Buko Fruit Salad

The Happy Home Cook: Buko Fruit Salad

There are many Filipino words relating to coconut, each describing a particular variety or stage of development. Buko is the generic term, and refers to the nut when it is young but ready to eat. The young coconut needed for the salad should be thick but still tender, or malakanin (six- to seven-month green coconut).

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The Happy Home Cook: Adobong Baka (Braised Beef in Vinegar)

The Happy Home Cook: Adobong Baka (Braised Beef in Vinegar)

All kinds of meat can be cooked as adobo, but beef on its own is the least common. In Batangas, they make adobo with chicken, pork and beef all together.

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The Happy Home Cook: Adobong Malutong (Adobo Flakes)

The Happy Home Cook: Adobong Malutong (Adobo Flakes)

Filipinos like to eat a dish in tandem with another. These crispy adobo flakes are sometimes paired with kare-kare [ox tail stewed in peanut sauce]. They are also good with sinangag [fried rice] or as a topping for arroz caldo [chicken rice soup] eaten on cold, rainy days.

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The Happy Home Cook: Buko-Pandan Gelatin (Young Coconut-Pandan Gelatin)

The Happy Home Cook: Buko-Pandan Gelatin (Young Coconut-Pandan Gelatin)

The green gelatin and the vanilla ice cream make an attractive combination. The coconut juice sweetens the gelatin, and sugar becomes unnecessary.

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The Happy Home Cook: Rellenong Talong (Stuffed Eggplant)

The Happy Home Cook: Rellenong Talong (Stuffed Eggplant)

Nothing elevates the humble eggplant like a rich filling of ground pork and a coating of egg. 

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The Happy Home Cook: Escabeche (Sweet-and-Sour Fish)

The Happy Home Cook: Escabeche (Sweet-and-Sour Fish)

This dish has Spanish roots. The original Iberian version kept cooked fish in a seasoned sauce of wine or wine vinegar overnight. The Chinese interpretation, however, became the Filipino prototype: fried batter-dipped fish soaking in a freshly made sweet-and-sour sauce redolent with ginger strips, red pimiento and carrot flowerets [Felice Sta. Maria, The Governor-General’s Kitchen].

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The Happy Home Cook: Ensaladang Talong (Eggplant Salad) with Coconut Vinaigrette

The Happy Home Cook: Ensaladang Talong (Eggplant Salad) with Coconut Vinaigrette

The traditional way of preparing eggplant salad is to broil or roast the eggplant, peel it, mash or slice it into pieces, and dress it with Filipino vinaigrette. 

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The Happy Home Cook: Two Bistek Recipes

The Happy Home Cook: Two Bistek Recipes

Two versions of the Filipino favorite Bistek Tagalog, the traditional way and a vegan variant.

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