Pork Binagoongan

Ingredients

Measure and prepare everything before you begin cooking.

• 900 g pork belly or shoulder, cut into 3 cm pieces
• 1 tbsp neutral cooking oil
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 5 garlic cloves, minced
• 3 ripe tomatoes, chopped
• 3 tbsp bagoong alamang, plus more only if needed
• 2 tbsp cane vinegar
• 250 ml water
• 2 Asian eggplants, cut into thick half-moons
• 1 tsp brown sugar, optional
• 2 red chillies, sliced
• Fine salt, to taste (use less when the dish contains soy sauce, fish sauce or bagoong)
• Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Instructions

1. 1

   Pat the pork dry. Heat the oil in a heavy pot over medium-high heat and brown the pork in batches so the pieces colour rather than steam.

2. 2

   Lower the heat to medium. Cook the onion for 3 minutes, add the garlic for 30 seconds, then add the tomatoes and cook until soft and pulpy.

3. 3

   Stir in the bagoong for 1 minute. Return the pork, add the water, cover partly and simmer gently for 35–45 minutes until the meat is almost tender.

4. 4

   Pour in the vinegar and let it bubble uncovered for 2 minutes before stirring. Continue simmering until the pork is fork-tender and the sauce begins to thicken.

5. 5

   Pan-fry the eggplant separately in a little oil until browned and just tender, then fold it into the sauce with the chillies. This keeps it from turning mushy.

6. 6

   Taste before adding sugar or any extra bagoong. Simmer uncovered for 5 minutes until glossy, then rest briefly and serve with plenty of steamed rice.