For lunch, I was looking for a “maiba naman recipe” for pork. I still had a kilo of Adobo cut from Monterey and I saw this pork stew recipe from Aling Oday’s. I was actually looking for the American Pork Stew and this one was labeled Filipino Pork Stew. I got curious because the recipe looks a bit different from our usual stew. It’s somehow akin to Adobo but there’s no vinegar and it uses bell pepper which is a festive ingredient here in the Philippines and usually reserved for non everyday special dishes like Caldereta. It’s the first time I came across it so I decided to give it a try.
I changed the recipe a bit and added cornstarch because I thought it was a bit thin. It can be a basic weeknight recipe when you’re tired from work and wants to do something simple. The bell pepper adds something special and it smells good. You can probably use any kind of bell pepper or a combination of red and green which can elevate this recipe to the handaan table.
I cut the potatoes a bit small for this pork stew but you can go ahead a just quarter a medium potato. Since I used the Imarflex Turbo cooker, I was done in 20 minutes =it really makes your work faster but this dish was actually originally designed for the stovetop so no worries there.
It’s a great recipe too because apart from the bell pepper, all the ingredients can usually be found in a regular Filipino kitchen. You can just dump everything in the pot and leave it to cook on its own too. But I cheated a bit by sauteing -or not really sauteing but more like “sangkutsa -ing or browning. Because I was feeling a bit extra today, 😍 I also fried the potatoes which brings a bit more texture to the potatoes.
Ingredients
Shopping List
- 1 kg pork, sliced into cubes
- 2 tablespoon tomato paste
- 2 potatoes, sliced into cubes
- 1 bell pepper, sliced into strips
Pantry Staples
- 1 onion, sliced
- 3 cups water
- 1/3 – 1/2 cup soy sauce
- salt and pepper to taste
- 1 pork cube (optional)
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch stirred in 1/4 water
Instructions
- Combine all ingredients together in a big sauce pan except for the bell pepper and potatoes.
- Cover and let it simmer for 30 minutes on a medium heat.
- After 30 minutes, add potatoes and continue to simmer till the meat and potatoes are soft and tender.
- Add the bell pepper and season with salt and pepper adjust according to your taste.
- Add the cornstarch slurry.
- Continue to simmer for another 3-5 minutes on a low heat.
- Remove from the heat and ready to serve. Enjoy!
Notes
Tips: Use quality soy sauce for optimum flavor. Add more water if a brothier stew is desired.
Variations: Try ground chicken or beef instead of pork. Add carrots, celery or coconut milk for extra flavor.
Vegan/Vegetarian: Omit the pork and use 1 1/2 cups cooked chickpeas or lentils instead.
