Pork Pochero

Pochero is a Spanish influenced Pinoy dish, It is a tomato sauce base dish which is typical with the other Pinoy dish with Spanish sounding name like the menudo, kaldereta, mechado ect. Pochero is a stewed beef, pork or chicken in tomato sauce with chorizo and the must have ingredient saba, plantain banana and of course vegetables like cabbage, green beans and pechay. In addition garbanzos or cheek peas is also added. Our pochero has evolved to countless versions. In some parts of the country particularly in the South their pochero do not use tomato sauce or paste, some pochero versions also are similar to the usual nilaga (click here and here) or bulalo.

I have here a simple very Pinoy version of pochero which has been adapted to the present Pinoy palate. This version uses baked beans as substitute for garbanzos. Remember the canned pork and beans that was very popular. If it’s available at your location then I would recommend to used them otherwise the regular canned baked beans in tomato sauce is fine. Saba is another ingredient that is not readily available if you are outside the country. Frozen saba should be available at any Pinoy store if there is one at your neighborhood. Otherwise as an alternative use the banana used in Indian cooking this is similar to our saba, with starchy texture. You can visit your neighborhood Indian vegetable store and ask for this banana, they are normally made into banana chips. I have chosen pork instead of the usual beef, I though it would be the best combination with the baked beans. I have to make the pork really tender, like melt in your mouth. But be careful not to overcook the meat, you want it soft but firm with out disintegration. With pork and beans you would not go wrong, enjoy...

Ingredients:

1 kilo pork liempo, belly
1/2 head garlic, chopped
1 medium size onion, chopped
4 pcs. saba, plantain banana, sliced diagonally
2 small size potato, quartered
1 small bundle, green beans, trimmed
1/2 small cabbage, quartered
1 bundle pechay, trimmed
1/4 cup patis, fish sauce
1 big can baked beans
1/2 cup tomato sauce
1 tbsp. peppercorns
salt
cooking oil

Cooking procedure:

Cut pork belly into serving pieces, wash thoroughly. In a sauce pan suttee garlic and onion, add in pork and stir cook until color changes and start to sizzle. Add in fish sauce and tomato sauce, stir cook for 2 to 3 minutes. Now add in 2 to 3 cups of water and peppercorns, bring to a boil, and simmer for 20 to 30 minutes or until pork is tender, add more water as necessary. Add potato and simmer for another 3 to 5 minutes or until potato are tender. Add in banana and the other vegetables, cook for 3 to 5 minutes or until vegetables are cooked. Season with salt to taste if required. Add in baked beans and cook for another minute. Serve hot.