A Filipino classic: melt-in-your-mouth pork, crisp-tender vegetables, and a clear, tangy, savory tamarind broth. It is comforting, vibrant, and best enjoyed with steamed white rice.
Ingredients
- 800 g pork spare ribs
- 1.5 l water
- 1 piece yellow onion
- 2 pieces ripe tomato
- 250 g daikon radish
- 1 piece Asian eggplant or small eggplant
- 150 g fresh or frozen okra
- 150 g yardlong beans or slender green beans
- 120 g fresh spinach
- 1 piece mild long green pepper
- 3 tbsp tamarind paste
- 3 tbsp fish sauce
- to taste fine salt
- 600 g cooked white rice
Method
- Rinse the pork quickly, then place it in a large pot with cold water; bring to a gentle simmer and skim the surface until the broth runs clear.
- Add the sliced onion and chopped tomatoes; simmer over low heat until the pork begins to turn tender and the tomatoes break down into the broth.
- Stir in the fish sauce, then continue simmering gently until the meat easily pulls away from the bone without letting the pot boil vigorously.
- Add the daikon cut into half-moons and cook until it becomes translucent around the edges while still holding its shape.
- Dissolve the tamarind paste in a ladleful of hot broth, pour it back into the pot, and taste: the broth should be boldly sour, savory, and well-rounded.
- Add the eggplant, okra, green beans, and long green chili; simmer gently until the vegetables are tender yet retain a crisp bite.
- Season with a little salt or extra fish sauce if needed; the broth should deliver a mouthwatering tang without overwhelming the savory flavor of the pork.
- Turn off the heat, add the fresh spinach to the pot, and cover briefly until just wilted from the residual heat.
- Ladle piping hot into bowls, and serve with steamed white rice on the side to soak up the sour broth.
Nutrition
Per serving
- Energy
- 416.8 kcal
- Protein
- 23.79 g
- Carbohydrate
- 48.38 g
- Fat
- 14.26 g
- Fibre
- 4.78 g
- Calcium
- 62.75 mg
- Iron
- 1.43 mg
- Magnesium
- 30.52 mg
