Beer Braised Pork

Hello there my foodie friends!  It's been months since my last post about my musings in the kitchen and here I am again with something to share for you!

For some time I have tried a different diet and survived mostly on vegetables and I did not miss eating any kind of meat at all.  However, as I slowly integrated back into the world of omnivores, I can't help "playing" with food and the following recipe is my take on what most people call Beer Braised Pork.

Beer Braised Pork

Ingredients:

Pork (chops or butt, even ribs would do!)

garlic

onions

salt

black pepper

sugar

catsup

a few tablespoons of vinegar

a few tablespoons of vegetable oil

a can of your favorite beer

Directions:

* Rub salt, pepper, and garlic on pork and let stand for 30 minutes or longer.
* Place a few tablespoons of oil in a heated skillet and sear pork for about 5 minutes at each side.
* Add garlic, onions, salt, pepper, a few tablespoons of vinegar and a can of your favorite beer into the skillet.
* Simmer pork in beer and spices.  Add a bit sugar and catsup to taste. Continue to simmer until liquid is reduced.
* When pork is tender, transfer it into a baking or roasting pan and baste with the reduced liquid.  Roast in oven for 10 minutes or in microwave (medium high, and covered with cling wrap) for 20 minutes.
* Before slicing through the pork, let it rest for about 10 minutes from the oven so the juices will remain in tact.

Marinate pork

Sear pork

Add spices and beer

Simmer

Roast in oven or microwave

This Beer Braised Pork is best served with steamed rice, or potatoes and vegetables, and of course -- a tall glass of beer!   

Cheers!

EXOTIC FOOD CHRONICLES: LECHON KAWALI

I’ve been sinfully craving for cholesterol-rich pork recipes and when I opened my archive of food images, I saw the tempting bowl of Lechon Kawali from Mom’s Corner…

Lechon Kawali is a Filipino delicacy (and I think it counts as exotic food…oh no not again…). It is called such because it tastes like lechon (roasted pig) but it is cooked in a frying pan (kawali).

Here’s how to make your own Lechon Kawali:

Ingredients:

• 1 kg whole pork belly (liempo)
• Salt
• Garlic cloves
• Peppercorns
• Water for boiling
• Cornstarch
• Oil for deep frying

Directions:

1. Clean pork belly and slice it into bite-size pieces.
2. Put pork in a pan with water, salt, garlic cloves, peppercorns.
3. Let the meat boil and simmer for 30 to 45 minutes or until the skin is tender. Once the meat is tender, drain it and let it dry.
4. Cover the meat with a thin layer of cornstarch.
5. Heat oil in a pan and deep fry the pork until the meat turns golden brown and the skin becomes crispy.
6. In a bowl mix soy sauce, vinegar, minced garlic and chopped onions. Add chili peppers if desired. Use this as a dipping sauce.
7. Serve lechon kawali with the sauce and rice!

Yum yum!

WARNING: If you are a health conscious individual, don’t eat too much of this dish. Pork contains a lot of cholesterol which may cause several cardio-vascular diseases. If you already have cardiovascular diseases, maybe grab a bite or two of lechon kawali but not more… Eat more at your own risk!