Pinakbet Ilocano Recipe
Pinakbet Ilocano is a Filipino version of cooking vegetables, fermented fish sauce (bagoong), and fried pork. As the name implies, it is originally from the Northern Luzon region in the Philippines called Ilocos Region. As an Ilocano, I will share this delicious, nutritious, and authentic Pakbet Ilocano recipe with you.
Equipment
1 skillet
Ingredients
- 1 pound pork belly sliced in cubes
- 1 medium yellow onion sliced thin
- 1 inch ginger peeled and sliced thin
- 1 large sweet potato sliced
- 2 cups tomatoes sliced
- 1 large eggplant sliced
- 10 pieces okra trimmed and sliced 2-inches
- 2 large Serrano pepper optional
- ⅓ cup fermented fish sauce (bagoong)
Instructions
- Pan-fry the pork on all sides until nice and golden brown. Take them out, including most of the fats they rendered.
- In the same pan, start adding the aromatics and vegetables. First, add the ginger and onion. Followed by tomatoes and sliced sweet potatoes.
- Add and arrange the okra, eggplant, bittermelon, and jalapeno pepper.
- Dilute the fermented fish sauce (bagoong) in a cup of water, then pour it into the pot or skillet.
- Lastly, add the fried pork on top. Cover and cook in high heat for about 7-10 minutes or until it starts boiling. Gently stir with a spatula for even cooking. Continue cooking on medium heat until you achieve the desired doneness, soft but not soggy.
Notes
Recipe Notes:
- Do a taste test of the dish before serving. Adjust the level of saltiness according to your taste with salt or fish sauce.
- After slicing, soak the eggplant in water to avoid discoloration.
- Soak the bittermelon for 10 minutes with salt water to reduce bitterness. You can massage it with a pinch of salt and squeeze some water content to reduce bitterness without soaking, then rinse it with water.
- Don’t forget to add water or broth to cook the dish, start with a cup.
- You can add you’re leftover lechon kawali, bagnet or grilled and fried fish on top of this dish for more flavor.
- We only need to gently stir this dish once it starts boiling. One reason is to reduce bitterness.
Nutrition
Serving: 6servingsCalories: 479kcalCarbohydrates: 20gProtein: 9gFat: 40gSaturated Fat: 15gPolyunsaturated Fat: 4gMonounsaturated Fat: 19gCholesterol: 54mgSodium: 61mgPotassium: 672mgFiber: 5gSugar: 7gVitamin A: 8541IUVitamin C: 17mgCalcium: 39mgIron: 1mg
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