A visit to my mom’s house and the old neighborhood in the Bay Area usually means honing in on my Filipino roots. So what I made for you today at my home is Pork Sinigang (Sinigang na Baboy)– Pork ribs and/or riblets with sour broth, daikon, spinach and taro roots, alongside fish sauce for taste in reminiscence of our comfort foods from the Philippines.

Ingredients

• 2 lbs pork belly (or buto-buto) and/or pork ribs. I like the pork meat to have bones for flavor, but it’s optional.

• 1 bunch spinach (or kang-kong)

• 3 tbsp fish sauce (optional)

• 2 pieces medium-sized tomato, quartered (optional)

• 3 pieces chili (or banana pepper or 1 large jalapeño)

• 1 tbsp cooking oil

• 1 large onion, sliced

• 6 pieces taro roots (Gabi), quartered

• 1 pack sinigang mix (add to 4 cups water) Can be purchased at any Filipino grocery store.

* you may also add sliced daikon (1 small or half of a large one, peeled), okra and eggplant if desired.

Directions

1. Heat the pot and put in the cooking oil.
2. Sauté the onion until layers separate.
3. Add the pork belly and/or ribs and cook until outer part turns light brown.
4. Put-in the fish sauce and mix with the ingredients.
5. Pour the water and bring to a boil
6. Add the taro and tomatoes then simmer for 40 minutes or until pork is tender.
7. Put-in the sinigang mix and chili.
8. Add the other vegetables (if there are any) and simmer for 5 to 8 minutes.
9. Put-in the spinach, turn off the heat, and cover the pot. Let the spinach cook using the remaining heat in the pot.

Number of servings (yield): 6
Serve hot with steamed white rice. Enjoy!–gcc