There are many ways of cooking pinakbet and its mainly on the meat component and the type of bago-ong used.
But the vegetable component almost remain the same - kalabasa, ampalaya, sitaw, okra and talong.
But the vegetable component almost remain the same - kalabasa, ampalaya, sitaw, okra and talong.
Pinakbet is an Ilocano specialty that made its way into the entire Filipino gastronomy. It's a merry mix of vegetables with meat all embraced by the Pinoy favorite - bago-ong.
Ingredients
- 1/4 kilo Pork slices (You can also use tulapho)
- 1/1 cup Shrimps, deveined
- 1 Tbsp. guinamos (Ilonggo bago-ong), adjustable
- 1 bundle hantak (string beans/sitaw)
- 1 medium kalabasa (squash), cubed
- 2 pcs. amargoso (ampalaya/bittermelon), sliced, soaked in salt and water
- 10 pcs okra, halved
- 3 pcs medium talong (eggplant), cut into bite sized pieces
- 4 cloves. garlic, crushed
- 1 onion, chopped
- 1 thumb-sized ginger, sliced
- Salt
- Pepper
- Oil
- Water
- Kalkag (dried alamang), optional
- In a wok set on medium heat, stir fry pork in its fat.
- Saute-in ginger, garlic and onion until golden brown. Add oil if necessary
- Add shrimps then bago-ong and continue to stir-fry.
- Season with salt and pepper (or seasoning mix). -------------
- Place vegetables on top of the pork and shrimps.
- Add a cup of water and cover. Do not mix. Just give the whole pan a sort of "shake".
- Simmer until vegetables are cooked. Check if kalabasa is already soft.
- Remove from heat and give it a toss to mix the meat and veggies.
- Sprinkle with kalkag if desired. Serve with rice.
A versatile dish that can often be done your own way depending on the availability of ingredients, Pinakbet is a Filipino favorite anytime, everytime.