Filipino Stew

Filipino dishes are mostly made up of simmered pork or beef with vegetables and special sauces. Philippine cuisine have several influences. It evolved over centuries from its Malayo-Polynesian origins to a mixed cuisine with many Hispanic cultural influences, to the many Latin American and Spanish dishes brought during the Spanish colonial period.

Famous Filipino Stews:
Menudo
Beef Steak
Beef Mechado
Pork Binagoongan
Pork Adobo

The featured Stew above is called Pork Afritada. You can mix chicken and pork with this dish. Usually this is just simmering in tomato sauce. I have a better way. It's just a matter of taste and how will you make use of the ingredients to get that distinct aroma and flavor.
Filipino pride---Afritada. There are 2 easy cooking techniques to be done. Inadobo sa Suka and the Main Afritada Recipe.

Servings: 4-5

Your Ingredients:

For adobo

2 cups water
1 cup vinegar
6 cloves of garlic (mashed)
2 pinches of pepper 1/2 tsp salt

1/2 K Pork cubes

Main recipe
4 medium potatoes (cut into desired shape)
1 medium carrot (cut into desired shape)
1 medium green or red bell pepper
5 cloves of garlic (chopped)
1 medium onion (chopped)
1 small can of green peas or 2 tbsp of fresh
1 200g Del Monte Tomato Sauce (filipino Style)
2 tbsp cooking oil

How To:

1. "Inadobo sa Suka" style to tenderize meat and to get the sour flavor.

In a sauce pan, put all Adobo ingredients including the Pork. Boil until Pork is tender. If too sour, add enough water to balance.
Add potatoes if meat is semi-tender.

Note: adding water does not mean to eliminate the vinegar flavor.
You can also fry the potatoes in a separate pan.

When all nice and soft, set aside with the adobo mixture.

2. Main Afritada Recipe

In a separate pan, saute the chopped garlic until semi-golden brown
add chopped onions
add the pork and potatoes from the adobo
add carrots
pour the adobo mixture. Add water if necessary
add green peas
simmer for 5- 7 mins
add tomato sauce
salt and pepper to improve taste
simmer again for another 5-7 mins
add bell pepper
ready to serve

The taste? The sour flavor gives the recipe the "twist" and makes it different from the rest. The old-fashioned recipe uses Atsuwete or Annatto seeds for coloring. I prefer using tomato sauce it adds more flavor. I would recommend red bell pepper because of its distinct flavor.