Binagoongang Baboy (Pork in Shrimp Paste)

If you’re a pork eater, binagoongang baboy will be sinful as it will make you eat more than what you should.

Since it is some kind of good fortune to be able to buy pork in Abu Dhabi as the UAE is a Muslim country, Boq and I would buy a few kilos every 2 or 3 weeks for some pork indulgence. Coupled with the luck to find bagoong or shrimp paste in the country, what else can one think of best to cook to combine the two other than binagoongang baboy.

I actually do have a little clue about how the dish should be prepared but I thought it would also help to consult some web expert and seek advise from our flatmate. The result was an infusion of three different ideas.

I picked up Marketmanila.com’s instruction to boil the pork in water, vinegar and sorts of seasoning then fry. While our flatmate suggested that I add tomatoes to my sauté mixture and I thought of adding slices of green pepper for added spice. I also added eggplant slices for a bit of balance. Trust me, this is just perfect for steamed rice.

Ingredients:

1 kilo of pork, cubes (I used parts with some fat and bones)

4 eggplants, sliced diagonally and fried

½ cup shrimp paste

1 onion, sliced

4 cloves garlic, crushed

Green hot chili (use the labuyo type if you want it more spicy)

4 tbsp. vinegar

Black pepper

Bay leaf (optional)

Vegetable oil

Directions:
1. Boil pork n a pot with water, vinegar, black pepper and bay leaf for about 30 minutes. Remove from the pot and let dry.
2. Fry pork in a deep skillet until light brown.
3. Sauté garlic, onion, tomatoes, shrimp paste and green hot chili in the same skillet. Add the pork and some water while stirring. Add the fried eggplant and cook for about 5 minutes.

Preparation and cooking time: 60 minutes
Serving size: 4-5 persons