Whether it’s a family dinner or a festive celebration, Filipino Pork Menudo is a crowd-pleaser! A classic Filipino stew that’s a hearty and satisfying dish with a side of steamed rice.
We love menudo so much that I make it at least once or twice a month. It’s a simple recipe that is great for weeknight dinners and can be lavishly adjusted to serve for special occasions. This stew recipe guarantees delicious results with straightforward instructions.
This pork menudo recipe stays true to traditional Filipino flavors, ensuring an authentic dining experience. It’s so simple and easy that home cooks of all skill levels can make it. Try this classic recipe that can be a staple in your home.
What is Filipino Menudo Made Of?
Pork Menudo is a beloved classic with rich and diverse flavors of Filipino cuisine. This traditional Filipino dish features succulent pork with a variety of vegetables and spices. Here’s a breakdown of the key ingredients:
Pork: The dish typically uses diced pork shoulder, providing a perfect balance of meatiness and tenderness to the stew.
Pork Liver: The pork liver adds a layer of richness, turning a simple meat and vegetable combination into a more sophisticated and flavorful dish.
Tomato Sauce: The luscious red color and rich flavor of the dish come from tomato sauce. It serves as the base, infusing the dish with a robust and savory taste.
Aromatics: Onions and garlic are sautéed to perfection and builds the flavor foundation of the dish. Other recipes include dried bay leaves
Vegetables: This simple recipe only uses potatoes and carrots which is great for a quick dinner. You can add red bell pepper, garbanzo beans, chickpeas and green peas to makes it more special.
Raisins: Although I didn’t add any, raisins brings a delightful hint of sweetness, creating a delightful contrast to the savory notes in the Menudo.
Hotdogs: Sliced hotdogs are a unique and beloved addition, introducing a hint of smokiness and an extra layer of spice to the dish.
Essentials: This ingredients are needed for marinating the meat: lemon juice, salt, ground black pepper, and soy sauce.
Difference Between Mexican and Filipino Menudo?
Mexican Menudo is a traditional soup made with beef tripe (the stomach lining of a cow), typically cooked in a red chili pepper broth. The dish is known for its bold and spicy flavor profile, and is a popular choice for celebratory occasions or as a cure for hangover.
Filipino Menudo, on the other hand, is a pork stew featuring a delightful combination of diced pork, tomato sauce, and a medley of vegetables. It’s savory, slightly sweet, and distinctively Filipino, with influences from Spanish cuisine due to the country’s colonial history. The dish commonly served as a comfort food, perfect for family gatherings and everyday meals.
What makes Menudo, Kaldereta and Afritada different from one another?
Filipino cuisine boasts various array of flavorful stews, and while menudo, kaldereta, and afritada may seem similar at first glance, each dish has its own unique characteristics that set it apart.
Meat Choice: Filipino menudo recipe uses diced pork while kaldereta traditionally features goat meat but can include beef or chicken. Afritada is versatile, allowing for chicken, pork, or beef.
Vegetables: Menudo includes a combination of potatoes, carrots, bell peppers, and peas. Kaldereta features potatoes, carrots, and bell peppers, with the addition of olives and liver spread. Afritada incorporates potatoes, carrots, and bell peppers.
Flavor Notes: Menudo has a savory and slightly sweet taste with the addition of raisins. Kaldereta is bold, savory, and often tangy with the use of liver spread. Afritada offers a well-balanced flavor with the natural sweetness of tomatoes.
Cooking Tips
Choose the Right Cut of Pork: To ensure a tender and flavorful Menudo, opt for pork shoulder or pork belly. These cuts have the perfect balance of meat and fat, enhancing both the texture and taste of the dish.
Uniformly Dice the Pork: Achieve consistent cooking by uniformly dicing the pork into bite-sized cubes. This ensures that each morsel absorbs the richness of the tomato sauce and other ingredients.
Sear the Pork for Flavor: Before simmering the pork in the tomato sauce, take the time to sear it in the pan. This step adds a layer of depth and intensifies the savory notes in the Menudo.
Layer Flavors with Aromatics: Sautéing onions and garlic before adding the pork creates a flavor base of the stew. Allow these aromatics to release their essence, infusing the dish with a delightful fragrance.
Use Quality Tomato Sauce: Choose a high-quality tomato sauce to significantly impact the color and richness of the dish, providing a vibrant and savory base.
Add Raisins for Sweetness: If you want some sweetness, add raisins to bring a subtle sweetness to the stew, balancing the savory and tanginess.
Simmer for Tender Perfection: Add more water if needed and simmer until the pork reaches the desired tenderness. Slow-cooking ensures that the meat absorbs the richness of the sauce.
Adjust Seasoning at the End: Taste the Menudo towards the end of the cooking process and adjust the seasoning as needed.
How to Serve and Store
Serve warm as a main dish with a side of hot steamed rice or bread. I also enjoy the stew with after making a batch of freshly baked pandesal or baguette.
Place a small dish of patis (fish sauce) on the table. Some individuals enjoy a drizzle of the condiment to enhance the savory notes.
Store leftover in an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 3-4 days.
To reheat, place stew in a pot and reheat on a stovetop over medium heat. You can also place the stew in a microwave-safe dish and heat it in a microwave.
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Filipino Pork Menudo
Whether it's a family dinner or a festive celebration, Filipino Pork Menudo is a crowd-pleaser! A classic Filipino stew that's a hearty and satisfying dish with a side of steamed rice.
Cut pork shoulder and pork liver into bite-sized cubes and place in separate bowls.
600 grams pork shoulder, 300 grams pork liver
Add 1/8 cup or half of the of lemon juice and soy sauce then tip in 1 tsp of salt and pepper in each bowl. Mix and marinate for at least 30 minutes.
1/4 cup lemon juice, 1/4 cup soy sauce, 2 tsp salt, 2 tsp ground black pepper
Heat oil in a pan over medium heat then fry potatoes and carrot until lightly browned. Remove from pan and set aside. Cook slice hotdogs in the same pan for a minute then set aside.
3 tbsp cooking oil, 2 medium potatoes, 1 medium carrot, 4 pieces hotdogs
Using the same pan, add more oil if needed then saute garlic and onion.
3 cloves garlic, 1 medium onion
Add marinated pork without the sauce and sear meat until lightly browned. Pour marinating sauce and simmer for 2-3 minutes.
Pour the tomato sauce and water and stir to incorporate. Bring to a boil and simmer until pork is soft and tender.
1 cup tomato sauce, 1 cup water
Mix in cooked hotdogs, vegetables and pork liver with the marinating sauce. Simmer for an additional 5 minutes.
Taste and adjust seasoning if needed then remove from heat.
Transfer in a serving dish and enjoy with a side of steamed rice. Bon appetit!