Cherry & Dennis Helper Habitat
Filipino Pork Binagoongan
菲律賓蝦醬茄子豬肉
Recipe overview
Pork shoulder braises until tender with eggplant, tomato and savoury shrimp paste for a four-person Filipino main.
01
Ingredients
Main ingredients
- 700 g, 3 cm pieces Pork shoulder
- 400 g Eggplant
- 300 g Tomatoes
- 150 g Onion
- 4 cloves Garlic
- 450 ml Water
Shrimp-paste sauce
- 2 tbsp Cooked shrimp paste
- 2 tbsp White vinegar
- 2 tsp Sugar
- 2 Bay leaves
- 1/4 tsp Black pepper
- 2 tbsp Oil
02
Tools
- Lidded heavy pot
- Non-stick pan
- Board and knife
- Wooden spoon
- Food thermometer
03
Steps
Step 1
Separate raw tools
Use a dedicated board and knife for pork, then wash hands and tools with hot soapy water.
Step 2
Cut and dry pork
Cut even 3 cm pieces, pat dry and coat with pepper.
Step 3
Prepare vegetables
Cut eggplant, tomatoes, onion and garlic; hold eggplant in clean water.
Step 4
Brown the pork
Heat 1 tablespoon oil and brown pork in batches for 6 minutes on all sides.
Step 5
Fry aromatics
Remove pork, cook onion and garlic 2 minutes, then tomatoes 4 minutes.
Step 6
Cook shrimp paste
Add cooked shrimp paste and stir on low for 1 minute without scorching.
Step 7
Begin braise
Return pork; add water, vinegar, sugar and bay leaves and bring to a boil.
Step 8
Braise gently
Cover and simmer 35 minutes, stirring midway and checking there is enough liquid.
Step 9
Brown eggplant
Drain and dry eggplant; pan-fry in 1 tablespoon oil for 6 minutes until lightly golden.
Step 10
Add eggplant
Fold into pork, cover and cook 8 minutes until tender but intact.
Step 11
Check doneness
The largest pork piece must reach 75°C and be tender; continue cooking and recheck if needed.
Step 12
Reduce and serve
Uncover and thicken the sauce, discard bay leaves, divide into four and serve hot.
Common mistakes
- Do not skip ingredient cleaning and safety checks.
- Do not use excessive heat that burns food before the centre cooks.
- Keep raw and cooked food and utensils separate.
- Do not leave the finished dish at room temperature.
Tips
Control heat, timing and texture in sequence, then adjust seasoning at the end.
