Cherry & Dennis Recipes
Filipino Pork Sinigang
菲律賓羅望子豬肉酸湯
Recipe overview
Filipino Pork Sinigang pairs tender pork ribs with a bright tamarind broth, radish, tomato, okra and water spinach. Blanching first keeps the soup clean before a gentle simmer.
01
Ingredients
Main ingredients
- 900 g bone-in pork ribs (cut into 4 cm pieces)
- 400 g white radish (peeled and cut into thick pieces)
- 2 medium tomatoes (cut into wedges)
- 1 medium onion (cut into wedges)
- 150 g long beans or green beans (cut into 5 cm lengths)
- 120 g okra (trimmed)
- 150 g water spinach (cut into lengths)
Sour broth
- 1.8 litres water
- 3 tbsp tamarind paste
- 2 tbsp fish sauce
- to taste salt
- 1/4 tsp black pepper
02
Tools
- kitchen knife
- cutting board
- kitchen paper
- mixing bowl
- small bowl
- measuring cup
- measuring spoons
- stockpot
- wooden spoon
- ladle
- skimmer
- kitchen tongs
- white serving bowl
- food thermometer
03
Steps
Step 1
Inspect the pork ribs
Thaw the pork ribs fully in the refrigerator and do not rinse them; discard any with an off smell, slime or discolouration.
Step 2
Blanch the pork ribs
Lower the ribs into a separate pot of boiling water for 3 minutes and skim the foam; the centres remain uncooked.
Step 3
Drain the blanched ribs
Transfer the ribs to a colander, discard the blanching water and wash the stockpot and skimmer.
Step 4
Cut radish, tomato and onion
Peel and cut the radish into 3 cm pieces, then cut the tomatoes and onion into even wedges.
Step 5
Prepare the green vegetables
Cut beans into 5 cm lengths, trim okra and cut water spinach into lengths; wash and drain each separately.
Step 6
Mix the tamarind broth base
Whisk the tamarind paste with half a cup of warm water until smooth, keeping fish sauce and pepper measured separately.
Step 7
Start the pork broth
Put 1.8 litres of water, ribs, onion and tomato in the clean stockpot and bring just to the boil over medium-high heat.
Step 8
Simmer the pork ribs
Skim any new foam, partly cover and simmer gently for 30 minutes.
Step 9
Add the white radish
Add the white radish and simmer for 8 minutes until the edges begin to turn translucent.
Step 10
Cook the beans and okra
Add the beans and okra and simmer for 5 minutes until just cooked but still holding their shape.
Step 11
Season with tamarind
Add about four-fifths of the tamarind mixture, the fish sauce and pepper, then simmer 3 minutes before tasting the acidity.
Step 12
Add water spinach and serve
Confirm the thickest pork reaches 75°C, add water spinach for 1 minute, then adjust tamarind or salt and ladle into bowls.
Common mistakes
- Adding all the tamarind at once can make the broth harshly sour.
- A hard boil toughens the pork and clouds the broth.
Tips
Tamarind concentrates vary; add about four-fifths first and adjust.
Cook water spinach for only the final minute to keep it green.
