Sinigang Recipe

Sinigang is a sour soup that originated in the Philippines. This recipe uses pork as the main ingredient. You can also use other proteins and seafood. Beef, shrimp, fish are usually used to cook sinigang. The chicken version, on the other hand, is called sinampalukang manok. I prefer to use pork belly or buto-buto when cooking sinigang. The latter refers to cuts with intact bones. These are pork neck bones, chopped spare ribs and chopped back ribs. Pork shoulder and sausage can also be used when cooking sinigang.

The quality of this dish depends on the leavening agent. This is the ingredient that makes the soup sour. The most common and common is unripe tamarind. It is known as sampaloc in the Philippines. Other fruits such as guava, tomato, bilimbi or kamias, green mango, pineapple and wild mangosteen or santol can be used to make sinigang sour.

I grew up eating pulled pork at least once a week with a saucer of fish sauce and crushed beef on the side as my dipping sauce. On rainy days, I enjoy my sinigang meal with rice and a few pieces of fried toyo. These are small fish that have been salted and dried under the sun. It’s a good combination for me.

How to cook sinigang

Pork Sinigang is delicious and easy to prepare. Note that this recipe will require frying the onion and pork. Start by heating cooking oil in a cooking pot. Fry the onion until it becomes soft. Add the sliced ​​pork. We use pork belly (or liempo) for this recipe. You can also use other cuts of pork such as shoulders or bone-in cuts. Add a little fish sauce and continue to cook until the pork turns light brown.

It’s time to add the liquid. This recipe calls for water. You may want to use half water and half beef broth if you prefer your sinigang to be really tasty. Let the liquid boil and then add the tomato and the taro. The tomato should blend into the soup while the taro will need to cook longer to start releasing starch which will make the soup thicker.

The leavening agent for this recipe is tamarind soup base mix, better known as sinigang mix. This is a faster alternative to fresh tamarind and it will save you time. Add the mixture after the meat is soft. Add some long green chilies, if desired. This will make your soup spicy. Add the rest of the vegetables towards the last minutes. Be sure to add the spinach last.

It is recommended to serve with a condiment consisting of fish sauce and lots of hot chili pepper.

Sinigang alternative ingredients

This sinigang version uses pork belly. Any cuts of pork can be used to make it. You can also use beef and fish.

I use spinach in this recipe. It is actually an alternative ingredient to cangkong (water spinach), which is the most common type of green leafy vegetable used when cooking sinigang.

Sinigang mix is ​​a powder product that helps put that good sour flavor into sinigang. The old school methods require boiling fresh young tamarind or bilimbi for a long time until the flavors are extracted. It’s your choice. It’s not simple, so I chose taste and comfort.

Tips for cooking sinigang pork

Be sure to cook the pork until very tender. I really mean it. You don’t want to challenge yourself by chewing the meat with all your might while the nice warm soup slowly cools. Otherwise, enjoy the soup before working on the meat.

Onion and tomato bring flavor to the soup. Cook it in the first stages. Some people like their tomato whole. If you are one of those people, I suggest cooking half of the tomato first and adding the rest once the dish is almost done.

You can still make sinigang even without all the vegetables listed. All you need is pork, green leafy vegetables and leavening agent. Of course, water is essential for this recipe.

Busy people can use a slow cooker to cook sinigang. Be sure to add the spinach or kangkong only when you are about to eat. It is best to get fresh ones.

Try this Filipino pork sinigang recipe. Tell me what you think. We can share ideas and let our opinions be heard by posting a comment.

Watch how to cook sinigang