Pork Binagoongan with Eggplant

OThere will be a battle in my kitchen today. Burns and  blisters are just few of the potential injuries the losing end's going to get. And that would be my end, by the way. On the other side of the ring  wok is a thick, unresponsive slab of meat, obviously long dead. The pork belly. For some reasons, pork hates their own kind. I swear,  it comes back to life , with a furious vengeance when deep fried! Look how it reacts, when laid in hot fat. It sizzles , splatters and spurts angrily everywhere , making sure you're getting a handful, in not  a face full. If you are smart enough to cower in a safe distance, the non-forgiving swine will make sure, you will spend the rest of the hour cleaning up its mess. After that, it will certainly keep its battle in your artery. Ahh this a love hate- relationship  I intend to keep forever.

Pork Binagoongan

To enjoy the crispy belly at its best , I good dose of alamang or fermented shrimp paste is the the way to do it. Yesss! That old, unwashed socks,  pungent smell that would leave your kitchen smelling like shrimps visited it, died and never left! And the smell, almost every Filipinos passionately love as much the Frenchs  revere their Eau de toilette !

Ingredients:

500 g pork belly

1 medium sized onion, peeled and quartered

1 small onion, finely diced

3 cups of water

1 whole head of garlic, crushed 

2 bay leaves

pepper and salt

2 large tomatoes, seeded and chopped

1/2 cup fermented shrimp paste or alamang

1/4 cup apple vinegar

1 large eggplant,sliced 

oil for frying

1.Bring pork belly, water, half of the crushed garlic, quartered onion, bay leaves, whole pepper corns to a boil. Let it simmer until pork is tender. Takes about 1 -1/2 hours. Once pork is tender. Strain meat, pat dry using paper towel, slice into serving cubes , discard broth.

2.Heat oil in the pan. Pan fry sliced eggplant until fully cooked. Place eggplant on the serving plate. Season lightly with salt and pepper.

3. Heat oil in the wok and deep fry pork belly until crispy. Be warned. This is one messy, messy affair. Drain on kitchen towel. 

4.Sauté 1 small diced onion and the remaining garlic in a pan. Stir in tomato. Add shrimp paste. Toss until well combine. Add in vinegar.

5.Add in the fried pork belly. Stir well until each pork piece is slathered in tomatoey shrimpy goodness. Test taste. Season with a bit of salt and pepper.Alamang could be salty enough, depending on the brand. So, go easy on the salt.

Serve Pork Binagoongan over the pan fried eggplant.

 Eat and eat well.