Filipino Menudo Recipe (Pork & Liver Stewed with Potato and Carrot)

To be honest, I am not so much a fan of the Filipino dish called “menudo”. Given the necessity to cook, I would rather prepare “adobo” or “estopado” or even “mechado”. But since a friend requested the recipe of the dish, I decided to give it the benefit of the doubt, take another look, set aside my personal (and probably biased) reservations and prepare it for posting here. And I'm glad I did……. after enjoying the dish, truly, I now have a better appreciation of the rather simple but delicious pork “menudo”.

“Menudo” is a common cafeteria or canteen or “turo-turo” or roadside eatery or small restaurant dish. It is actually exceptionally popular to most Filipinos, except me but including my better half (even if she does not eat liver), both in the provinces and in the cities. It is also a regular fare in most Filipino banquets and feasts during family occasions, special holidays and important gatherings. It is simple enough to quickly prepare but tasty enough to satisfy even choosy guests.

The dish is a typical tomato sauce-based stew using small cubed pork and liver. Several types of vegetables such as potatoes, carrots, bell pepper, green peas, chick peas or garbanzos can be added as well as hotdog or sausage. The liver provides its distinct flavor while the veggies and especially raisins, if using, give its hints of flavorful sweetness.

While for me “kasim” or pork shoulder is the best cut of pork to use in this dish, the readily available (in our area) pork cube could well serve the purpose. Of course, other cuts of pork such as belly or “liempo”, round or “pigue” and leg cuts can also be used if it’s what you have.

To cook this mass-based popular Filipino stew-style dish, we need about 850 grams of pork and about 300 grams pork liver, both to be cut to about ½ inch cube.

Since it is difficult to find pork liver in our area of residence here in southern Sri Lanka, I then have substituted it with the ever-reliable chicken liver including its heart. The chicken liver is to be cubed as well while the heart can be halved.

The other ingredients needed are as follows: 6 gloves garlic, minced, 1 large onion (I could have used more…..next time), chopped, 3 pcs hotdog or chicken sausage, lightly fried and diagonally sliced, 1/4 cups raisins, 3 pcs bay leaves, 1 cup sweet-style tomato sauce, 2 tbsp soy sauce, 2 medium potatoes, diced, 1 large carrot, diced, 1 pc green bell pepper, cubed, ½ tsp ground pepper and ½ tsp salt or to taste. Additionally, we need about 2 tbsp cooking oil and about 1 to 2 cups pork or chicken broth.

In a thick pan or wok, heat the oil and fry the garlic followed by the onion. Add in cubed pork including the halves chicken heart. Let the meat renders its own liquid and continue simmering on low heat until it is just tender. Add broth if the liquid is drying out.

Add in hotdog, raisins, ground pepper, bay leaves and salt. Continue sautéing for a couple of minutes more. Add in soy sauce, tomato sauce and some broth and simmer until the meat is fork tender.

Add in potato, carrots and bell pepper and continue simmering. Add in cubed liver and cook for several minutes more or until the liver and veggies are well cooked through.

Transfer in serving bowls and serve with lots of steamed rice for a main meal……… or some crusty bread for breakfast or snack. This is simply tasty! :-)

The chicken liver did just well. Its soft and smooth texture even added richness to the sauce. Luscious…….Enjoy! c“,)