Estopado - Pata (Pork Knuckle Braised in Pineapple Juice)

For the first time in 5 years, we chanced upon some cut up pork knuckle and hock in the supermarket here in the southwestern Sri Lanka. Spontaneously smile appeared on our faces …………as if we saw a long lost friend ……………an ally of sort not seen in a long while……and instantly flashes of good memories started to come in……… at an exponential speed ………just like a state-of-the-art computer generating a rather vague but nostalgic images from the not so distant past. Then I saw my mom, my sisters, my aunts, my cousins and many other family members and friends who for so many times I’ve seen joyfully devouring on this particular cut of pork called “pata” in the Philippines.

No, we did not buy a kilo. We bought 5 lbs or more than 2 kilograms. It’s much yes but who cares, we might not find them again next week. And we want to make the most out of this rare opportunity to enjoy the food we have been craving for some time. We thought of “paksiw”……… “kare-kare” ……… “pata tim” ………… and finally………”estopado”. After all, it’s been a while since we have that Filipino braised and stew dish called “estopado” in our dining table. With the delicate and gelatinous fat and skin as well as succulent muscle meat with layers of tendons of pork knuckle, “estopado” is a likely source of a meal made in heaven.

“Estopado” is a sweet-tangy Filipino pork dish where pork, usually with layer of fat including the hind, is braised and then simmered in pineapple juice and spices and slightly sweetened with brown sugar. Slices of ripe bananas are usually added and sometimes even chunks of pineapple for variation. While there are several distinct recipes in the internet and cook books that use the same name, this version here is the kind of “estopado” that I am familiar with. Variations using other meat such as ducks and other exotic game birds and poultry are usually spicy, no longer including bananas and cooked until dry and oily or with just a small quantity of sauce that remains.

Tofu and Mushroom Delight

I hated tofu or "tokwa" during my younger years. Probably most kids of my generations, and even other generations before and after ours, shared the same feeling. But that changed when I grew up and learned to explore with food, outside the boundaries of usual family dishes. I developed an appreciation of its health benefits and eventually its unique taste that it only acquires from various flavoring ingredients that it is cooked with. It is basically tasteless on its own and requires good batter or sauce or broth to be truly enjoyed and admired as a main food.

Although I have already posted two tofu recipes here before such as the simple fried tofu or “pritong tokwa” and the much elaborate sizzling tofu in oyster sauce, I am still in constant search for new ways to get pleasure from the rather bland but healthy and energy-packed food from China. Interestingly, other nations have also noticed and showed acceptance of the food item as an exciting addition to their cuisines. It is either for health reasons or due to its wide usage and applications to vegan principle (not using or consuming animal products) and vegetarian (plant-based) diets.

An alternative way of preparing the food is in combination with the tasty abalone or oyster mushrooms cook in mayonnaise and soy sauce. While the resulting dish will resemble the one with oyster sauce, its taste will be distinctly sourly and salty as oppose to sweet and salty of the sizzling tofu. Appreciation to this dish will then be a matter of taste preference. While I am biased over the one using oyster sauce for I really love that dish, this remains a stimulating option, especially for the daring and adventurous in taste.

CSN Stores - Your Need is Just a Click Away

With the proliferation of so many internet-based stores selling rather inferior and almost regrettable goods, it is such a relief to find one that carries high quality and admirable product lines such as gorgeous dutch ovens. I am referring to CSN Stores, a fast-growing, on-line shopping company providing shoppers and customers, ranging from the budget–conscious to the luxurious, with easy access to the best home, office and school and outdoor products.

A visit to the CSN Stores website will enchant you with its 200+ stores and wide-range of goods which categories include furniture, home décor, housewares, home improvement, outdoor living, baby & kids, school & office supply, shoes, bags & luggage, pet and health & fitness. Yes, it’s remarkably a lot………..under a single site.

My navigation of their website came out easy and fun. The photos are crisp and clear and you can truly appreciate the looks of the products. To provide you with a quick glimpse of what their stores are offering, here are just a few of my most exciting finds:

Seafood Balls and Veggies Hotpot (Steamboat)

Hot pot style of preparing and eating food is not only satisfying but also fun and fulfilling. Apart from the fact that hot pot is a truly tasty stew and soup dishes combined into one which, due to increased level of excitement in the preparation, could cause diners to somehow over-eat and feel really full afterwards, it is also a source of personal fulfillment and pride. The participation of the diners with the associated form of control in the cooking process somehow provides a feeling of accomplishment or achievement of sort, both in the dish and in the meal.

Hot pot or steamboat refers to several varieties of stew in a metal pot prepared at the center of the dining table. It consists of a simmering broth or stock and many other ingredients cook right on top of the table. While the hot pot is simmering, typical hot pot dishes such as thinly sliced meat, leafy vegetables, mushrooms, wontons, egg, dumplings, noodles, seafood and various types of Chinese balls are placed into the pot and cooked through and then eaten with a dipping sauce.

This is among our favorite Chinese food and usual orders whenever we are dining in a Chinese seafood restaurant, either in the Philippines, here in Sri Lanka or elsewhere in Asia. On several occasions, we have also tried this at the comfort of our home using electric rice cooker and even conventional pot and single burner stove. This is quite easy to do and a constant hit to families and friends. This is worth doing whenever you have time especially during the rainy and cool season when piping hot soup is the preferred meal by everyone.

Mechado (Beef Stew in Tomato Sauce)

Like “caldereta” or “kaldereta”, “mechado” is a beef stew dish from the Philippines with obvious Spanish influences, from its name to the use of ingredients and to the slow stewing process. Although the current use of typical Filipino ingredients such as soy sauce and “calamansi” extracts in many of its variations is giving its distinct Filipino character, the key ingredients and texture of the dish remain a showcase of the rich Spanish cuisine’s characteristics.

The name “mechado” originates from the traditional use of Spanish culinary practice of threading strips of pork fatback through thick pieces of the lean beef to render them more tender and juicy. The strip of fatback which basically serves as a wick is called “mecha” in Spanish, hence the name “mechado” to the dish.

In its common form, the larded pieces of beef are then marinated in vinegar, soy sauce, “calamansi” extract, crushed garlic, black pepper and bay leaf, browned quickly on all sides in hot oil or lard and then slowly braised in its marinade with the addition of soup stock, onion slices and tomato sauce or fresh tomatoes until tender and the liquid is reduced to a thick flavorful gravy.

However, my own variation is more of the Spanish side; cooking it more like “beef caldereta” with no quick-frying of the meat and not involving the use of soy sauce and “calamansi” in the marinade. I also prefer beef cuts with some fat layers, ligaments and tendons if possible to avoid the use of pork fatback strips which my wife and kids do not particularly like in stew dishes.

Kutsinta or Cuchinta a la Lalaine (Filipino Brown Rice Cake)

This is a HIT! I kid you not. This is “kutsinta” or Filipino brown rice cake at its best. We are so lucky that a very good childhood and family friend, my younger sister’s classmate, is sharing this wonderful recipe which she developed and perfected over a rather long period of repeated preparations, for everyone reading this blog to enjoy. Amazingly, this traditional snack dish is quite easy to prepare………at least a lot easier than I thought. It also requires a few ordinary ingredients which most of you almost certainly have them already in your pantry except probably for two.

“Kutsinta” is a traditional snack food of the Philippines that belongs to the wide-ranging group of Filipino native delicacies called “kakanin”, a Filipino language which literally means snacks. “Turon” and “minatamis na saging” which I featured earlier are also considered as native “kakanin”. As most “kakanin” are, “kutsinta” is basically made from ground rice locally called “galapong” or in the modern world rice flour, and among the several variations of the highly regarded Filipino rice cakes where “puto” and “kutsinta” are the most prominent.

I believe that every Filipino has a childhood memory of this delicious food. This used to be among the widely served and eaten snacks in every Filipino home. While modernization and necessary contacts with the outside world have brought a new set of exciting snacks from all over the world such as hamburgers, pizzas, spaghetti, to name just a few, “kutsinta (and “puto”) has maintained an enduring niche in the market. It continues to serve loyal patrons which prefer the healthy and tasty traditional food over the proliferating trendy but calorie-laden snacks.

Chicken Barbecue or Barbeque (Oven Cooked)

Barbeque, also spelled barbecue and usually abbreviated BBQ, Bar-B-Q and Bar-B-Que, is among the common food that I greatly missed here in Sri Lanka. Why? Well, if in the Philippines and other Southeast Asian nations, barbeque is a very common any-meal food which you can find in almost every corner and junction of the roads in key cities, towns, municipalities, villages and neighborhood, urban centers and all other areas where there is a regular congregation of people, it is the exact opposite here.

That is right; I am yet to see a single barbeque stand or kiosk anywhere on the streets, parks, playground, tourist spots and any recreational areas for over 5 years of my stay here. While Sri Lankan’s also like barbeques, it is just not a common street food item, like “roti”, “kottu”, “appa” etc. :-)

The term barbeque can refer to the meat and cooking process as a food, to the cooking apparatus oftentimes called barbeque grill as an implement and to a party or outdoor activity where such food is the main table fare. Here, we will be talking about barbeque as a food.

Barbeque is a method of cooking meat, seafood and vegetables with the heat and hot smoke of a fire, smoking wood or hot coals of charcoal, cooking gas or even electricity. The meat or fish or vegetable is usually applied with marinade, spice rub, basting sauce or even simply seasoned with salt and spices or soaked in condiments with citrus extract prior to cooking. Barbecue is fun and exciting because it is usually cooked in an outdoor environment heated by the smoke or direct heat of wood or charcoal. Whew…….now I’m craving.