Bagoong, in English, is shrimp paste. It’s the bagoong that gives this dish its distinctive taste. If pork belly is not available where you live, you can substitute it with pork shoulder.
Ingredients:
- 1 lb pork belly, cut into squares
- 1 small yellow onion, finely chopped
- 1 whole head of garlic, crushed
- 3 tbsp shrimp paste
- 1 tbsp ginger, sliced thinly
- 5 bay leaves
- 3 tbsp coconut vinegar
- 1 banana pepper
- 1 small eggplant, chopped
- 3 tbsp canola oil
Directions:
- In a heated saucepan, add the oil and fry the pork belly until golden brown.
- Add the garlic, onion and gunger. Saute until translucent.
- Add the chopped tomato, shrimp paste and saute for a few minutes. Add the eggplant and bay leaves.
- Add the vinegar and water. Cover and simmer for 30 minutes until the pork is tender.
- Serve with warm steamed basmati rice. Yum!
Note:
I used Barrio Fiesta® shrimp paste. If you’d like to use it too, get the Original and not the Sweet!
