I have my late mother-in-law to thank for this wonderful pinakbet recipe! This is my husband’s favorite dish; in fact, she always made sure to prepare this dish EVERY single time we went to visit her in California. It’ s super easy to make, no sauteing, no frying, no stress! And it’s great by itself already, but with hot steamed rice this dish tastes amazing! My husband pointed out that this particular pinakbet recipe is unique in that she would add squash flowers and lima beans, and instead of adding water, she would let the juices of the vegetables come out when simmering. I tweaked the recipe a little bit but it’s still good. Try the recipe below!
Ingredients:
- 8 oz pork short ribs or pork belly
- 2 tbsp ginger, sliced thinly
- 2 Roma tomatoes, quartered
- 1 small yellow onion, quartered
- 2 cloves garlic, crushed
- 1 pc bittermelon
- 4 oz okra, washed
- 2 eggplants, quartered
- 1/2 cuo water
- 1 tbsp anchovy paste (halubaybay)
Directions:
- Prepare the bittermelon by cutting it in half. Scrape all the white parts inside and discard. Cut into bite sized pieces. Set aside.
- Wash the eggplants and cut it in half lenghtwise then cut it in about one inch long. Set aside.
- In a pot, add 1/2 cup of water and anchovy paste.
- Add the pork ribs, ginger, tomatoes, onion and garlic. Simmer for 30 minutes.
- Add all of the vegetables. Simmer in a low heat for another 30 minutes.
- Serve with warm rice. YUM!
Note:
You can add lima beans and squash flower if it’s available where you live. It will add more flavor to your dish. And instead of pork ribs use pork belly if you prefer.
