Get My FeedWelcome
Recent PostsPork and Rhubarb SinigangChicken Adobo and 40 Cloves of GarlicCookbook Update: Manuscript & Photos DoneHome-Cured Corned BeefA Journey with LinamnamCookbook Recipe Testers Wanted!Turkey, Sweet Potato, and Cranberry EmpanadasPapaitan: Offal & Bile SoupAn Interview with Claude TayagFresh Mango Pudding From Rasa Malaysia's New CookbookCategoriesAdobo RecipesBeefBeer, Liquor, & WineBL OriginalsBL Restaurant ReviewsBooksCookbooksDessertsFruits and VeggiesGiveawaysHolidaysHow to Make LumpiaKalamansiKinilawLasang PinoyMy Cookbook!On The GrillOtherPancit (Filipino Noodles)PorkPoultryRiceSeafoodThe BL FamThe Manila MachineTravelUbe RecipesVinegar (Suka) 
« Chicken Adobo and 40 Cloves of Garlic |MainMay 28, 2012Pork and Rhubarb SinigangThe Filipino sour soup known as Sinigang can contain any variety of meats, poultry and seafood, and is typically studded with a variety of local vegetables. Depending on the region of the Philippines, a range of native fruits can be used to give Sinigang its trademark tang. And although vinegar is a vital ingredient in Filipino cooking, it is never used as a souring agent for Sinigang.
The typical souring agents that can be used include unripe tamarind pods and leaves, kamias (a very sour green fruit pod native to the Philippines), guava, starfruit, tomatoes, as well as lemon, calamansi and dayap (another variety of Philippine lime).
But since Rhubarb is so plentiful this time of year in my neck of the woods (and also because tamarind, kamias, guava, starfruit and dayap don't grow in my neck of the woods), I decided to try and use the sour red stalks to bring the tang for a Pork Sinigang.
Rhubarb? In soup? Yes. And it works wonderfully! Although rhubarb is typically used in desserts, a savory Sinigang application isn't as crazy as it sounds. Besides lending the necessary sourness for a proper Sinigang, rhubarb also provides a nice crunchy texture in much the same way that daikon or taro traditionally would in the Filipino sour soup.
And besides, using Rhubarb in Sinigang will trip out even the most palate-progressive of all your Filipino friends. It's a culinary curveball!
Pork and Rhubarb Sinigang
To make this Sinigang, you will need a total of 1-1/2 pounds of fresh rhubarb. 1 pound will be needed for the broth, and the other 1/2 pound will be chopped and added to the soup at the last minute to provide more sourness and texture. When buying rhubarb, choose long, slender, and firm stalks that are deep red in color.
I also used boneless country-style pork ribs in this recipe, but regular pork spareribs would work great, but so would shrimp or even salmon. Sinigang be flexible, folks.
Serves 4-6
For the broth:
1 pound fresh rhubarb
8 cups water
For the soup:
1.5 pounds cubed pork (I used boneless country-style pork ribs)
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon canola oil
1 onion, diced
5-6 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons fish sauce, plus more to taste
2 mild yellow chili peppers, pierced through with a knife
1/2 pound cherry or grape tomatoes, halved
1/2 pound fresh rhubarb, cut into 1/4-inch pieces
Fresh greens, such as chopped bok choy, kangkong, or spinach (I used spinach)
Lemon wedges, or kalamansi halves, for serving
To make the rhubarb broth, trim away and discard any leaves from the rhubarb stalks (the leaves are toxic). Roughly chop the rhubarb into about 1-inch chunks. Add the rhubarb chunks, along with the 8 cups of water, to a large pot over high heat. Bring the pot to a boil, then cover, reduce the heat to low, and simmer until the rhubarb is completely soft, 10-15 minutes. Strain the broth through a fine mesh sieve set over a large bowl. Using a wooden spoon, mash the rhubarb in the sieve to extract as much liquid as possible. Discard the rhubarb pulp and set the broth aside.
To make the soup, season the cubed pork with salt and pepper. Heat the oil in a large pot or Dutch oven over moderately high heat. When the oil is hot, add the pork to the pot and brown on all sides, 2-3 minutes per side. Brown the pork in batches if necessary so as not to overcrowd the pot.
Transfer the browned pork to a large platter and set aside. Add the onions to the pot and cook until soft and wilted, 2-3 minutes. Toss in the garlic and cook until just beginning to brown, 1-2 minutes. Return the browned pork to the pot, along with any accumulated juices from the platter. Pour in the rhubarb broth, stirring the bottom of the pot to scrape up any browned bits. Stir in the fish sauce, chili peppers and the tomatoes. Bring the pot to a boil, then cover, reduce the heat to low, and simmer until the pork is tender, 45-60 minutes.
Taste the soup, and adjust the seasoning as necessary with more fish sauce.
During the last 10 minutes of cooking stir in the chopped 1/2 pound of rhubarb and simmer until the rhubarb is tender, but not mushy, 5-10 minutes. If using bok choy, add it at the same time as the rhubarb. If using greens that wilt more quickly, like spinach, just stir it in at the last second after you've removed the soup from the heat.
Serve the Sinigang with lemon wedges or kalamansi halves on the side, to adjust the sourness as needed. Also serve alongside steamed white rice.
| TrackBackTrackBack URL for this entry:
http://www.typepad.com/services/trackback/6a00d8341bfcac53ef0168ebdb73d8970c
Listed below are links to weblogs that reference Pork and Rhubarb Sinigang:
Commentswhere did you bought rhubarb?
Posted by:lyn |May 28, 2012 at 11:48 PMBrilliant! Or should I say genius?
I've always wondered if cranberries can be used as souring agent for sinigang. But I'm always afraid my family will not be open to such a crazy idea. Perhaps you can do the experiment for me. :-)
Posted by:leah |May 29, 2012 at 10:03 AMI rarely get impressed by modifications on traditional preparations, but this is very nice. Simple but innovative, and not trying too hard.
Posted by:Beth |May 29, 2012 at 11:57 AMYes, you are freakin' brilliant! I will use your recipe for my Iron Chef cooking party this weekend. The theme ingredient is Rhubarb!
mmmmm...two of my favorite things: pork and rhubarb! They go nicely together in basic stir fry, so I think they will play very nicely together in this soup! Will have to give it a try...thanks for the idea!
Posted by:shannon |May 29, 2012 at 01:11 PMTotal genius! I've always been curious about rhubarb though I've never had the opportunity to try it. Wow that's pretty awesome.
Posted by:Michelle |May 29, 2012 at 09:59 PMI see you're as creative (and crazy) as ever, Marvin! :-)
Posted by:Katrina |May 30, 2012 at 12:59 PMDa-yum! And I didn't come up with this , why?!?!?
Brilliant Marvin!
Crazy cool, man! Major props. :)
Posted by:Row |May 31, 2012 at 11:09 PMhey marvin, the use of rhubarbs as souring agent for sinigang was GENIUS!!!
:)
Posted by:Jeff M |June 07, 2012 at 06:50 PMI dont think Rhubarb grows in my neck of the woods, but if i see some available in the market... i would like to give this a try. :)
Posted by:tndcallphilippines |June 07, 2012 at 07:36 PM Verify your Comment Previewing your CommentPosted by: |This is only a preview. Your comment has not yet been posted.
\ABS\Auto Blog Samurai\data\Best Asian Food Blogs\Burnt Lumpia\spinner.gif)
Your comment could not be posted. Error type: Your comment has been posted. Post another comment The letters and numbers you entered did not match the image. Please try again. As a final step before posting your comment, enter the letters and numbers you see in the image below. This prevents automated programs from posting comments.
Having trouble reading this image? View an alternate.
Your Information
(Name is required. Email address will not be displayed with the comment.)
Name is required to post a comment
Please enter a valid email address
Invalid URL
Follow @BurntLumpiaTwitter Updatesnew TWTR.Widget({ version: 2, type: 'profile', rpp: 4, interval: 6000, width: 'auto', height: 300, theme: { shell: { background: '#8a8888', color: '#030003' }, tweets: { background: '#ffffff', color: '#000000', links: '#0039f5' } }, features: { scrollbar: true, loop: false, live: false, hashtags: true, timestamp: true, avatars: false, behavior: 'all' }}).render().setUser('BurntLumpia').start();Legion of DoomBurnt Lumpia on FacebookSearch WWW
Burnt Lumpia
ArchivesMay 2012April 2012March 2012December 2011November 2011October 2011September 2011August 2011July 2011June 2011More...No BitersCreative Commons License
This work is licensed under a
Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 LicenseBlog powered by TypePad document.write(unescape("%3Cscript src='" + (document.location.protocol == "https:" ? "https://sb" : "http://b") + ".scorecardresearch.com/beacon.js'%3E%3C/script%3E"));COMSCORE.beacon({ c1: 2, c2: "6035669", c3: "", c4: "http://burntlumpia.typepad.com/burnt_lumpia/2012/05/pork-and-rhubarb-sinigang.html", c5: "", c6: "", c15: ""});
No comments:
Post a Comment