Luscious Cuisine: Pork Liempo with Langka

A special recipe of tender and mouth-watering pork “liempo” mixed with sliced jackfruit pulps, all floating in a thick, delectable tomato sauce. What could be more tempting at dinner time than this native cuisine?

Pork “liempo” is that portion of the pig’s belly near the ribs. It is mixed with tender pork’s meat and fat. In the Philippine wet market, it is often times referred to as “sigangin” or that part of the pork suitable for the native cuisine, sour stewed pork, or “sinigang na baboy.” Just say “sigangin” and “sliced” and wet market butchers will do everything as specified: the right pork part sliced to the specification of this recipe. Unripe jackfruit, on the other hand, is found in the fruit section of the market or grocery. It can be ordered peeled and sliced, ready for washing and cooking.

To cook this special recipe, we need the following ingredients: 350 grams pork “liempo” chopped into serving portions, another 350 grams of sliced unripe jackfruit (langka), sliced medium-sized onion, one cup white “kadyos” (pigeon peas) soaked in water for about twenty minutes then drained, one can (227 grams) tomato sauce, one piece native finger chili or “siling haba”, and two bunches swamp cabbage or “kangkong,” leaves and tender stalks only. With these ingredients prepared, we are ready to cook this native cuisine.

This native recipe is cooked this way: combine all ingredients except swamp cabbage or “kangkong” in a casserole. Add five cups of water, one and one fourth teaspoons iodized fine salt, and a fourth teaspoon of peppercorn. Simmer everything on low fire until pork is tender. Then add the swamp cabbage. Simmer for another five minutes or until swamp cabbage or “kangkong’ is cooked. This native cuisine serves 5 persons.

This cuisine is best when dipped in preserved fish or “patis” with crushed native finger chili from the recipe. Having been cooked just right with the pork and jackfruit, this finger chili minced in the fish sauce gives off the right hot chili flavor. The delectable blend of pork, jackfruit, tomato sauce, and chili flavor is what makes the palate crave for more servings of the cuisine. Thus, this recipe is best simmered patiently. Quick boiling might ruin the blending potential of pork flavors and tomato sauce.

This recipe is a subtle combination of tasty pork “liempo,” jackfruit, tomato sauce, and native finger chili. This delicate blend results in a delectable native cuisine.