Pork Sinigang (Sinigang na Baboy)
The sour tamarind soup Filipinos crave on rainy days and homesick nights
Sinigang is less a fixed recipe than a technique: simmer meat and vegetables in a sour broth. Tamarind (sampalok) is the classic souring agent, though guava, kamias, or green mango all work. This pork version is the one most associated with the dish nationally — deeply savory, brightly sour, and built to be eaten with a mountain of rice.
Ingredients
- 1 kg pork ribs or belly, cut into chunks
- 1 onion, quartered
- 2 tomatoes, quartered
- 1 sachet (40 g) tamarind (sinigang sa sampalok) mix, or fresh tamarind
- 2 tbsp fish sauce (patis)
- 1 radish (labanos), sliced
- 1 bunch string beans (sitaw), cut into 2-inch lengths
- 2 eggplants, sliced
- 5 pieces okra
- 2 long green chilies (siling haba)
- 1 bunch water spinach (kangkong)
- 8 cups water
Instructions
- In a large pot, bring the water to a boil with the pork, onion, and tomatoes. Skim off any scum that rises.
- Cover and simmer for 45 to 60 minutes, until the pork is fork-tender.
- Add the radish and string beans and cook for 5 minutes.
- Stir in the tamarind mix and fish sauce. Taste the broth — it should be pleasantly sour. Adjust as needed.
- Add the eggplant, okra, and chilies and simmer until just tender, about 5 minutes.
- Turn off the heat and add the kangkong, letting the residual heat wilt it. Serve immediately with steamed rice.
Cook's tip: For a cleaner, brighter sourness, use fresh tamarind boiled and strained instead of the mix. In the Visayas you’ll find sinigang soured with batuan; in Ilocos, a touch of bagoong deepens it.
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