Eduardo Pontaoe
18 April 2007

 

 

Mr. Ramos,

For PINAPAITAN: The main ingredients are garlic, onion and ginger. Cut the garlic and ginger into fine pieces. I use a food processor. Make generous amount especially in the ginger. The secret is in the ginger. I don’t know how to explain this but it brings out the flavor of goat’s meat or beef. Sautee the garlic first till brown followed by ginger and then onion. Add the diced meat and let it sautéed until the juices comes out maybe twenty to thirty minutes. Add compatible amount of water to the amount of meat. Wait till the meat is tender then add salt and bile juice. I use beef bile. Easy on the bile. This is so sensitive a mixture…the heart of pinapaitan. Add gradually until the desired bitterness is reached. ADD DON’T POUR! Over extension on this ingredient would make you miserable. You can also add a little amount of MSG to taste, if desired. The additives you can put at the end of cooking is variable; Thailand hots or ground pepper conversely.

For PINAKBET: Ingredients: Indian eggplant and bittermelon, if available, pork belly, tomato, ginger, shallots, fresh okra, mushrooms, frozen lima beans. Cut pork belly into pieces and with diced tomato and ginger boil together until meat is tender. Easy on the water. Be sure only an amount the meat should cook. I use fish sauce (patis) to taste. Then put everything together into the pot till cooked. Don’t overcook. The secret of pinakbet is the amount of water in the mix. Less water the better. Let the veggies cooked in its juices. Veggies are 70% water. Add MSG to taste, if desired.

Note: Put bittermelon in salted water an hour before cooking. Neutralizes the bitterness.

Isidro Ramos
18 April 2007

 

Mr. Pontaoe, you got me excited about cooking. Please send recipe for both Pinakbet and Pinapaitan. Thanks a million.