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Pork braised in shrimp sauce (binagoongang baboy)

07.20.2020 (Updated: 01.12.2024) in Lunch / Dinner, Main Courses

The secret to the tastiest binagoongang baboy is to add the shrimp paste much earlier than most cooks do to give the meat time to soak up all its umami goodness.

Pork braised in shrimp sauce (binagoongang baboy)

I’ve heard many Filipinos describe binagoongang baboy as pork adobo with bagoong (shrimp paste) added in. It isn’t. If that’s how you cook your binagoongang baboy, it will be way too salty.

The better way to cook this dish is to treat the bagoong as the salty component. It isn’t an ingredient that’s added when the meat is done to coat it like an afterthought.

The smarter technique is to add the bagoong to the meat before the braising even begins. That way, as the meat cooks, it absorbs an array of flavors from the spices, the vinegar, the bagoong and the scant amount of sugar to cut through the acidity and saltiness.

Cooking pork cubes with onion, galic, pepper and bay leaves

Start by browning pork cubes in a little oil. Not only does this stage add flavor to the meat, browning gives the pork better texture too. Once browned, add the “usual” adobo ingredients. Garlic, pepper and bay leaf. Unlike adobo, we’re adding chopped onion too.

Adding shrimp paste to pork in wok

Pour in vinegar, leave until fully absorbed by the meat then add shrimp paste, sugar to balance the flavor and broth. Then, just simmer until the pork is tender.

Binagoongang baboy

Stir occasionally and scrape the bottom of the pan to make sure no scorching occurs. If the mixture dries up before the meat is done, pour in more broth, no more than half a cup each time, to make sure that the dish does not turn out soupy by the time it’s done.

Your binagoongang baboy is ready when the liquid has been absorbed and the pork is swimming in a pool of highly flavorful fat.

Pork braised in shrimp sauce (binagoongang baboy)
Pork braised in shrimp sauce (binagoongang baboy)
Connie Veneracion
The kind of shrimp paste you use will affect the final flavor and aroma of the binagoongang baboy. Not all shrimp pastes are fermented. Some are merely sauteed and used directly. I prefer fermented shrimp paste. The drier, the better. The oilier, the better.
Prep Time 10 minutes mins
Cook Time 1 hour hr 15 minutes mins
Total Time 1 hour hr 25 minutes mins
Course Main Course
Cuisine Modern Filipino
Servings 4 people

Ingredients
  

  • 1 tablespoon cooking oil
  • 800 grams pork belly cut into cubes
  • 6 cloves garlic peeled and smashed
  • ½ teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 1 onion peeled and chopped
  • ¼ cup vinegar
  • 2 tablespoons shrimp paste
  • 1 teaspoon sugar
  • 2 cups bone broth you may need more

Instructions
 

  • Heat the cooking oil in a thick-bottomed pan.
  • Spread the pork belly cubes in the hot oil and leave to brown the undersides for a few minutes.
  • Flip the pork cubes over to brown the opposite sides.
  • Add the garlic, pepper and bay leaves. Cook, tossing, for half a minute.
  • Add the onion. Cook, stirring often, until the onion pieces soften a bit.
  • Pour in the vinegar. Cook, uncovered with occasional stirring, until the vinegar has been soaked up by the meat.
  • Add the shrimp paste, sugar and two cups of broth.
  • Lower the heat, cover the pan and simmer until the pork is tender.
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Connie Veneracion, 2020

Hi, I’m Connie!

Home cook and writer by passion, photographer by necessity, and good food, coffee and wine lover forever. I write recipes, cooking tips and food stories. No AI is used in creating content for this blog.

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