Estofado is fairly easy to prepare. You only need to throw the ingredients in the pan and let everything cook slowly together until the meat is tender. There are a few things, however, that can spell the difference between agoodestofadoand agreatestofado.
The first is about browning the meat and sautéing the aromatics. Most recipes say sauté the garlic and onion, add the pork and cook until the meat is lightly browned. I find the procedure more than a little bit strange because by the time the meat is browned, the garlic would be burnt. So, I cook estofadodifferently.
Frying potatoes, carrots and saba bananas
Potatoes are traditional; I add carrots for more flavor and color. Instead of sweet peas, I opt for green bell peppers which pack more flavor than peas. And then, we have saba bananas which is really what makes this stew decidedly Filipino.
I pre-fry the potatoes, carrots and saba bananas before I start cooking the pork. Why? So that only one pan is used from start to finish.
Browning the pork
The oil in which the potatoes, carrots and bananas were fried are poured off leaving only enough to brown the pork in. I add the pork cubes in a single layer and cook them until the undersides are browned. By the time I flip them over to brown the other sides, the pork would have rendered fat which makes the next stage of the browning easier and faster.
Why brown the meat at all? Because the caramelization of the natural sugars of the meat adds flavor to the dish. And also because the meat holds it shape better.
Sauteing the aromatics in rendered pork fat
When the meat is nicely browned, I add the aromatics. There is more fat in the pan by this time. I toss them all together and let the aromatics do their work. By the time the onion pieces turn translucent, it is time for the next step.
The liquids and seasonings go in next. There’s vinegar, soy sauce, tomato paste, brown sugar and just enough water to cover the meat. Once the mixture boils, I turn down the heat, cover the pan and let the meat braise with those wonderful seasonings and aromatics for about 40 minutes. The flavors and colors of tomato paste and soy sauce will be absorbed by the meat. The sauce reduces and thickens, and heightens the flavors in it.
When the pork is almost done and there is still a generous amount of sauce in the pan, the bell peppers are stirred in, and the fried potatoes and carrots are added. By the time the bell peppers have softened, and the potatoes and carrots have soaked up some of the flavors in the sauce, the pork is perfectly tender, and I just toss in the fried saba bananas.
Ingredients
- cooking oil
- 300 grams potatoes peeled and diced
- 150 grams carrot peeled and diced
- 4 to 6 saba bananas peeled and cut into thirds
- 1 kilogram pork either shoulder or belly, cut into two-inch cubes
- 1 large onion peeled and chopped
- 4 cloves garlic peeled and chopped
- 2 to 3 sprigs oregano
- 2 bell peppers (red or green, or both) deseeded and diced
- salt
- pepper
Seasonings
- ¼ cup vinegar
- ¼ cup soy sauce
- ¼ cup brown sugar loosely packed
- ½ tablespoons tomato paste
- 1 bay leaf
Instructions
- In a wok or fryer, heat enough cooking oil to reach a depth of at least two inches.
- Fry the potatoes until the edges are browned.
- Scoop out and set aside.
- Fry the diced carrot until the edges are browned.
- Scoop out and set aside.
- Fry the saba bananas until browned and cooked through.
- Scoop out and set aside.
- Pour off the cooking oil leaving only about two tablespoons in the pan, and set the heat to high.
- Spread the pork cubes in the hot oil and sprinkle with a teaspoon of salt and half a teaspoon of pepper.
- Allow the undersides to brown before flipping to brown all sides.
- Throw in the onion, garlic and oregano.
- Cook, tossing, until the onion pieces soften and start to turn translucent.
- Pour in the vinegar and soy sauce.
- Add the tomato paste, bay leaf and brown sugar.
- Pour in enough water to cover the pork, bring to the boil, lower the heat, cover the pan and simmer until the pork is tender.
- Taste the sauce and adjust the seasonings, if needed.
- Stir in the bell peppers, cover the pan and simmer for five minutes.
- Add the fried potatoes, carrot and saba bananas. Toss to distribute.
- Cover the pan and simmer for another five minutes.
- Taste the sauce one last time and adjust the seasonings, as needed, before serving.
