Menudo ala Ina-Tay

Menudo ala Ina-Tay

I started cooking even before I learned how to cook rice. I remember the many times I've undercooked and overcooked rice but surprisingly, cooking main dishes was easier for me. Being in the kitchen has been a stress-reliever but was put on the side when I became a career woman. Modesty aside, I consider my cooking skills a gift which I try to pass on to whoever wants to learn how to cook. They say all cooks have their own styles, if you ask about mine I wouldn't be able to give you a straight answer. I cook what I feel like eating; I cook my food according to hunch which most often than out turns out to be palatable. hehehe Taking inspiration from my favorite TV Chef Ina Garten aka Barefoot Contessa, I decided to share my tried and tested recipes to all of you with the hope that you won't mind the chopping and occassional oil splats to come up with a dish you can serve to your family. My first recipe would be one of my all-time comfort food - Menudo.



INGREDIENTS:
1 kilo pork (cut into cubes; any part will do as long as it has a good ratio between lean meat and fat)
1/4 kilo liver (cut into cubes; if you don't like liver, you can omit this)
1 cup potatoes (diced)
1 cup carrots (diced)
1/2 cup bell pepper (diced)
1 small pack tomato sauce
1 cup water
2 medium onions (sliced)
3 cloves garlic (crushed)
1 small can garbanzos (some don't use garbanzos but I like them)
salt, pepper and sugar
1/3 cup soy sauce
1/8 cup calamansi juice
1/2 cup oil (for frying veggies)

PROCEDURE:
1. Marinate pork in soy sauce and calamansi juice, leave for at least an hour.
2. Fry (yes, fry in oil) potatoes and carrots until translucent (not totally cooked, maybe around 6 minutes), set aside.
3. Remove some of the oil from the same pan and saute garlic and onions.
4. Add marinated pork (don't include the marinade), add water and simmer for 20 minutes or until pork is tender.
5. Add liver, garbanzos and tomato sauce, cover for 10 minutes.
6. Add salt, pepper and sugar to taste; next add bell peppers and fried potatoes and carrots.
7. Simmer for another 7-8 minutes, serve hot.

Note: You can also use beef or chicken but you may have to adjust the time to cook the meat. Good luck!