Filipino Christmas Recipes: Pork Hamonado
We go from last week’s fiddly and complex relleno to a dish that’s simple enough to be done every day of the week yet still makes most Christmas tables around the country: Pork Hamonado.
PORK HAMONADO. Image grabbed from Maggi.ph
It will look like your standard glazed hams (which is already served on Filipino tables), yet this one comes with a bit more love, as it is prepared from scratch. It has more sauce, has a sweeter flavor profile, and meat that (if cooked the right way) will have you begging for more.
Here’s a quick and easy modified recipe from Maggi:
Ingredients:
- 1 kg pork kasim (shoulder)
- ¼ cup vegetable oil
- 1 ½ cup pineapple juice
- 5 tbsp brown sugar (optional)
- ¼ cup soy sauce
- 1 cup pineapple chunks
- salt and pepper for seasoning
Procedure:
- Season pork with salt and pepper. Preheat 2 tbsp of oil in a wide pot and sear pork on all sides. Pour pineapple juice. Add sugar and soy sauce. Pour water to barely cover the pork. Let it simmer, and then cook for 1.5 hours or until tender. Skim the scum as needed.
- Remove pork from braising liquid and set aside to cool. Reduce the braising liquid to a sauce with your desired consistency. Cut pork into half-inch thick slices.
- In another pan, preheat remaining 2 tbsp of oil. Sear pork over medium heat until golden brown. Add pineapple and cook until golden brown. Pour the sauce, season with salt and pepper, then simmer for another 20 minutes. Transfer onto a plate, pour the sauce on top, and serve.
