Choiced cuts for a fiesta banquet

Chinese Spareribs (image courtesy of Serious Eats)

Fresh pork spareribs from a naturally-raised pig

During the first few years after my having moved back to Manila, whenever asked what I wanted from New York by friends coming over for “balikbayan” vacation, I would always immediately say, “Chinese spareribs.”  

They would order some Chinese spareribs, wrap them in heavy aluminum foil, and then pack them in a styrofoam container; the cooked ribs remaining savory even after the 24-hour journey.  Yes, a typical New York to Manila airline journey -- including airport waiting time, flight transfers, land transport to final destination --  usually takes about 24 hours.  And that was how I got to enjoy my all-time favorite Chinese food appetizer.  

To date, I am unable to find any of this from local eateries.  Most local Chinese restaurants offer spareribs with tausi sauce -- steamed, fried or broiled.  However, having recently discovered and pinched a recipe from Serious Eats, I would most probably try whipping up some Chinese spareribs anytime soon..

By the way, do you know of any local Chinese restaurant that serves this kind of spareribs?  Where is it located?

Grilled pork belly (served at Saffron Restaurant)

Fresh pork belly from a naturally-raised pig

Pork belly is another top favorite of mine when it comes to a pig's meaty parts.  

Cut as cubes, they are excellent for sinigang with lots of fresh veggies and plenty of broth.  Whereas, diced cuts are ideal when preparing menudo.  There is also a popular local dish using pork belly -- Lechon Kawali or crispy pork belly, which are deep fried as most Asian and local cooks are wont to making them.  But there are those who use the oven which is a less oily alternative.

Grilled pork belly cut into bite-sized pieces and served with soy sauce and calamansi are just as delicious and satisfying.  However, Joshua Bousel of Serious Eats offers what seems to be an even more scrumptious recipe for a Filipino-style roasted pork belly, known locally as Lechon Liempo.  You may want to check it out.  

Whenever feasting on liempo, I most often order a side of steaming rice and a hefty serving of fresh green salad.  As tasty as they are, in general, I eat pork dishes in moderation.  And whenever possible, only from an organically- or naturally-raised livestock.

Traditional pork adobo or Adobong Baboy (served at Palwa Restaurant)

Pork sirloin end chops from a naturally-raised pig

In Filipino cuisine, according to Wikipedia, adobo refers to a common cooking process indigenous to the Philippines. It should not be confused with the Spanish- and Latin American-style adobo, as they have different origins and refer to different dishes despite sharing the same name.

The Filipino adobo is an entirely separate method of preparing food and is distinct from the Spanish marinade. Although there are many variations of adobo in the Philippines, soy sauce and vinegar are ubiquitous when creating the marinade for the main meat ingredients, such as in Adobong Baboy (pork) and Adobong Manok (chicken).  There is also the mixture of both Pork and Chicken Adobo, which I think is the most savory.  

And of course, vegetables are also used primarily as the ingredient, such as in the stir-fried Adobong Kangkong.  Camote tops are also popular.

A Filipina friend in New York told me that adobo is nothing more than seasoning.  She then taught me the express way of cooking adobo using only ground pepper, lemon and soy sauce for creating the marinade -- no vinegar. That's all! So easy to learn and all my friends loved it.

By the way, adobo can be prepared and served in one of two ways: dry with minimal sauce (as in above photo), or lots of it to be poured abundantly on one's plate of rice.

During the myriad fiestas here in Bohol beginning in the month of May, there may be a dozen various dishes laid out on the buffet table. However, almost always, a surprising number of these variants have pork as the main ingredient.  I was told that most families raise a pig in the backyard to be slaughtered in time for the fiesta.  Those without enough funds and energy to grow one, may opt to join three other families who pool their money to buy a carabao and evenly divide its meat once slaughtered.  

In one household I went to last June for a fiesta celebration, I finally tasted carabao meat cooked adobo-style.  I only had a very small serving -- about a spoonful.  Although tasty, I found the extremely dark color of the carabao meat too exotic and unappetizing.  I wasn't even sure if  slaughtering a carabao for its meat is legal.  I dared not ask the host.

Nevertheless, just these three featured pork dishes in their respective huge pots -- along with a large kettle of steaming mixed vegetable soup, plentiful rice, bowls of fresh green salad and fruits in season, and the usual local desserts such as the creamy fruit salad, including some iced cold beverages and beer -- should make a good enough banquet to serve at any local fiesta celebration here in Bohol.  And most certainly, the Boholanos would love you for it!

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Sharing with Mandatory Mooch, Food Friday, Food Trip Friday and Serious Eats

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I very much appreciate my articles and photos appearing on fellow bloggers' sites, popular broadsheets, and local broadcast news segments, but I would appreciate even more a request for permission first.

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Be wary of beef and broccoli from China

First it was the scandal in 2008 involving milk and infant formula, and other food materials and components, adulterated with melamine.

By November 2008, China reported an estimated 300,000 victims; six infants dying from kidney stones and other kidney damage; and a further 860 babies hospitalized. It was discovered the chemical melamine was added to milk to make it to appear as if having a higher protein content.

By the week of December 22, 2008, 17 people involved in producing, selling, buying and adding melamine in raw milk went on trial. Tian Wenhua, former Sanlu general manager, and three other company executives appeared in court in Shijiazhuang, charged with producing and selling milk contaminated with melamine.

According to Xinhua, Tian pleaded guilty, and told the court she learned about the tainted milk complaints from consumers in mid-May. She then apparently headed a working team to handle the case, but did not report to the Shijiazhuang city government until 2 August.

The Intermediate People's Court in Shijiazhuang sentenced Zhang Yujun and Geng Jinping to death.   They were executed on November 24, 2009.  Tian Wenhua was sentenced  to life in prison, on January 22, 2009.  Zhang was convicted for producing 800 tons of the contaminated powder, Geng for producing and selling toxic food. Geng Jinping managed a milk production center which supplied milk to Sanlu Group and other dairies.

The China Daily reported Geng had knelt on the courtroom floor and begged the victim's families for forgiveness during the trial. The court also sentenced Sanlu deputy general managers Wang Yuliang and Hang Zhiqi to fifteen years and eight years in jail, respectively, and former manager Wu Jusheng to five years.  Several defendants have appealed.

After all that mess, now here comes fake beef.  The culprits are restaurant owners allowing their cooks to slather pork in chemicals to make it look and smell like costlier cuts of beef.  And when Shanghai grad student Wu Heng found out about it, he created an informative food scandal database ‘Throw It Out the Window,’ a homegrown resource that tries to alert the Chinese public  to the many dangers lurking at the supermarket and on the restaurant table.

A few dozen volunteers are now helping Wu maintain the site, which is updated daily with Chinese language news reports about food dangers. It’s become so popular, it crashed from all the traffic on May 3. Wu says 5 million people visited his site over the last month and a half.  And much to Wu's delight, the Chinese government is supportive of his advocacy.

As for the broccoli, there are no chemists, restaurateurs, or cooks involved here.  The entire industrial/manufacturing complex of China appears to be the main culprit.

As we all know by now, China has the worst pollution problems in the world. And it is getting worse as the utterly unchecked rush to industrialization continues. Much of this pollution is linked to coal mining and power generation, but the sources of toxins are myriad .

While air and water pollution are highly visible and overwhelming on an everyday basis, the worst long-term toxic buildup may be lurking quietly underfoot in the soil. Nowhere is the global push to restore degraded land likely to be more important, complex and expensive than in China, where vast swaths of the soil are contaminated by arsenic and heavy metals from mines and factories.

There are dire consequences for food production and human health. On top of having the highest cancer rate in the world China has the highest rate of birth defects. No one disputes that this is the result of pollution. It could be argued that the country is fast on the way to killing itself as it grows.

Literally at the root of this epidemic of poisoning is tainted soil that sends toxins and carcinogens to the dinner table, where people unknowingly eat them. Where does this lead? Will parents tell their children not to eat vegetables? It seems that perhaps for now they should.  And since many food products have a way of getting into our country unchecked, it may be best to avoid the broccoli from China.

The restaurant owners and cooks who slather pork in chemicals to make them appear to be beef may be easier to apprehend and convict, but who will the Chinese government put on trial for their country's massive soil pollution?

Finally, according to Reuters, China's notoriety for food safety issues has been extra-ordinary, with frequent news reports of fake foodstuffs, dairy product recall and even watermelons that explode from absorbing too much fertilizer.

Please note:

I very much appreciate my articles and photos appearing on fellow bloggers' sites, popular broadsheets, and local broadcast news segments, but I would appreciate even more a request for permission first.

Thank you!

The Dragon's Feast

To welcome the Year of the Water Dragon in a grand manner as it ought to be, Saffron Redstaurant & Bar was transformed last night as if to resemble an imperial dining hall, while the buffet tables were lavished with traditional Chinese delicacies and special dishes served especially during grand occasions.  

It was indeed a sight beholding abundance and prosperity.  The pictures of the sumptuous dishes in this photo essay, however, are but a mere fraction of what was prepared for the guests to feast on as they ushered in the Year of the Dragon.

The Dragon, though mythic, has always been regarded by the Chinese as the most powerful figure in their zodiac system, and Saffron was able to make such distinction come alive with its Chinese New Year’s Eve Buffet.  Certainly, the Emperor must have been very pleased!

White sesame chicken and pork asado

Braised cold beef

Siomai

Golden Prawn Ball

Chicken hot salad

Shanghai Chow Mein

A wonderful read: A Grand “Chinese” Dinner in Paris, 1858

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Please note:

I very much appreciate my articles and photos appearing on fellow bloggers' sites, popular broadsheets, and local broadcast news segments, but I would appreciate even more a request for permission first.

Thank you!

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Shiang Ma Nou

Shiang Ma Nou's dim sum have got to be the best I've tasted so far in Tagbilaran City.  The mami soup is truly delectable, as well as the siomai, dumplings, and siopao.  I can eat these practically everyday since I can't live without Chinese food for too long, like many Pinoy friends who can't go even a day or two without rice.

Well, I've a feeling I wouldn't be missing my favorite tea house in Binondo, Manila all that much anymore.

Shiang Ma Nou

Gallares corner J. Borja St.

Tagbilaran City

Tel No.: (638) 411-4373

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Shared with Weekly Top Shot,  Food Trip Friday and Yummy Sunday

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Please note:

I very much appreciate my articles and photos appearing on fellow bloggers' sites, popular broadsheets, and local broadcast news segments, but I would appreciate even more a request for permission first.

Thank you!

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