Weeknight Pork Menudo
Baon: Tupperware Memories & The Packed Lunch
This isn't the fancy, raisin-studded stew served at weddings. This is the everyday, ultimate packed-lunch menudo—the dish that permanently stained your mother’s Tupperware orange and made you the undisputed king of the cafeteria. The secret to making it work on a Tuesday is the cut: everything is diced small so tough pork shoulder melts into tenderness in half the time of a Western pot roast. We’ve swapped the traditional, easily-overcooked pork liver for milder chicken liver, and utilized the grandmother's trick of pan-frying the potatoes first so they hold their shape in tomorrow's lunchbox.
Before you start
Respect the geometry.
The defining characteristic of menudo is the uniform, bite-sized dicing of all ingredients. Take the time to cut the pork and root vegetables into even half-inch cubes.
Ingredients
- boneless pork shoulder1 1/2 lb
- soy sauce3 tbsp
- fresh lemon juice2 tbsp
- black pepper1/2 tsp
- neutral cooking oil3 tbsp
- Yukon Gold potatoes2 med
- carrots2 med
- chicken livers1/4 lb
- hotdogs3 large
- yellow onion1 med
- garlic4 small clove
- tomato paste1 tbsp
- plain tomato sauce1 cup
- water1 1/2 cup
- dried bay leaves2 small
- brown sugar1 tsp
- red bell pepper1/2 med
- green bell pepper1/2 med
- fish sauce1 tbsp
Method
- 01
Marinate the diced pork.
In a medium bowl, toss the pork shoulder with the soy sauce, lemon juice, and black pepper. Let it sit at room temperature for at least 15 minutes while you chop the remaining vegetables.
- 02
Pan-fry the root vegetables.
Heat 2 tablespoons of the oil in a heavy-bottomed pot over medium-high heat. Fry the potatoes and carrots for about 5 minutes until golden on the edges, then remove them to a plate to prevent them from disintegrating into mush later.
- 03
Sear the hotdogs and chicken livers.
In the same pot, toss the hotdogs for 2 minutes until blistered and remove them to the plate. Sear the chicken livers very quickly—just 1 minute until browned outside but pink inside—and remove immediately so they don't overcook and turn grainy.
- 04
Build the aromatics and brown the pork.
Reduce the heat to medium, add the remaining tablespoon of oil, and sauté the onions until translucent. Add the garlic for 30 seconds, then drain the pork (reserving the marinade liquid) and sauté the meat until browned on all sides.
- 05
Awaken the tomato paste and simmer.
Clear a space in the pot to fry the tomato paste for 1 minute. Pour in the reserved marinade, tomato sauce, water, bay leaves, and brown sugar. Bring to a boil, cover tightly, and simmer gently on low for 40 to 45 minutes until the pork is meltingly tender.
- 06
Reintroduce the seared ingredients.
Uncover and return the potatoes, carrots, hotdogs, and liver to the stew. Simmer uncovered for 5 to 7 minutes, allowing the starches to naturally thicken the sauce into a rich, clinging gravy.
- 07
Finish with bell peppers and fish sauce.
Stir in the red and green bell peppers for the final 2 minutes so they retain a fresh snap. Discard the bay leaves, season with fish sauce to taste, and serve alongside massive mounds of steaming white rice.
Notes
The liver is non-negotiable.
Liver is the essential baseline flavor of this dish. If you cannot find chicken liver, skip the searing step and simply stir 2 tablespoons of liver spread or standard liver pâté into the sauce during the simmer.
Balance the acid.
Standard American canned tomato sauce is far more tart than the sweeter Filipino brands. A single teaspoon of brown sugar perfectly bridges that gap.
From Cook Filipino in America.