Since it's the weekend, let's me share a recipe perfect for a weekend chill and bonding with friends. The community quarantine is once again in place so gatherings are not allowed, you can try this for your online drinking sessions with your mates. That's pretty much what me and my friends have done ever since all these quarantines and lockdowns happened.
I have never tried Tokwa't baboy before but then again, this is sort of an official pulutan on drinking sessions here in the Philippines, I might have already had one before and couldn't remember because I was too drunk to ask what I am eating. Don't judge me, I made mistakes in my youth.
Tokwa't baboy is also regularly seen on lugawan/gotohan or congee shops in the country. Most people love the combination of sweet, sour, and salty sauce mixed with the fried tofu and pork together with the rice porridge. I am not a big fan of that combination bt I was curious how tokwa't baboy really tastes so I tried creating one with the help of this recipe I found online. As always, I prepared the food according to my preferences. The recipe was just used as a guide since I have no idea how this one tastes.
The online recipe required pork ears and cheeks but since cleaning those are both complicated and disgusting, I went for just the pork meat I usually buy at the market. If you would try this recipe, you can also use pork belly. But if you're a cheapskate like me, go for kasim or shoulders, the part usually used for menudo or adobo.
Procedure
First, boil the pork meat on about 5 cups of water together with onions, garlic, salt, pepper, bay leaf, dried malunggay leaves (optional). Make sure this is boiled on low fire, going for slow cooking.
While that's happening, press and drain the tofu using the paper towel method. To do this, slice the tofu into layers, put it on top of a paper towel. Cover it with a paper towel or two, then put another layer of sliced tofu on top of it put another paper towel on top of it. Make up to 3 layers of this and on the very top, place a flat object like a chopping board or a plate. Put a water bottle, a couple pieces of canned foods, or anything that will press the tofu slices. Be careful not to put too much pressure or you'll break your tofu slices. Keep it that way for 15-30 minutes.
After 30 minutes, cut the tofu into small cubes, about 1 inch in size. Deep fry until they're golden brown. Drain off all the oil, set aside.
Once the pork is already soft and tender, remove from heat. Take the pork off the water but do not discard of the water yet. Cut the pork into small cubes, almost the same size as the tofu. Set aside.
On a pan, combine sugar, vinegar, soy sauce, and a little bit of the pork broth. Mix well until all the sugar has melted. Add some diced onions, save some onions for later. Bring to a boil. Add the pork and tofu. Mix a little bit. Turn off the heat, add the remaining diced onions.
Perfect for drinking sessions, but also works well with rice. I can't believe it took me this long to consciously try this food. It's sweet, sour, salty and the combination of pork and tofu is amazing. Even my kiddo loved it.
@romeskie is a full-time stay-at-home mom to a homeschooling toddler. Loves crocheting as a hobby. Maintains a mini food forest, aiming to grow more to achieve that farm-to-table homesteading. Learned how to cook after leaving the corporate world to take care of her family and is now starting to acquire basic baking skills. Learn more about her adventures and misadventures in the world of motherhood.
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