Ginataang Baboy

Ginataang baboy or Pork Ginataan is a Filipino pork stew where pork liempo chunks cooked in a Coconut milk based sauce made with coconut milk, coconut cream, ginger, garlic, onion, pepper, fish sauce, green chilies, red chilies and chili leaves. This scrumptious Filipino dish has a deliciously creamy, rich in flavor and tender pork meat This pork with coconut milk dish is a heart-warmingly homey, creamy, flavorful, healthy and perfect with a steaming hot cup of white rice especially on days where you really want to warm up with the rainy weather and when you need a spicy pick me up.

What are ‘Ginataang’ dishes?

Ginataang dishes are what Filipino calls dishes that have been stewed or simmered in coconut milk or coconut cream. Many Filipinos love dishes cooked with coconut milk as it has a natural sweetness,nuttiness, and creaminess that’s not only healthy, but cheap, delicious, and can suit almost any savory to sweet dish. Most of the traditional dishes you’ll find have some part of the coconut added. From this ginataang dish, to sticky rice, topping like desiccated coconut or sweetened coconut shavings, ‘latik’ which are coconut cream simmered till most of the liquids have evaporated and you are left with some dried bits that look almost burnt or browned, and even candies like macapuno. 

Ginataan pronounced as ‘gee-nah-ta-an’ and sometimes spelled, as ‘guinataan; is a term Filipinos use to refer to dishes made or cooked with ‘gata’ or coconut milk. Ginataan can also refer to dishes eaten within the day as “giinataan na or ginataang” can translate to ‘whatever it’s cooked with’ and or ‘dish name added’ so Ginataang na baboy is pig or pork cooked with coconut milk. Some dishes are also combined with ginataan like the adobo, which will then be called ‘ginataang adobo’ or ‘adobo sa gata’. There are some dishes who do use coconut milk but use a different more specific name like laing, and Bicol Express which still falls under the ginataan category because they use coconut milk and cream but are more specifically known as those names.

What is Ginataang Baboy composed of?

To make this delectable Ginataang baboy dish, all you need is to get a nice cut of liempo chunks or pork kasim, with enough fat but not too much fat. Having too much fat will produce a lot of oil that can mess up the dish and make it really oily that it may look unappetizing since it wont blend well with the coconut milk, the oil will usually float over the sauce. After preparing the pork chunks, sauté them in a pan, frying them till they’ve changed n color or to add more flavor, sear these till it’s browned. Add in the ginger to help remove any gamey smell, garlic and onions for the aroma. Add black pepper for a bit of a light spice, and fish sauce to give it a tang and ‘freshen’ up the dish. Mixing them around and covering the pan with a lid to cook fully and mesh all of the flavors together. After, pour in the coconut milk to give it that sweetness and creaminess that give the ginataang dish its name. Add in some green chilies and red chilies or once or the other for the kick of spice that will really wake you up. Add the coconut cream to help with the thickness. Simmer these all together to make the flavors really seep in to one another. Add in the leaves last so it would crumble and wilt once the dish is ready. Simmering just till it’s cooked, or till you get the desired thickness of the dish as you like.

This creamy deliciously spicy but oh so yummy dish will really wake you up and brighten your day!

This delightful dish is popular all round the Philippines. Beloved for its taste and versatility. If you aren’t sure about the spice content you can always take out any of the spices or how much of the spices are on the ingredient list. Similarly if you think this may lack in sweetness you can add a bit of sugar or honey, you can balance the taste yourself to make it even more yummy to suit your taste. This delicious dish will surely hit the spot especially on days you want some spice but also want some sweetness. A dish you are sure to live once you’ve taken a bit of.

Ginataang Baboy recipe (tagalog)

Sahog

• 2 kutsarang mantika
• ½ kilo pork kasim o liempo chunks
• 2 hinlalaki luya
• 6 butil ng bawang (tadtad)
• 1 katamtamang laking puti na sibuyas (tadtad)
• 1 kutsaritang paminta
• 3 kutsarang patis
• 3 tasa coconut milk
• 2 piraso berdeng sili (hiniwa)
• 5 piraso pulang sili chilies
• 2 tasa coconut cream
• 1 tali Dahon ng sili

Paano lutuin

1. Sa wok na may katamtamang init, lagyan ng mantika at lutuin ang mga liempo hanggang may pagkakayumanggi ang kulay nito.
2. Isama at lutuin ang luya, bawang, at sibuyas. Haluan din ng paminta at patis. Takpan at pakuluin ng 5 minuto.
3. Haluan para di masunog ang liempo. Ihalo dito ang coconut milk.
4. Ihalo ang berdeng at pulang sili. Takpan ng 2 minuto.
5. Ibuhos ang coconut cream at ihalo. Dagdagan ng dahon ng sili at takpan ng 2 minuto. Pakuluin hanggang kumapal at kuponti ang sabaw.
6. Ihanda o pakuluin pa lalo para kumapal ang sabaw.