Paksiw na Pork Ribs

This paksiw na pork ribs is made from bony pork ribs which are simmered in the classic lechon sauce. A balance of sweetness, saltiness and sourness hugging each piece of the ribs will truly partner a big bowl of hot steaming rice. If you have a lechon paksiw craving, just try the paksiw na pork ribs! This can be enjoyed during lunch and dinner, and even as a pulutan. Yum!

PAKSIW NA PORK RIBS RECIPE

Ingredients:

• 600 grams pork ribs (chopped)
• 5 cloves of garlic (chopped)
• 3 tablespoons soy sauce
• 1 teaspoon whole peppercorns
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 2 tablespoons vinegar
• 3 tablespoons sugar
• 4 tablespoons mang tomas sarsa
• 3 pieces bay leaves

Directions:

1. Fill a large pot with water and then add the pork ribs. Cover the pot and bring it to a boil. Once there are white scum floating, set the pork ribs aside and drain the water and scum.
2. Place the pork ribs back to the pan and cover them with enough water. Turn the heat on. Add the garlic, peppercorns, salt and soy sauce.  Allow this to boil using high heat.
3. Once boiling, lower the heat to medium heat setting. Continue cooking until the water is reduced.
4. Add the vinegar (do not stir immediately) and sugar. After a few minutes, stir well and let it continue cooking for a few more minutes.
5. Once the sauce has been reduced more, add the mang tomas sarsa. (Add more if you like). Stir well.
6. Add the bay leaves and simmer for a few more minutes. Do the fork test to check if the pork is tender. When the sauce is already thick, it is now ready! Turn the heat off.
7. Transfer the paksiw na pork ribs to a serving dish. Enjoy this with a lot of hot steaming rice. Yum!

WHAT IS A PAKSIW?

Pasko paksiw pasko paksiw pasko paksiw! I bet your tongue twisted by just reading that one.

Paksiw is one of the classic Pinoy dishes. While the paksiw refers to a dish simmered in vinegar, this dish is differently prepared all over the country. But if you see a dish with an almost clear white soup and is sour, it is more likely a paksiw. The paksiw is usually done with fishes.

For this recipe, we will explore another way of preparing paksiw. Still using vinegar, the paksiw na lechon is the classic way of transforming leftover lechon into a new dish. Paksiw na pork ribs is a variation of this dish which also uses the same ingredients.

PAKSIW NA PORK RIBS

Being the cook of the family is a great honor, and it would instantly bring you to life once you see their smiling faces as they enjoy your dish. The only downside of being the cook is, usually, you are the last to eat.

You might notice that lately, I have been posting dishes which I serve during gatherings since the last week was very full of celebrations. And of course, celebrations always come with lechon. We ordered a large lechon good for the whole week but there are still leftovers.

And what do we do with lechon leftovers? We turn them into paksiw na lechon.

Good thing we already have a lot of mang tomas, I do not need to go to the grocery to grab for more. I prepared the lechon and transformed them into a new dish. I did this batch by batch to make sure that all the lechon will be well covered with the sauce. But to my surprise, my family enjoyed the paksiw na lechon so well, that they finished them all before I got to the dining table. (I’m not angry though, but I am sad).

I prepared other meal for myself but after a few days, I still craved for that lechon paksiw. Knowing that pork ribs will also go well with lechon sauce and almost taste like lechon, I did the grocery silently and prepared myself a little batch of paksiw na pork ribs. As a revenge, I ate them all myself! (I swear I am not angry hahaha).

If you wanna know how to make paksiw na pork ribs, read and follow the easy steps below. Happy cooking!

HOW TO MAKE PAKSIW NA PORK RIBS

If you’re a fan of lechon but has a limited budget, then this recipe is for you. Preparing some paksiw na pork ribs is 100x easier than making the real lechon. With just a few ingredients, you can make the paksiw na pork ribs at the comfort of your homes.

Just like the classic way, if you have left over lechon from last night’s gathering, chop them up and let’s transform it into a paksiw na lechon dish. But if you will be making this out of cravings, take note that you can choose your preferred meat cut. For this recipe I recommend to use the pork ribs since the taste is close to lechon and the boney parts is so good in highly flavored sauces.

The first step is cooking the pork ribs. It may take a while to let this soften. Just remember to remove the white scum that will float afterwards. This white scum or foam are actually proteins, but they are already denatured so we do not want them. They might affect the taste and consistency of the sauce so make sure to either remove them or replace the boiling water.

Add all the seasonings and aromatics during your second boiling to make sure that the flavors will be absorbed by the meat. You may adjust the taste as you like. This broth will be reduced as you cook and will be the sauce base. Add the mang tomas sarsa into the sauce and stir to incorporate. Toss gently until each piece is well coated with the sauce.

If you want a saucy version, you may add both water and mang tomas. If you like it simply thick, you may now serve and eat it. And the best way to enjoy the paksiw na pork is to partner it with hot steaming rice. Yum!

COOKING TIPS:

• ●      If you want a spicy version of this dish, you can add chopped red chilies or use the mang tomas siga, the spicy version of the mang tomas sarsa.

Paksiw na Pork Ribs Recipe (TAGALOG)

Ingredients:

• 600 grams pork ribs/ buto buto (hiniwa)
• 5 butil ng bawang (hiniwa)
• 3 kutsarang toyo
• 1 kutsaritang pamintang buo
• ½ kutsaritang asin
• 2 kutsarang suka
• 3 kutsarang asukal
• 4 kutsarang mang tomas sarsa
• 3 pirasong dahon ng laurel

Directions:

1. Kumuha ng isang pot at punuin ng tubig saka ilagay ang binakbakan. Takpan ito at hayaang kumulo. Kapag lumutang na ang white impurities, isantabi ang mga pork ribs at itapon ang pinagpakuluan.
2. Ibalik sa kawali ang binakbakan at lagyan ng tubig. Pakuluan ito at ilagay ang bawang, buong paminta, asin at toyo. Hayaan itong kumulo gamit ang malakas na apoy.
3. Kapag kumukulo na, babaan ang apoy sa katamtaman. Lutuin lang ito hanggang umonti ang tubig.
4. Ilagay ang suka (wag muna haluin) at asukal. Pagkatapos ng ilang minuto, haluin at lutuin pa ng ilang minuto.
5. Kapag konti nalang ang sabaw, ilagay ang mang tomas sarsa. (Dagdagan kung kailangan). Haluin ng konti.
6. Ilagay ang mga dahon ng laurel. Pagkatapos ng ilang minuto, tusukin ang karne gamit ang tinidor para malaman kung malambot na. Kapag malapot na rin ang sabaw, ready na ito. Patayin ang apoy.
7. Ilipat ang paksiw na pork ribs sa serving plate. Enjoyin ang paksiw na binakbakan kasama ng mainit na kanin. Yum!