Sinigang

Pork Sinigang

A classic Filipino sour soup starring tender pork belly and a bright, mouth-puckering tamarind broth, finished with crisp-tender vegetables. It is the dish Filipinos most often describe as tasting like home.

Prep

15 min

Cook

60 min

Total

75 min

Serves

6

Difficulty

Easy

Recipe ingredients

• •500 g (1.1 lb) pork belly, cut into 2.5 cm (1 in) cubes, kasim (pork shoulder) is more traditional; belly gives a richer broth
• •1.5 L (6 cups (about 1.5 qt)) cold water
• •1 medium yellow onion, peeled and quartered
• •4 cloves garlic, smashed
• •30 g (¼ cup packed) fresh tamarind pulp, seeded, or 1 sachet (22 g) sinigang mix as a substitute; fresh tamarind gives a cleaner, fruitier sourness
• •2 whole tomatoes, quartered
• •15 g (1 Tbsp) fish sauce (patis), plus more to taste; substitute light soy sauce in a pinch
• •200 g (7 oz) daikon radish, peeled and cut into 2 cm (¾ in) chunks
• •150 g (5 oz) long beans (sitaw), cut into 5 cm (2 in) lengths, substitute green beans if unavailable
• •2 small Filipino eggplants (talong), quartered, substitute 1 small Japanese or Chinese eggplant
• •200 g (7 oz) water spinach (kangkong), tough stems removed, leaves and tender stems kept whole, substitute baby spinach plus a few Swiss chard stems
• •3 whole finger chilies (siling haba), optional
• •2 L (8 cups) steamed jasmine rice, to serve

Steps

1. 1 Place the pork in a heavy pot, cover with the 1.5 L (6 cups) cold water, and bring slowly to a boil over medium heat. Skim and discard the grey foam that rises so the broth stays clear. This takes about 5 minutes.
2. 2 Add the onion, garlic, tomatoes and tamarind pulp. Reduce the heat to a gentle simmer, partially cover, and cook for 40 to 50 minutes, or until the pork is fork-tender and reaches an internal temperature of at least 75 °C (165 °F) on an instant-read thermometer.
3. 3 Fish out the softened tamarind pulp with a slotted spoon and squeeze it against the side of the pot to extract any remaining pulp and juice; discard the fibrous shells. If using sinigang mix instead, add it now.
4. 4 Stir in the fish sauce and taste the broth. It should be distinctly sour; add more fish sauce for saltiness or a little more tamarind (or a splash of calamansi juice) if you want it sharper.
5. 5 Add the daikon and simmer 4 to 5 minutes until just translucent at the edges.
6. 6 Add the long beans and eggplant and simmer another 3 to 4 minutes, until the eggplant is fork-tender but not mushy and the beans are bright and crisp-tender.
7. 7 Tuck the water spinach and chilies into the pot so the stems sit in the broth and the leaves steam on top. Cover, remove from the heat, and let stand 1 to 2 minutes so the leaves wilt but stay vivid green.
8. 8 Taste and adjust seasoning with more fish sauce or tamarind. Ladle the soup into bowls, making sure each serving gets pork, vegetables and plenty of broth. Serve immediately with steamed jasmine rice and a small dish of fish sauce for dipping.
9. 9 Food safety note: if you choose to add raw prawns or fish to the broth (a common variation), add them in the last 2 to 3 minutes of simmering and cook until the prawns turn opaque and curl into a C-shape and the fish flakes easily; this brings them to a safe internal temperature of 63 °C (145 °F). Do not serve shellfish raw.