Sayote (chayote) guisado plus

March 31, 2005
Filed under Filipino food, Vegetable recipes

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Ingredients :

300 g. slab of pork liempo (belly)
2-3 pieces of chayote (about 750 g.)
1 head of garlic
1 large white onion
4 tomatoes
4 tsps. of chopped basil (2 tsps. if using dried)
6 black chinese (or shiitake) mushrooms
3 tbsps. of cooking oil
1 tsp. of tapioca or corn starch
patis
pepper
sesame seed oil

Cooking procedure :

Cut the pork into 1×1″ cubes.

Peel, crush and mince the garlic.

Peel and thinly slice the onion.

Dice the tomatoes.

Peel the chayote with a small knife or a vegetable peeler. Cut into quarters vertically and cut off the hard core. Cut into 1×1″ cubes.

Cut off the stalks of the mushrooms and slice the caps into thin strips. If using dried mushrooms, soak in lukewarm water for about 20 minutes to rehydrate before cutting.

Heat a skillet. Pour in the cooking oil. When it starts to smoke, saute the minced garlic and sliced onion for about 30 seconds. Add the tomatoes and continue sauteeing until they start turning soft. Add the pork cubes and cook over high heat, tossing frequently, until lightly browned. Alternatively, cook the pork, uncut, in salted water for about an hour. Drain, chill (note: chilling the cooked meat before cutting prevents it from crumbling), then cut into cubes. Saute as above.

Pour in enough water to cover. Season with patis and pepper. Bring to a boil, cover and simmer for about 45 minutes. The mixture would be almost dry at this point. Add the cubed chayote and pour in about a cup of water. Adjust the seasonings. Add the chopped basil and sliced mushroom caps. Bring to a boil, cover and simmer for about 15 minutes or until the chayote cubes are cooked through.

Disperse the starch in about 1/4 c. of water and pour into the sauteed pork and chayote. Cook, stirring, until the sauce thickens and clears. Turn off the heat, drizzle some sesame seed oil on the cooked dish and toss a few times.

Serve hot.

Note: If you had pre-cooked the pork, use the pork broth instead of water. When the mixture boils, you can immediately add the chayote cubes.

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