Pinakbet with Pork Belly, Squash and Bitter Melon

What you need

• 250 g (9 oz) pork belly, cut into 2.5 cm (1 in) cubes
• 1 onion, chopped
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 cm (1 in) fresh ginger, julienned
• 2 ripe tomatoes, chopped
• 2 tbsp shrimp paste, bagoong alamang
• 150 ml (2/3 cup) water
• 300 g (10 oz) kabocha squash, peeled, cut into 3 cm (1 in) pieces
• 150 g (5 oz) long beans, cut into 6 cm (2 in) lengths
• 1 small bitter melon, halved, seeded, sliced 1 cm (1/2 in) thick
• 1 Asian eggplant, cut into 2 cm (3/4 in) rounds
• 8 okra, stem ends trimmed
• black pepper, freshly ground, to taste

Method

Restated from the original video

1. 1

   Put the pork in a dry pot over medium-high heat. Cook, stirring now and then, until the fat renders and the cubes are browned, 8-10 min.

2. 2

   Add the onion, garlic and ginger to the rendered fat. Cook until the onion is soft, 3-4 min.

3. 3

   Add the tomatoes and mash them with a spoon as they cook, until they release their juice, 3 min.

4. 4

   Stir in the shrimp paste and cook until it darkens slightly and smells toasty, 2 min.

5. 5

   Pour in the water, cover, and simmer over low heat until the pork is tender, 15-20 min. Add a splash of water if the pot starts to dry out.

6. 6

   Add the squash and cook, covered, for 3 min.

7. 7

   Add the long beans and bitter melon and cook, covered, for 3 min.

8. 8

   Lay the eggplant and okra on top. Cover and cook until all the vegetables are tender but still hold their shape, 4-5 min. Do not stir hard, shake the pot instead.

9. 9

   Season with black pepper. The shrimp paste is already salty, so taste before adding anything else. Serve hot.

Imported from kawalingpinoy.com. Recipe Grab pulled out what you need to cook it; the video stays where its author put it.