Pork Sinigang

I'm sure all my Filipino friends have tried, and can relate to this food.  Pork Sinigang is boiled pork meat, tastes like a little tangy or sourish kind of soup, simmered for hours until tender along with vegetables in it.  It's one of our native Filipino dishes.  Every time I make this, it always bring me back home...my fond memories growing up...with my mom served it smoking hot in a big bowl pile of meat and vegetables with hot steamed rice next to it while we (siblings) gathered around the long rectangular table for dinner.  Coming from a big family, the dinner table was always our perfect spot (hang out) every mealtime to get everybody together.  I still vividly remember our Dad wouldn't start our meal if one of his children was missing.  He made sure everybody is present, proceed to "thanksgiving prayer", then the digging begins! Oh, how I miss those moments enjoying the simple things in life with family members, it's simply priceless!  Other than the obvious reason as to why I'm so attached to this dish, it's also very comforting and good most perfect for cold weather here that even Andre and Sweetpea are its biggest fans! 


Ingredients:

2 pounds pork belly or pork ribs (but into bite-size pieces)
1 bunch green leaves (spinach, lettuce, bokchoy or cabbage), chopped
3 tablespoons fish sauce
1/2 bunch green beans or string beans (I make string beans optional as they're hard to find in our area), cut into 2 inch length
2 pieces medium size tomato, sliced
3 pieces chili (banana pepper), optional
1 tablespoon cooking oil
2 liters water
1 large onion, sliced
1 teaspoon fresh ginger, sliced
1/2 to 1 pack sinigang mix or tamarind soup base (use accordingly to your taste preference), can be found at Asian stores

Heat oil in a deep pot at medium heat.  Saute onions until soft.  Add ginger, then pork and cook until light brown.  Add fish sauce and mix, add the water and let it boil.  Add tomatoes, let it boil then turn heat down and simmer for 1 hour, or until pork is tender.  Put in sinigang mix and chili (if using), mix thoroughly.  You can gradually add sinigang mix into it to make sure you get your desired taste of sourness and not overdo it (remember, you can always add more but cannot eliminate it).  Finally, add the green/string beans, cabbage, bokchoy heads (if using), simmer for 5 minutes.  Add the other green leaves that wilts easily, as soon as it boils again, cover the pot, turn it off and remove from the heat.  The remaining heat from the pot will continue cooking the leaves by itself.  Serve hot and enjoy!