Pork Nilaga (or what happens when I clear the fridge)

I’m going on a trip to China for a long Easter weekend so on Sunday I thought about clearing the fridge of left-over vegetables. There‘s half a radish ( the radish in Hong Kong is really huge!), a carrot, a medium-sized potato and a small head of wong nga bak (Chinese cabbage). But I could not make anything of those veggies unless I add something. I decided I will make pork nilaga because it’s really easy.

I know radish is for sinigang, not nilaga, but I don’t think the nilaga will complain anyway! You might ask – then why not simply cook sinigang? Well, I do think the carrot and the potato would not feel comfortable in sinigang, don’t you? Of course a proper nilaga should have more than just those veggies (green beans, leeks, perhaps a plantain or two) but remember I was just clearing my fridge!

So I went to the meat shop to get a pound of fresh pork (the neck part). Then I picked up a piece of chayote from the store just to make it more colorful. I boiled the meat with salt, an onion and a few black peppercorns for an hour. I didn't even have to keep an eye on it. Then I threw in the chunks of veggies, cooking it for another 30 minutes. I added the cabbage just before I turned the heat off.

Here's the nilaga after an hour and a half.



I grew up in a household where you have to watch your nilaga – at least until it boils - to skim off the scum and to prevent the scum from froathing…or it’s going to be messy, and the broth is not too appealing. But I find that if I boil the water first before adding the pork ( or any meat for that matter), and then turning the heat to the minimum as soon as the meat is added, I don’t get scum. Also, if you wash the meat properly before you add it into the boiling water, it’s the kind of scum that you wouldn’t care about. Try.