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Passport & Plate - Pancit Hab-Hab with Pork Adobo Paputok!

Philippines | Friday, March 14, 2014 | 5 photos

Ingredients
ADOBO
*There are over 200 ways to cook Adobo. This version with Pork and/or chicken is a classic with an added umph! (Paputok means: “Exlposion!” or “Explosive!”)

Ingredients:
1 Kilo Pork (cubed spareribs, knuckles, or stomach part)
2 Tbsp. Soy Sauce
6 Big Cloves Garlic (minced/crushed)
1 Tbsp. Vinegar
2 Pcs. Bay leaf
1 Tsp. Black Pepper (preferably freshly crushed)
Water (room temperature)
Optional: liver, gizzard

Marinade:
Mix pork and garlic. Drizzle soy sauce to coat meat. Sprinkle desired amount of black pepper. Throw in the bay leaf. Leave in refrigerator for at least thirty minutes, turning the meat occasionally. You may also let the marinade sit overnight for the flavors to really sink in!

PANCIT HAB-HAB

Ingredients:
500 gm Miki Lucban Noodles (They don’t normally sell this in Manila so my mom was kind enough to get some for me the last time she went to the province. One-way travel time: 3 hours…Thanks, Mom!)
6 Big Cloves Garlic
1 Medium sized Onion
1 Bunch of Beans Stalk
1 Pc. Chayote
1 Carrot
2 tsp. Pepper
1 ½ Tbsp. Fish Sauce (Patis)
3 Tbsp. Oil
6-7 Cups Pork Stock

 

How to prepare this recipe
ADOBO
Cooking: Place the meat and marinade in a pot. Add enough water to cover the meat. Set heat to medium-high. Just before boiling point, froth will start to form. Feel free to spoon out the froth from the top. Let it boil until the water dries up. By this time, the meat should be very tender. Lower the heat. Allow the pork to cook in its own fat. (If you’re using chicken only, add about a spoon of cooking oil.) Cover and wait for the popping/crackling sound. This is a good sign that some parts of the meat are getting that nice crunchy texture.

Here’s a tip: if you want that extra crunch, especially with pork skin, make sure the oil is hot, then, quickly drizzle the hot pot with water and cover immediately. We call this method “Paputok” – meaning explosion – because the hot oil once mixed with water, will cause popping and crackling sounds!

Add water to create sauce. Pour vinegar in the middle of the pot but DO NOT STIR. Allow it to cook for a couple minutes before stirring – or else you’ll get a sour adobo! Taste and check the flavour. There should be a balance between the saltiness of the soysauce and acidity of vinegar while the aroma of garlic and bay leaf envelope the entire dish. The black pepper should give it a slight lift. Feel free to add soysauce, vinegar, garlic, pepper, or water according to taste. Note that bay leaf is to be used sparingly…A little goes a long way.

PANCIT HAB-HAB: Cooking:
Heat oil in a pan then sauté garlic and chopped onion. Add beans stalk, chayote and sauté for a couple minutes. Throw in the carrots. Sprinkle a pinch of salt to bring out the natural flavour of the vegetables. Set aside.

With the same pan, boil half of the pork stock. Lower the heat. Put Miki noodles and cook for about 4 minutes until soft. Add fish sauce. Mix noodles while gradually adding the rest of the pork stock. Once stock has been absorbed, either put the vegetables back in or remove noodles and start serving. The Adobo and vegetables are placed as toppings. Remember to drizzle the Adobo sauce for added flavour. Enjoy your Pancit Hab-Hab with vinegar and fish sauce/soy sauce. You could also spice things up with a little crushed chili.

 

The story behind this recipe
The combination of Pancit Hab-hab and Adobo is very close to my heart as these dishes speak about me, my family, my people and our identity. In every colony, there are positive and negative effects on society. I choose to learn from the past and focus on the good. I’m thankful for these various cultures coming together because if not for them, I wouldn’t be here. Just like these dishes, we are a mix of Filipino, Chinese and Spanish – on both sides of the family.

My dad comes from Quezon Province, the home of Pancit Hab-hab. We’d spend summers at my step grandma’s place in the town of Tayabas and eat different kinds of Pancit (noodles) for merienda (afternoon snack). Hab-Hab means to consume food by sliding it into one’s mouth…like a hungry beast. This way of eating is attributed to street vendors in the town of Lucban who sold pancit way back when styrofoam and plastics were not popular. Each serving was placed on a banana leaf. The heat of the noodles would bring out the oil of the banana leaf and that gave it a distinct flavour.

Adobo is the unofficial national dish of the Philippines. I remember asking our dad’s sister, Tita (aunt) Portia, to make it all the time. She was my godmother and early cooking mentor. I enjoyed watching her prepare dishes. In 1997, she passed away.

Recently, I came across one of Tita Portia’s former colleagues. He revealed that my Tita headed her own department in that same office! She also got a scholarship abroad for food technology. No wonder I have a knack for cooking. At an early age, I was always around an expert.

Last month, a legislator filed a bill to officially declare Adobo as our national food. At a time that our cuisine is starting to be recognized the world over, I guess it’s time to make it official.

From the beginning until now, we unravel the myriad of interconnections between food and our history, culture, and society. It’s amazing how one simple dish and the process of cooking it can define one’s identity.