Pork Menudo is a classic Filipino comfort food. It’s one of those dishes one can describe as quintessentially lutong bahay; just the smell alone is enough to bring back warm memories of sharing food with loved ones. By mixing pork, potatoes, and carrots in a savory tomato sauce, pork menudo is a dish packed with flavor. It’s a no-fuss and no-frills meal, and even the simplest of ingredients can make for the most delightful of lunches or dinners.
There’s often some debate regarding the difference between stew dishes like menudo, afritada, and mechado. All of them are tomato based stews –– and all go perfectly with warm white rice. Their ingredients are mostly the same, too, which is probably why people have such a hard time distinguishing one from the other. The main difference, however, perhaps lies in the fact that menudo contains pork liver. Afritada is more commonly associated with chicken, and mechado more often enjoyed as a beef dish (although sometimes you can use pork, too); neither contain pork liver. Although their vegetable components are similar, the protein of these different stews is different. Whichever meal you prefer, however, there’s no denying that Filipino food can bring you lots of comfort and warmth!
Pork Menudo is quite the adaptable dish. Over time and across different families and regions, menudo has seen its fair share of takes and variations. In the original recipe, menudo mainly includes the vegetables carrot, potato, and occasionally bell pepper. But some now choose to add green peas, beans, and even raisins to the delightful meal. Some menudo recipes call for the addition of ingredients like Worcestershire sauce, butter, or even cheese or Sprite for the sauce. And even the meat in menudo is often altered, depending on the preference of those eating! For instance, my other pork menudo variation includes adding sweet ham to the mix! Some even opt to use chicken instead, as a slightly healthier alternative.
But no matter what ingredients you choose to mix in the stew, the smell and taste of menudo is impossible to resist.
This recipe has your classic Pork Menudo with one added twist –– we’ll be using coconut milk or gata to add more layers to the dish’s flavor. Coconut milk is rich, creamy and nutty –– a welcome spin to this well loved dish! Not only is it super delicious, but it comes with a lot of benefits that keep your body healthy and strong. This makes pork menudo even more nutritious, making it even more of a delight in every bite!
Try this Pork Menudo sa Gata recipe today!
How to Make Pork Menudo sa Gata
It’s good to prep all your ingredients for pork menudo beforehand. Cut your pork shoulder into cubes, and do the same for your pork liver. Your potatoes and carrots also need to be cubed; afterwards, chop your onion and mince your garlic cloves. Now you can begin the cooking process of Pork Menudo sa Gata!
Heat some cooking oil in a wok, and sauté your garlic and onions. Then, wait until your onions soften. Once they have, add your pork shoulder. Continue sautéing these ingredients together until the outer part turns light brown. Pour in your 3 tablespoons of soy sauce, letting it cook for 1 minute. Add in your 8 ounces of tomato sauce and 2 cups of coconut milk, and let it boil! The richness of the tomato sauce paired with the sweet coconut milk will have an aromatic scent filling the air.
Once your stew is boiling, toss in your Knorr Pork Cube and stir. Add in your dried bay leaves and cover the wok. Bring your heat down low and let your pork menudo cook until your meat tenderizes. If you feel like the sauce is starting to evaporate or dry up and your pork menudo isn’t as tender as you’d like it to be, go ahead and add some water. This will make the sauce slightly more plentiful. But don’t put too much, as we don’t want it to dilute the taste.
Afterwards, add in your cubed pork liver and let it cook for 8 more minutes. Lastly, add in the vegetables you’re using –– potatoes and carrots. Cook that for 10 minutes. Something people tend to overlook when making menudo is ensuring that your vegetables don’t get too soft and clumpy. This is why we’re only cooking them for 10 minutes on low heat; any longer and it might become too mushy!
After your 10 minutes are up, season your pork menudo sa gata with salt and ground black pepper to taste. And just like that your menudo is ready! Serve it with nice, steaming bowls of white rice –– or even with bread! Your whole family will love this Pork Menudo sa Gata!
Enjoy! Let us know what you think!
Pork Menudo sa Gata
Ingredients
- 1 ½ lbs. pork shoulder cut into cubes
- 1 piece Knorr Pork Cube
- 4 ounces pork liver cubed
- 2 pieces potato cubed
- 1 piece carrot cubed
- 4 pieces dried bay leaves
- 2 cups coconut milk
- 8 ounces tomato sauce
- 1 piece onion chopped
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 3 tablespoons cooking oil
- 3 tablespoons soy sauce
- Salt and ground black pepper to taste
Instructions
- Heat oil in a wok. Sauté garlic and onion until the onion softens.
- Add pork. Continue sautéing until the outer part turns light brown.
- Add soy sauce. Cook for 1 minute.
- Pour tomato sauce and coconut milk. Let boil.
- Add Knorr Pork Cube. Stir and then add dried bay leaves. Cover the wok. Adjust heat to a low setting. Cover the wok and continue cooking until the pork tenderizes. Note: add water if the sauce starts to dry-up while the pork is not tender yet.
- Add pork liver. Cook for 8 minutes.
- Add potato and carrot. Cook for 10 minutes.
- Season with salt and ground black pepper. Serve with warm rice.
- Share and enjoy!
Ruthea says
I tried this delicious recipe
And it’s so tasty thanks for sharing
Vanjo Merano says
Ruthea, thanks for the feedback. It is good to know that you liked it too. I enjoyed menudo sa gata and even had more rice than the usual. See you around.