Pork Binagoongan
Tender and juicy pieces of pork cooked in sweet salty shrimp paste (bagoong), this Pork Binagoongan recipe is full of flavor and lip smacking good! Imagine a thick, scant sauce, that it is also oily, a bit gritty and has so much flavor! This is definitely served with heaps and heaps of rice.
Some time ago in this blog, there was a pork binagoongan recipe that I made out on a whim. Inspired by a recipe that Kris Aquino made in her then show Today with Kris, and after seeing the hosts take bites of that tender, juicy morsels of saucy pork, I decided I was gonna put that in the blog.
So I cooked, placed the dish on the table, took some several shots with my point and shoot, wrote the recipe and posted it away. The photos were a lot different that the photos you see here today- terrible lighting and non-styled finished food, I deleted that recipe post thinking no one actually read it here.
But lo and behold, after several years, a reader emailed me and was looking for the recipe! So now, I am reviving Pork Binagoongan. Years after I deleted it, it is here on the site again- fresh photos, complete with process shots and better lighting.
Shrimp Paste or Bagoong
This is the base flavor here. Make sure to use the sauteed/ cooked variety and not the raw ones. I find that the sauteed variety readily melds in flavor with the dish, while the raw can be a bit strong and may need some toning/ cooking down.
The pork pieces gets coated in a scant, thick liquid made of a mixture of bagoong, tomato and pork juices that thickens into a sauce like consistency after an hour of simmering. Delicious flavors right there!
Let’s Make It
Brown the Pork. Saute garlic and onion until softened, then add the tomatoes. Once tomatoes are soft, add the pork and cook until browned.
Simmer Until the Pork is Tender. Now we add the vinegar, then add half of the bagoong and stir fry them for a bit. Add water and bring to a boil, then simmer for an hour. Stir often, and top up with little amounts of water as needed.
Add the Eggplant. Add the remaining bagoong, and cook for a bit more until the eggplant pieces are tender. Season with salt and pepper. Adjust here with more bagoong, maybe some sugar and more salt and pepper. Serve hot with rice!
More Filipino Dishes
- Pork Giniling ( Simplified and Kid-Approved)
- Tortang Talong with Ground Pork
- Small Batch Siopao
- Easy Pancit Canton Recipe
Pork Binagoongan
Ingredients
- 1.5 lbs boneless pork butt or shoulder cut into 2 inch cubes
- 1 small onion chopped
- 5 cloves garlic minced
- 2 large tomato cubed
- 1 large egg plant sliced into 1 inch thickness
- 3 tbsp vinegar
- 3 tbsp sauteed shrimp paste (bagoong) sweet variety
- 1½ cup water plus up to ½ cup extra
- salt and pepper to taste
- 1-2 tbsp sugar optional, if you are not using sweet bagoong
- 3 tbsp canola or vegetable oil
Instructions
- Brown the Pork. Heat the oil in a wide pan over medium heat. Sauté the garlic and onion until soft. Add the tomatoes and cook until they are softened. Add the pork. Cook, tossing occasionally until browned.
- Cook the Pork to Tender. Add the vinegar and allow this to simmer for about 2 minutes, tossing as needed to prevent sticking. Add half of the bagoong. Stir fry for about a minute. Then add 1 ½ cup water. Bring this to a boil. Cover then allow to simmer over low heat for about an hour, until pork is tender. Toss and stir frequently, and add water in small amounts if the liquid is drying out.
- Add Eggplant. Add the eggplant slices and the remaining bagoong. Cook for an additional 3-5 minutes or so, until the eggplant is tender. Add little by little water as needed to maintain a sauce like consistency around the dish.
- Adjust. Season with salt and pepper, more bagoong and sugar if you prefer. Let it simmer for a minute or so, then turn off heat. Serve hot with rice.
Notes
- Pork. Pork butt or pork shoulder is okay to use here. You can use pork belly if you prefer a richer, more indulgent cut.
- Bagoong (Shrimp paste). I use sweet style bagoong. Yo can use the regular ones and add sugar at the end if you like. Also make sure to use the sauteed/ cooked and not the raw variety.
Tasty, juicy and salty sweet pieces of tender pork!