Pork with Fermented Shrimp

The words "tropical islands" does conjure images of the beach and sunny weather which is exactly what was on my mind when I thought of this blog. The reason I so often think of these images nowadays is probably because it is monsoon season and I'm daydreaming of the sand and surf. I don't dislike the rainy season, mind you, but when it rains for two weeks straight your mind begins to wander. Yesterday the skies were clear and the sun was out. The weather was perfect. The skies were a symphony of blue and white, the trees were gleaming from the rains and in the noisiest city I've ever been to, no one was honking their car. Ah, it was bliss driving down the road to do my errands.

Anyhow, one of my favorite tropical condiments is fermented shrimp. And one of my favorite dishes is Binagoongang Baboy (pork with fermented shrimp). I know of two kinds of fermented shrimp, one is Philippine and the other Thai. Philippine bagoong alamang is either dark or pink and one can see the tiny shrimp, while the Thai kapi is a smooth pink paste. Both are delicious but vary in the degree of saltiness and pungency. Binagoongnang Baboy is what I consider comfort food. When the storm outside is raging, I love to cozy up with a steaming bowl of rice topped with Binagoongang Baboy. The type of fermented shrimp used to flavor this dish is what makes the difference between a mediocre and a sublime Binagoongnang Baboy. The best would be to make your own bagoong but that would take a couple of months to ferment. So the next best thing is to find a good commercially made bagoong. Bagoong comes in regular and sweet, the choice is up to you. Bagoong is salty, so the sweet bagoong is a salty sweet flavor. I personally prefer the regular.

Binagoongang Baboy
adapted from the Maya Kitchen cookbook series "The Filipino Cookbook"

1 kilo pork shoulder, cubed
water, enough to barely cover the pork
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 onion, chopped
2 plum tomatoes, chopped
1 cup bagoong alamang
5 teaspoons sugar (optional)
1/4 cup vinegar or calamansi juice

In a skillet, simmer the pork cubes in water until liquid evaporates and whats left is an oily film. Add the garlic, onion and tomatoes, cook for 1 minute. Add the bagoong and stir-fry until color changes. Add the sugar, if using, and the vinegar. Simmer, uncovered, until pork is tender. Serve with steaming hot rice. Steamed or stir-fried Japanese eggplant or kang kong (water spinach) go very well as a side dish.