Pinakbet

Pinakbet

Pinakbet is a wonderful vegetable medley that's famous throughout the Philippines though its largely unknown outside of the country, unlike adobo and lumpia. It's very delicious and good for you.

Pinakbet (pronounced pin-AHK-bet) consists of a little pork (or chicken, or shrimp), winter squash or pumpkin, ampalaya (bitter gourd), green beans, okra and eggplant, seasoned with bagoong (Philippine shrimp paste) as well as the usual garlic, onions and broth. Beaten eggs are often added during the last part of cooking. The somewhat sweet flavor of the squash contrasts nicely with the slight bitterness of the ampalaya, and the firm and slightly crunchy texture of the green beans with the slight mushiness of the eggplant and okra.

In the Philippines we buy ready-made pinakbet mixture, consisting of all the vegetables (except garlic and onions, which are considered spices or seasonings rather than veggies in their own right) already cut up, so I'll have to kind of guess at proportions when telling you how to prepare it from scratch, but here goes (you'll probably have to buy your ampalaya and bagoong at a Filipino or Asian market, and I have no idea how or where you're going to find winter squash, okra and green beans in season at the same time, by the way):

Ingredients:

1/4 to 1/5 of a medium-sized winter squash, such as Hubbard

Around twenty to two dozen fresh green beans

One small eggplant

One small ampalaya

Around a dozen okra pods

1/4 to 1/2 onion, chopped

6 to 8 cloves of garlic, slightly crushed

1/2 cup cubed pork

1 pork bouillon cube

2 tablespoons oil

2 tablespoons soy sauce

1 1/2 cup water

1 tablespoon bagoong

4 beaten eggs

Pepper to taste

Instructions:

Cut the squash into strips about an inch or less wide and about three to four inches long. 

Trim the ends off the green beans, remove strings and cut into around 3 inch lengths.

Trim the stem off of the eggplant, cut in half lengthwise, then bias-cut into 2 inch pieces.

Trim the stem off of the ampalaya, cut in half lengthwise, remove the pulp and seeds, then straight-cut into small pieces (around 1/3 to 1/2 inch.)

Trim the stems off of the okra pods, scrub well to remove the fuzz, then bias-cut into 1 to 1 1/2 inch lengths. (Protip: if you soak the okra in a vinegar-water solution for 15 minutes then rinse well, prior to cooking with it, the okra won't be really slimy as it normally is.)

Cut up your pork, peel and chop your onion, trim the ends off of the garlic cloves then slightly crush them with the flat of the knife blade to loosen the skins (which also crushes them enough for use in these recipes), crack and beat the eggs.

The actual cooking is done ginisa style, which is like a combination of sautéeing and braising. Place the meat in a large skillet with 1/2 to 3/4 cup of water then cook, stirring occasionally, until all the water has evaporated. Add the oil, onions and garlic and cook a few moments until the onion is starting to get tender. Add the soy sauce and pork bouillon cube, stir and cook another moment or two. Add the remaining water and the vegetables. Stir, cover and simmer until the squash is very tender. Add a little more water if it seems to be getting too dry: there should be just a slight amount of juice in the finished dish. When almost cooked, add the bagoong and the eggs, stirring well until the eggs are set. (I suggest adding the bagoong a little at a time, stirring well and tasting as you go, as some brands or types of bagoong are stronger-tasting than others.) Add pepper to taste (it should already be salty enough from the bouillon and soy sauce, but you may add more salt if you wish.)

Serve warm over rice. Serves four.