Made from tender pork, flavoursome vegetables, and a tangy, aromatic sauce, igado is one of the heartiest dinner dishes in the Philippines. Here’s how you can cook up this dish for your family.
What you need for 4 people
- 1kg of pork tenderloin, cut into ½ to 1-inch strips
- 500g of pork or beef offal (liver, or a combination of liver and kidneys)
- 1 tablespoon of cooking oil
- 300ml of water
- 1 onion, thinly sliced
- 1 bell pepper, thinly sliced
- 100g of green peas
- 3 to 4 cloves of garlic, minced
- 2 to 3 dried bay leaves
- ½ teaspoon of black peppercorns, cracked
- 75ml of vinegar
- 90ml of soy sauce
What to do
1. Begin by marinating your pork tenderloin strips in a bowl with the garlic, bay leaves, peppercorns, vinegar and soy sauce.
2. After 15 to 30 minutes, remove the meat from the marinade and squeeze off any excess liquid. Next, separate the solids in the marinade from the liquid and set both aside.
3. Heat your cooking oil in a pan on a medium-high setting, then add the bell peppers and onions, sautéeing for a few minutes.
4. Add the pork to your pan and continue cooking until the strips begin to brown on the outside.
5. Add the garlic, bay leaves and peppercorns from your marinade to the pan. Continue cooking until the vegetables are softened and all the pork has turned a light brown.
6. Pour the water and the remaining liquids from your marinade into the pan and bring the mixture to a boil. Once you reach a rolling boil, lower the heat and cover the pan. Then, simmer for around 30 minutes. You’ll know you’ve reached the final stage when the pork is tender and most of the liquid has evaporated.
7. Add your pork or beef offal and green peas and continue to cook for around 5 minutes until the liver is cooked through and the liquid resembles a thick sauce. Serve piping hot.
You don’t have to cook
For extra flavour, don’t forget to generously season your igado with fresh black pepper and chopped chillies!
Of course, you can always order igado with foodpanda to save yourself the trouble of cooking. Check out restaurants like Filipino Fiesta Singapore and Adobo Connection for great Filipino delights.