Boston needs to have more Filipino restaurants. It makes me happy to see that star chefs in my neighborhood are cooking with everything nose to tail and fish sauce. This concept is becoming increasingly popular nation-wide and is a staple in Filipino cuisine. JnJ in Quincy is the only Filipino restaurant around here, and that’s pretty far away from me. New York and even Jacksonville have a handful of Filipino restaurants ranging from take-out to upscale dining.
If and when more Filipino restaurants open closer to me, I’d imagine I’d spend most of my time there. My deserted kitchen will be nothing more than a storage space. I wouldn’t cook any more Filipino food! No, I’d just eat out all the time. I wouldn’t make this amazing and heart warming pork menudo dish. 
Hey, I can dream right?
Menudo is a Filipino pork and liver stew with potatoes, vegetables, and a bit of raisins. Many variations have olives and chick peas, these of which I left out in my version in lieu of more meat and carrots. A robust and flavorful stew like this is perfect for any time of year, but is especially lovely on these cold winter months!
A key ingredient in this stew is liver. It adds a rich and robust ‘meaty’ flavor without overpowering the dish. My mom cooked with liver often and threw tiny pieces of it in a stew just like this Menudo. It’s a sneaky way to get a kid acquired to eating this nutritious food.
Liver is my favorite organ meat. Being so nutrient dense, I consider liver as my feel good food item, curing laziness and a general “blah” feeling. In this stew, chicken liver is chopped up to very small pieces. It is messy, so the easiest way to handle liver, is to place a cutting board in the kitchen sink and chop it there. It can also be pureed into the sauce.
Hearty, nutritious, and flavorful this Filipino pork stew, Menudo will be a popular comfort food. So good and easy to make, this authentic Filipino dish will make you forget about restaurant daydreams. 
- 2 Tablespoons of Cooking Fat (lard, olive oil)
- 1 Yellow Onion, chopped
- 3 Garlic Cloves, minced
- 2 lbs Pork Loin, cut into 1" cubes
- ½ cup of Chicken Liver, diced
- 1 Tablespoon Fish Sauce
- 4 Small Potatoes, peeled and cut into 1" cubes
- 3 Carrots, peeled cut into 2" cylinders
- 1 15 oz can of Tomato Sauce
- 1 Bay Leaf
- ½ teaspoon of Sea Salt
- 1 teaspoon of Black Pepper
- 1 Sweet Bell Pepper (pick from red, orange, yellow, or a mixture), diced
- 1 small Green Bell Pepper, diced
- ¼ cup of Raisins
- ½ cup of Frozen Peas
- Heat a large pot to medium high and add the cooking fat.
- Saute the onions and garlic, until onions are translucent.
- Add the pork, liver, and fish sauce and cook until the pork edges are brown.
- Add the potatoes and carrots. Cook for another 3 minutes.
- Add the tomato sauce, bay leaves, salt and pepper and enough water to cover the meats. Simmer until potatoes can be poked easily (but not really soft). About 15 minutes.
- Add the diced peppers, raisins, and peas and cook for another 5 minutes until peppers are soft.
Original article: Menudo – Filipino Pork Stew
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