On the Menu: Pork Giniling

On the days when you can’t decide what to cook for dinner, it’s always a safe bet to go back to the classics.   This pork giniling recipe was taught to me by my mother, and is a staple in our household because my brother loves it.  We refer to this recipe as picadillo, although as I browse the internet I find that it might not  be the right name for this recipe.   So I’ll call this pork giniling instead, just to be safe.

Of course with recipes such as this, it’s pretty easy to tailor to one’s individual taste.  For example, I only added potatoes since my picky nieces won’t eat carrots and bell peppers anyway.  I also put in quail eggs, which is always a big hit among kiddies.  You may choose to add frozen peas, raisins (which my dad does), olives, or even use beef instead of pork.  That’s you in charge of your dinner.

Here are the ingredients I used for this recipe:

• ¾ kilo ground pork
• 1 medium sized potato, chopped into cubes
• 1 small onion, chopped
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• Half a cup of tomato paste dissolved in a cup of water because I didn’t have tomato sauce
• Salt and pepper to taste
• Another cup of water
• Pork cube
• 16 hardboiled quail eggs

Here’s how I cooked my pork giniling

1. First thing  I did is boil my quail eggs, just to get them out of the way.  I placed my eggs in a pot with a tight-fitting lid and put it in medium high heat. When it started to boil I lowered the heat to medium and let it cook for 4 minutes.  After 4 minutes I immediately drained the eggs and run them over cold water.  
2. Next, in a new pot I sauteed the onions in a little bit of butter until translucent, then I added the garlic and sauteed until the garlic turned fragrant.
3. I then added my ground beef, sauteeing until the meat turned brown and no more pink was visible.  I used a wooden spoon to break the meat into fine pieces while sauteeing.
4. Salt and pepper to taste, then the pork cube.  When the cube finally dissolved I put in the tomato paste dissolved in water, plus another cup of water.
5. I brought the mixture to a boil and lowered the heat to simmer for around 20 minutes.
6. After 20 minutes I added in the potato, which I chopped into the smallest cubes as I can.
7. I let the mixture simmer until the potato and the meat are tender, adjusting the water level as I go.  You can make yours as soupy or as dry as you want, just add more water or let it reduce some more.
8. Finally I mixed in the quail eggs.  I made sure to coat the quail eggs in the sauce before serving with some hot rice.

This recipe was able to feed 6 people, including 2 kids.   I’d say this recipe was a success, considering my usually picky niece had had two servings.

And that’s it!  Do you have a different recipe for pork giniling?  If so, I’d love to find out.  Hope you give this one a try and Happy reading!