Pinakbet with Guinamos

There are many ways of cooking pinakbet and its mainly on the meat component and the type of bago-ong used. But the vegetable component almost remain the same - kalabasa, ampalaya, sitaw, okra and talong.

Pinakbet is an Ilocano specialty that made its way into the entire Filipino gastronomy. It's a merry mix of vegetables with meat all embraced by the Pinoy favorite - bago-ong. 

Here's a simple recipe for Pinakbet using the Ilonggo bago-ong called Guinamos.

Ingredients

• 1/4 kilo Pork slices (You can also use tulapho)
• 1/1 cup Shrimps, deveined
• 1 Tbsp. guinamos (Ilonggo bago-ong), adjustable
• 1 bundle hantak (string beans/sitaw)
• 1 medium kalabasa (squash), cubed
• 2 pcs. amargoso (ampalaya/bittermelon), sliced, soaked in salt and water
• 10 pcs okra, halved
• 3 pcs  medium talong (eggplant), cut into bite sized pieces
• 4 cloves. garlic, crushed
• 1 onion, chopped
• 1 thumb-sized ginger, sliced
• Salt 
• Pepper
• Oil
• Water
• Kalkag (dried alamang), optional

How to Cook Pinakbet

1. In a wok set on medium heat, stir fry pork in its fat.
2. Saute-in ginger, garlic and onion until golden brown. Add oil if necessary
3. Add shrimps then bago-ong and continue to stir-fry.
4. Season with salt and pepper (or seasoning mix). 
5. Place vegetables on top of the pork and shrimps. 
6. Add a cup of water and cover. Do not mix. Just give the whole pan a sort of "shake".
7. Simmer until vegetables are cooked. Check if kalabasa is already soft.
8. Remove from heat and give it a toss to mix the meat and veggies.
9. Sprinkle with kalkag if desired. Serve with rice.

A versatile dish that can often be done your own way depending on the availability of ingredients, Pinakbet is a Filipino favorite anytime, everytime.

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