Pochero. Comfort Food

picture taken from

http://365stories.pinoybizonline.com/2010/03/03/moms-pochero-my-style/

Pochero. Comfort Food.
Comfort food is Pochero.

Was the name Pochero derived from a Spanish word? Does it sound like Cocido? I just do not know how to pronounce Cocido, but Pochero? Pochero by any other name, or pronounciation, taste just the same. Grand.

Pochero is very versatile with the possible different combination and ingredients one can think of and can still be called Pochero. It somehow remind me of Irish stew with or without tomato sauce. Its all in the boiling, so they say. The longer it boils, the more tasty and whole it becomes. I've tried cooking it a couple of times before arriving at perfection. Perfection, yes. Ive achieved perfection in cooking Pochero. Not like a perfection of reaching buddhahood but more of a satori experience perfection. A short glimpse of enlightenment whenever people say that the Pochero do taste good. it is so simple to prepare and meat can be pork or beef. What matters is the boiling time and the meticulous mixture of liquid and seasoning to arrive at what I call Pochero perfection. It is slow food cooking.

Some do and some dont saute. I do. I put a perfectly measured cooking oil then start with the onions, then garlic, Bananas, and tomatoes. I put some magic powder (ala Wok with Yan) then the meat. Then when I feel that it is enough (yes, to feel what one is cooking is important. It is called oneness), I put in water then boil it until the meat softens up with the potatoes and carrots. After that delicate process, I enter the most important part of balancing the taste. I add some fish sauce, more magic powder (if and when required), sugar, and tomato sauce. It is a balancing act as I mix the sweet and salty in portions to reach what philosophers call deliciousness. Then I put in the green leafy chinese cabbage. Then it is done. Pochero perfection.

Pochero Perfection

Ingredients

1 kilo Beef or Pork
2 heads Onion
1 whole Garlic
2 Tomatoes
2 plantaine Bananas (Saging na Saba)
5 cups water
Potatoes (Kahit gaano kadami)
2 medium Carrots
2 ropes Chinese Cabbage (2 Tali ng Pechay)
Fish sauce
Sugar
Magic Powder
Tomato Sauce


Corn Cob (optional)
Garbanzos (optional)
string beans (optional)

and the list of optional ingredients can go on and on and on and on......

Comfort Tinola

I saw a recipe two weeks ago called “Pinatisang Manok” or translated in English would sound like “Chicken cooked in Fish Sauce”, I think. The author mentioned its close resemblance with “Tinolang Manok” or Chicken boiled in ginger and fish sauce a.k.a Patis, I think, again.

Tinolang Manok is my comfort food since I learned to sip my soup from a spoon. I could sip its soup using a straw for all I care as long as I can slurp that gingerly hot broth reminding me of everything that comfort me. Since I got married though, that chicken in the Tinola was replaced by pork spare ribs as it was my wife’s preferred meat. It still taste splendidly and comforting but it is not chicken. She calls it “Tinolang Buto-buto” and it sure sounds very local. Like a typical Filipino name when one repeats a name to make it sound cute like “Jing-jing”, “Bing-bing”, or “Ket-ket.”

I have to admit that I also like this version but it is not chicken. There are no Kentucky Fried Buto-buto (KFB), or Max’s Fried Buto-buto. It is hard to struggle eating hard to reach meat stuck in the middle of the bone joints. Yes, the bone marrow is an extra treat but rather my heart misses it or its sure hard core cholesterol blocking my veins. I have to admit that I eat my favorite chicken’s skin and was informed of its consequences so I just indulge in denying whatever consequence it will bring.

I cooked Tinolang Manok last week and while it was not that typical healthy boiled chicken due to salt and sugar and some magic powder, it was just perfect for my taste.

Tinolang Manok

Ingredients

½ kilo Chicken (preferably Thigh and wing part, or as long as it has skin on it)
1 clove Garlic
1 bulb Onion
1 Ginger
1 cube Chicken Bouillon
3-4 tbs. Fish Sauce
A pinch of Sugar
Papaya
Chili Leaves
Cooking Oil

How to do it

1. In a pan, sauté ginger, garlic then onion.
2. Put chicken pieces and cook until a bit brown
3. Add chicken Bouillon
4. Put the fish sauce and water.
5. Put Papaya.
6. Let it boil for 15 minutes under medium heat.
7. Taste and add Sugar, and fish sauce depending on your required taste.
8. Lower the flame to low heat and add Chili Leaves.
9. Turn off the stove and serve with steamed rice.

Kamias Fruit

I just had my blood chemistry examination and it went fairly quite well. So I plan to be more pro-active with my health and will cook and eat more green food to make me strong and healthy. I will start by eating more kamias (averrhoa Bilimbi). I read that it has magical power to make you strong and healthy. I like kamias as flavoring for soup.

Click on the picture and discover kamias' magical shit.