Vigan Longganisa

Everybody knows about Pancit, Adobo and Lumpia, but will Filipino food be truly "mainstream"? I've read different points of views on why it hasn't and will probably never be. Theories ranging from it being as simple as our food is just too greasy to an in depth study in Colonial mentality.

I have my own theory that falls somewhere in between those two. Before a chef goes off trying to make his or her version of a certain dish, make sure you've eaten the original/authentic version. Whether you had it a few times on vacation back home or your Uncle Boy is the master of said dish. This is important because inevitably, someone who has eaten said dish plenty of times or has their own Uncle Boy who makes said dish, you will have no shortage of haters for your own bastardized version. Plenty of Filipino restaurants fall flat because the regional specialties that they put out don't even come close to how they are suppose to be prepared. Stick to what you do well  for now and keep practicing at what you don't. Quality is what will bring our food to that stage.

Now I have to follow my own advice. Vigan Longganisa hails from the Northern Region of the Philippines. There are variations of this salty and garlicky sausage found in areas in the Central Region but it is made famous here in the north. My wife is from the north and she has had this plenty of times and I have actually had it in her hometown. She's definitely a worthy judge of my first go at Vigan Longganisa and I'm positive she'll be honest with the utmost disregard for my ego and this case, it's completely acceptable. :)

Vigan Longganisa

Vigan Longganisa

2 lbs ground pork butt/shoulder

1/2 cup minced garlic

4 tbsp of Filipino soy sauce

4 tbsp Sukang Iloko (or apple cider vinegar)

2 tbsp annatto powder

2 tsp salt

2 tsp coarse black pepper

mix well and once stuffed, let it marinate in the refrigerator for at least a day, then put in the freezer if you aren't cooking it yet.... but then again... why wait? 

Longsilog

Bacon Potato Hash with Egg

Bacon. All the cardiologists in the world screaming bloody murder cannot stop the goodness that is Bacon. In reality, it isn't in our best interest to indulge so moderation is definitely key. I was at the market today and found these beautiful red and yellow creamer potatoes. Creamers are generally Yukon Gold and Red potatoes that are harvested before they mature and so they are less starchy. I love potatoes because it's such a great flavor canvas and at $0.69 per pound it works out balancing the budget for the dish because bacon is definitely not cheap nowadays. First off, bacon used to come in 1 pound packages. These past few years, the 12 ounce pack has quietly made it's way in to the shelves and starting at $5 for said package, bacon in moderation makes a ton of sense. I was lucky that the market that I went to carried a brand of bacon that sold packs of irregular slices for about $1.50 less than the perfectly sliced ones. Brunch for 4 at about $10 is not too shabby. It's pretty hard to mess up a bacon dish, but this dish is definitely a Sunday Brunch keeper.

Bacon Potato Hash with Egg

Bacon Potato Hash with Egg

2 lbs red and yellow creamer potatoes quartered (but feel free to use whatever potatoes you have on hand)

1/2 pound bacon rough chopped 

1 large onion sliced thin

6 cloves of garlic rough chopped

2 Roma tomatoes large diced

3 tbsp sliced green onions

1/2 cup shredded Mozzarella cheese

1/2 cup shredded Cheddar cheese

Procedure

boil the potatoes for about 20 minutes or until tender but not overcooked. set aside

brown the bacon, set aside and reserve the bacon grease

in the same pan, saute the garlic and onions together until they start to caramelize then add the tomatoes and saute until tender then remove from the pan and set aside.

now add a few more tbsp of bacon grease in the same pan and throw in the boiled potatoes in high heat.

do not pick at it too much. let it develop some crispy bits.

once the potatoes are golden brown and slightly crispy, throw in the garlic, onions and tomato and stir for a minute or so to incorporate the flavors.

add the bacon and about a minute later, as soon as the dish is heated through, add the cheese and stir for about a minute, serve with a sunny side up egg on top and ENJOY!