Sinigang (Pork and Vegetable Soup)
By Bryan RoofPublished on September 26, 2022
Time
3 hours
Yield
Serves 4 to 6
Ingredients
Before You Begin
Cutting the ribs crosswise through the bones will have to be done with a bandsaw, so ask your butcher to do this for you. This recipe will still work if you aren’t able to get the ribs cut crosswise; however, you should separate them into single-bone portions if that’s the case. One average-size Japanese eggplant is about 6 ounces. Start searing the ribs meaty side down because you will get a better sear on that side than on the bone side. Note that we call for a coarse-mesh strainer for straining the tamarind paste. (A fine-mesh strainer won't let enough liquid through.)
Instructions
- Combine tamarind paste and 1 cup boiling water in bowl and let sit for 15 minutes. Using your hands, squish tamarind paste until diluted into water. Strain mixture through coarse-mesh strainer set over bowl, pressing on solids with ladle to extract as much tamarind mixture as possible. Scrape bottom of strainer with rubber spatula. Discard remaining pulp; set tamarind mixture aside.
- Separate ribs into 2-bone sections by cutting between bones. Pat ribs dry with paper towels and sprinkle all over with salt. Heat oil in large Dutch oven over medium-high heat until just smoking. Add half of ribs, starting meaty side down, and cook until browned on both sides, 3 to 5 minutes per side. Transfer ribs to baking sheet and repeat with remaining ribs.
- Add onion and ginger to now-empty pot and cook until softened, about 2 minutes. Add tomatoes and 2 Thai chiles and cook until tomatoes are broken down, 3 to 5 minutes. Add 4 cups water, daikon, ¼ cup fish sauce, lemon juice, and tamarind mixture to pot and stir to combine, scraping up any browned bits.
- Add ribs and press below surface of liquid. Bring to boil. Reduce heat to medium-low; cover; and cook at vigorous simmer, stirring occasionally, until ribs are fork-tender, 1½ hours to 1¾ hours.
- Meanwhile, combine remaining ¼ cup fish sauce with remaining 1 Thai chile in bowl. Divide sauce evenly among 4 to 6 small ramekins; set aside.
- Stir green beans and eggplant into stew and increase heat to medium. Cook, uncovered, until vegetables are tender, stirring occasionally to keep vegetables submerged in liquid, about 15 minutes. Off heat, season with salt to taste.
- To serve, portion stew among 4 to 6 shallow bowls and portion rice onto 4 to 6 plates. Transfer portions of stew to plates with rice. Serve each portion with individual ramekins of reserved sauce, spooning small amounts over mixture before each bite.
Time
3 hoursYield
Serves 4 to 6Ingredients
Test Kitchen Techniques
Ingredients
Test Kitchen Techniques
Ingredients
Test Kitchen Techniques
Why This Recipe Works
Sinigang is a tangy meat and vegetable soup from the Philippines. This version is based on a dish by Janice Dulce, chef and owner of FOB Kitchen in Oakland, California. Following her lead, we used a 3-pound rack of St. Louis–style spareribs, cut in half through the bones. The soup got its signature flavor from softened tamarind paste, fish sauce, and lemon juice. While Janice included more vegetables at FOB Kitchen, we narrowed it down to daikon radishes, Japanese eggplant, and green beans, which we cooked directly in the soup until tender. This savory, complex, and sour dish is meant to be served over rice with a simple sauce made of fish sauce and Thai chiles.
Want more? Read the whole storyBefore You Begin
Cutting the ribs crosswise through the bones will have to be done with a bandsaw, so ask your butcher to do this for you. This recipe will still work if you aren’t able to get the ribs cut crosswise; however, you should separate them into single-bone portions if that’s the case. One average-size Japanese eggplant is about 6 ounces. Start searing the ribs meaty side down because you will get a better sear on that side than on the bone side. Note that we call for a coarse-mesh strainer for straining the tamarind paste. (A fine-mesh strainer won't let enough liquid through.)
Instructions
- Combine tamarind paste and 1 cup boiling water in bowl and let sit for 15 minutes. Using your hands, squish tamarind paste until diluted into water. Strain mixture through coarse-mesh strainer set over bowl, pressing on solids with ladle to extract as much tamarind mixture as possible. Scrape bottom of strainer with rubber spatula. Discard remaining pulp; set tamarind mixture aside.
- Separate ribs into 2-bone sections by cutting between bones. Pat ribs dry with paper towels and sprinkle all over with salt. Heat oil in large Dutch oven over medium-high heat until just smoking. Add half of ribs, starting meaty side down, and cook until browned on both sides, 3 to 5 minutes per side. Transfer ribs to baking sheet and repeat with remaining ribs.
- Add onion and ginger to now-empty pot and cook until softened, about 2 minutes. Add tomatoes and 2 Thai chiles and cook until tomatoes are broken down, 3 to 5 minutes. Add 4 cups water, daikon, ¼ cup fish sauce, lemon juice, and tamarind mixture to pot and stir to combine, scraping up any browned bits.
- Add ribs and press below surface of liquid. Bring to boil. Reduce heat to medium-low; cover; and cook at vigorous simmer, stirring occasionally, until ribs are fork-tender, 1½ hours to 1¾ hours.
- Meanwhile, combine remaining ¼ cup fish sauce with remaining 1 Thai chile in bowl. Divide sauce evenly among 4 to 6 small ramekins; set aside.
- Stir green beans and eggplant into stew and increase heat to medium. Cook, uncovered, until vegetables are tender, stirring occasionally to keep vegetables submerged in liquid, about 15 minutes. Off heat, season with salt to taste.
- To serve, portion stew among 4 to 6 shallow bowls and portion rice onto 4 to 6 plates. Transfer portions of stew to plates with rice. Serve each portion with individual ramekins of reserved sauce, spooning small amounts over mixture before each bite.
Gift This Recipe
Enjoyed this dish? Let others know by sharing it as a gift recipe.
More Like This
Keep Exploring
0 Comments