How to Cook the Best Binagoongang Baboy Recipes (Pork with Shrimp Paste)

Since time immemorial, Filipinos have been in love with pork dishes. The majority of our dishes would usually have pork in them. Even our celebrations and special occasions are marked with them. 

And how we make them and the ingredients included in these recipes are also unique and can be considered genuine Pinoy cuisines. One of which is our featured recipe for this article that uses a genuinely ubiquitous Asian condiment, the bagoong alamang, or shrimp paste. This fermented condiment made of tiny shrimps is often used as a dipping sauce for various saucy dishes. 

I know that you are curious about what dish we are about to share with you in this article, so let us not prolong the introduction. And let's go straight ahead in sharing with you the things you need to know in making the Binagoongang Baboy, a unique Pinoy dish that is sure to win your picky palates.

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What is Binagoongang Baboy (Shrimp paste)

Since time immemorial, Filipinos have been in love with pork dishes. The majority of our dishes would usually have pork in them. Even our celebrations and special occasions are marked with them. 

And how we make them and the ingredients included in these recipes are also unique and can be considered genuine Pinoy cuisines. One of which is our featured recipe for this article that uses a genuinely ubiquitous Asian condiment, the bagoong alamang, or shrimp paste. This fermented condiment made of tiny shrimps is often used as a dipping sauce for various saucy dishes. 

I know that you are curious about what dish we are about to share with you in this article, so let us not prolong the introduction. And let's go straight ahead in sharing with you the things you need to know in making the Binagoongang Baboy, a unique Pinoy dish that is sure to win your picky palates.

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Ways to Cook Binagoongang Baboy Recipe (Shrimp paste)

As it has been a staple food in an experienced Filipino home's arsenal, there are a few proven ways of making this dish at home. So to give you the idea and grip, we have listed down some of them to guide you in your journey of perfecting this classic Filipino dish. And find out which one perfect work for you

Stovetop

Probably the easiest and the go-to method of cooking our recipes. You can use any cooking pot or pan that you prefer. But I would suggest using a saucepan as you would need to tenderize the pork, so the cookware needs to hold a certain amount of liquid. 

Follow the cooking steps, as indicated in the dish. Make sure to caramelize the onions first before adding in the pork cuts for that hint of sweetness. Then proceed as indicated. The addition of broth to the mixture is also suggested, just enough to tenderize the pork meat until they are cooked through. 

This method is pretty straightforward and does not need any fancy cookware. So you don't have to worry about not having this modern cooking appliance displayed at shopping malls. 

Bagoong in Clay Pot

A traditional cooking approach for our recipes, a method handed down by our grandmothers, is sure to make you regretful for days gone by. Clay pot cooking even predates the Colonial period, as history suggests that our ancestors have been utilizing clay pots even before the colonizers came to our shores. 

The cooking process is the same in the recipes; the only significant difference is using a clay pot. You can use your gas stove for cooking, or if you have a charcoal stove, that is even great. The slower cooking time enables the pot to draw out all the flavors from the ingredients. 

Clay pots are excellent cookware as they can retain heat greater and distribute heat across its surface just the same. The heat also travels and circulates greater because of the porous surface of the pot. 

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Other Delicious Variants of Pork Binagoongan (Shrimp paste) Recipes

Few other variations can be made for this classic Pinoy dish. Regional variants have also been made for this binagoongan baboy that suited the folks' palates from which these variants came from. To begin with, we listed some of these variants that you can begin experimenting with. 

Binagoongan Baboy Kapampangan style

The province of Pampanga is dubbed as our nation's "Culinary Capital" because of the many savory dishes that originated from this agricultural province, many of which are handed down from a generation of cooks trained by Spanish friars. Many of their recipes are of global renown, such as their famous Sisig and Tocino. 

Their version of our recipes is called Begukan Babi in their dialect. The ingredients are the same as the original recipes. And the cooking process does not stray too far from the original except for one. 

The original dish is somehow on the saucy side, but the Kapampangan version is different in that aspect. They like to have their pork deep-fried and crispy. This way, the saltiness of the does not overshadow the taste of the pork with bagoong. 

crispy pork binagoongan

This variant is somewhat similar to the Kapampangan because instead of incorporating the meat to the sauce until it is cooked, the pork belly or pork cuts are cooked separately. You can either air fry the pork belly after boiling them in salt and water or deep fry them until they are crispy. 

The sauce is then cooked separately from the pork belly and is then served as a topping for the crispy cuts. This way, the sauce does not soak the pork cuts for too long, ensuring that they complement each other and not the other way around. 

with ampalaya

The typical Pork Binagoongan dish does not include vegetables in its list of ingredients. But few others prefer to have some to their variants. The reason for this is to add flavors and texture to the dish. It also helps in neutralizing the saltiness of the shrimp sauce. 

The process of cooking this variant is the same as the original recipe. The only differing factor is the addition of ampalaya or bitter melon. To make sure that the bitter melon does not overpower the flavor, cook them halfway through. 

Adding ampalaya to this dish balances out the salty characteristics of the dish. And the added texture of the vegetables makes the word even greater. 

with gata

 One can never go wrong with coconut milk or gata when cooking. The creamy, rich, and slightly sweet flavor it gives is sure to make your mouth water just by thinking about it. For that reason, adding it to our recipes is sure to make our dish greater. 

The coconut milk is added onto the mixture after everything has been sauteed adequately. Simmer the mixture until the sauce is thickened slightly, and the coconut milk starts to oil up. 

The coconut milk neutralizes the sharp and salty taste of the shrimp sauce. The tamed down the saltiness of the dish highlights the flavor of each component. 

with talong

Of all the variants that we have listed down so far, this particular one tops of the rank in terms of popularity. It has been considered a basic part of the dish that even cooks and chefs include in the list of ingredients as if Eggplant has been there since its inception. 

The steps in cooking are the same as the original recipe. Sautee the ingredients as indicated, making sure that they are cooked adequately. Then the eggplants are sliced in half, then pan-fried until it changes in color and becomes a bit tender. 

Eggplants help balance out the sauce's salty characteristics, and the vegetable's bland taste becomes a perfect canvass for the sauce. 

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Trivia 

To make cooking even more fun, we have included dew fun facts about this dish, which will make you appreciate the dish even more. 

Bagoong alamang is a widely known condiment in our country. Each region in the Philippines has its version: ranging from the usual shrimps up to small varieties of fishes used for the paste. 

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Troubleshooting 

In experiencing trouble when cooking this dish, we have also included some tips to help in troubleshooting your kitchen dilemma. 

• Adding too much shrimp sauce can produce an overly salty sauce. To correct this, a sprinkle of calamansi juice can do the trick. 
• If the sauce is dried out, adding water mixed with vinegar can rehydrate the sauce. 

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Tips for cooking Pork With Shrimp paste

We also listed some cooking tips in this article, which will help you perfect Baboy with shrimp sauce and information to help you become a better home cook. 

• Add a tablespoon of sugar to the sauce to bring out all the flavors of the ingredients. 
• Frying the pork belly for a bit will help in bringing out the natural flavors of the meat. 

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Best Served With 

As we have mentioned, this dish cannot be eaten on its own because of its salty flavor, and therefore, it needs to be eaten with something else for you to enjoy its goodness.  

• Chicken Hamonado- The sweet and tangy sauce of the hamonado is the perfect contrast for our featured dish's salty and rich taste. They balance each other's flavor without overpowering anything. 

• Taco Fried Rice- Our menu is traditionally eaten with steamed white rice. But this time, why not pair it with a more flavorful rice recipe. The explosion of flavors is sure to bring joy in each spoonful. 

• Chicken Potato Salad- The surest way to balance out our recipe's saltiness is to pair with a dish that will mask that strong flavor profile. What can be a more suitable dish than a rich and creamy bowl of chicken and potato salad? 

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Conclusion

The classic and authentic cuisine of whatever culture it might have come from doesn't have to be an impossible task to accomplish. One only needs to have the right information and guide to replicate that recipe. And with all the information we have shared with you, we are sure that you will now be able to cook our menu without breaking too much sweat. 

So until next time and happy cooking! 

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