How To Cook The Best Pork Asado Recipe

Pork Asado, otherwise known as Asadong Baboy, is one of the most special recipes commonly prepared when we have festivities, parties, or even special occasions and gatherings such as family reunions, birthdays, Christmas, or New Year. It is a favorite for many, especially Filipinos, because it's a sweet taste with a distinct and one-of-a-kind flavor. Who wouldn't love this recipe? Since it is versatile, it can be paired up with many other food varieties and is easy to style and experiment with different ingredients! 

The recipe is famous and a favorite in Chinese Fast Food Restaurants. Don't worry, though, as the recipe is one of the simplest and easiest recipes to cook. This article will share with you easy steps and procedures on how to prepare Asadong Baboy.

It is easy to do because most of the cooking styles of this recipe are simple steps. Marinating the meat with the added herbs and seasonings is the key to making this recipe successful. Of course, everyone loves everything that is tender and soft; that's why this recipe is one of the most loved recipes as it ensures that the meat is appropriately boiled, so it's tender, easy to bite, and juicy as is.

Most especially if you love to eat food with an oriental touch, recipes like this one would be the perfect one for you because of the unique herbs added to this dish, making it different from the usual recipes.

As we go on this article, you will see more variations and ways to cook Asadong Baboy. An addition of a new ingredient can bring excellent benefits and can transform the recipe into more savory.

This is just the beginning of a fun-filled and informative sharing and improving the recipes that you can enjoy with your whole family, Barkada (friends), and loved ones that you've wanted to cook for a long time. This is now your chance and time to do so for them to enjoy. What are you waiting for? Unleash your inner talent in cooking, and let's both learn how to make the Best Pork Asado. Let's do this!

---

What is the Best Pork Asado

Asadong Baboy is a recipe introduced by the people of China. It is from the dish named "Char Siu," which is a popular way to flavor barbecue meat. But in comparison to this dish, Asadong Baboy is always braised and not grilled or toasted. 

It is known for its distinctive sweet taste that we highly appreciate and love. Remembering to have many versions with different kinds of meat such as chicken and beef, they are not the same as having distinct and contrasting ingredients and preparation methods. It is very similar to Humba's dish and resembles Pork Hamonado because they are both sweet. However, Hamonado uses different ingredients and is one of the native recipes. 

It is composed of key ingredients that resemble the Chinese touch. It's the five-spice powder that makes it different from other Asado recipes. It is a mixture of five species: star anise, cloves, Chinese cinnamon, Sichuan pepper, and fennel seeds, mainly used in most Asian cuisines and delicacies.

We love to create and invent different varieties of food. Filipino Asadong Baboy is just like the regularly known Asado without the special five-spice powder ingredient. Here are the ingredients to be used to have that classic perfect Filipino style Pork Asado: 

• As pork is the essential ingredient, choose the fresh meat you can find in the markets near you. Pork is an excellent source of protein and provides unique vitamins and minerals that are key to a healthy, balanced diet.

• Soy sauce, being part of the ingredients in making this recipe, is a source of vitamin B3. Despite having a high sodium content, it can still be enjoyed as part of a healthy diet since it has free amino acids and sources of certain minerals such as iron, phosphorus, and manganese. Soy sauce is always a great idea to brighten up recipes and add a bit of saltiness. It is usually used in marinating different kinds of meat.

• White wine is essential as a marinade ingredient to transform the recipe into a much more savory meal. Its addition intensifies, enhances, and accentuates the aroma of food. It is known to improve heart health and may prevent heart diseases. Just like red wine, white wines actually can help in improving cholesterol levels as well.

• Water is added to thicken the mixture made with the condiments used in marinating the pork meat.

• Lastly, brown sugar, minced garlic, salt, and black pepper are added to the ingredients' shortlist to achieve the perfect Asadong Baboy.

The ingredients are easy to cook, and the list is readily available in the markets and groceries around your area. So this is one of the many recipes you should not miss to try and indulge in.

---

Five-Spice and Its Benefits for Pork Asado Recipes

Since Asado is one of the recipes with distinct characteristics because of the mixed ingredients, it is logical to talk about their benefits.

Flavorful Asado with Chinese Cinnamon Recipe 

Cinnamon is an antimicrobial agent known as an anti-inflammatory and can help prevent blood clots and help prevent stroke and heart attack.

Top Benefits of Cloves

Cloves, aromatic flower buds, are believed to be an antioxidant anti-inflammatory and antiseptic. Furthermore, it provides vitamin A and boosts digestive enzymes' secretion, which results in improved digestion.

Cook with Fennel Seed 

Fennel Seed has essential oils such as limonene and pinene, that help improve one's health. It is a source of antioxidants and dietary fiber as well.

Star Anise and its Healthy Qualities

Star Anise originated in Southern China. It has a plant-based compound called shikimic acid. Shikimic acid is believed to improve the immune system as long as it's combined with quercetin.

Recipes with Sichuan pepper 

Sichuan pepper is a source of essential oils, antioxidants, and minerals. It increases the secretion of gastrointestinal juices and enzymes, which results in a boost in your digestion. 

---

Asadong Baboy with Pineapple Extract Recipes

Bringing twists and transforming different recipes is what we love to do. Also, experimenting sometimes leads us to more significant outcomes. So don't hesitate to try adding other ingredients or condiments to your recipes, giving them twists because you may be the next creator of immensely magnificent and superb recipes.

Pineapple extract, known for being a good vitamin C source, can be mixed and cooked in our Asadong Baboy and is known for being nutritious because of its many excellent benefits that help our body, such as detoxifying, promoting healthy digestion, and perfecting the heart's vision and fit. Not only is it beneficial and good for the body, but it transforms our recipe into more savory. Even though we don't live in Hawaii, this is one of the recipes where we can experience a Hawaiian touch since we're from a tropical country where pineapples are abundant. 

In creating Filipino-style Pork Asado with pineapple extract, the same ingredients are used in cooking with pineapple extract. Pineapple extract is excellent to use for giving delicious twists and in marinating different meat. Do you want your Asadong Baboy to have outstanding tender and juicy meat? The pineapple's enzymes help make your meat perfectly tender. Pineapple extract turns your delicious meal even more healthy. 

Pampanga's Recipes

One of the undeniable facts about the Kapampangan people is that they are renowned for their extraordinary ability and talent in terms of culinary arts. Also, it is not new to us that the Kapampangan people have an innate relationship with food. Thus, we shall look at the ways in which they prepare and create Asadong Baboy. 

To pull this, you will need oil, water, potatoes, pork shoulder, garlic, onion, tomato sauce, lemon extract, soy sauce, oregano, peppercorn, liver spread, and grated cheese. 

To start with, heat the pan with oil and fry the potatoes until they turn brown. After that, remove from the oil and set aside. This time, sear the pork shoulder until it turns brown, then remove and set aside. Saute the garlic and onion plus mix the tomato sauce, lemon extract, and soy sauce. After sauteing, put the oregano, peppercorn, and pork and cook it for 120 seconds. Afterward, put water and let it boil. Once it's already boiling, switch to slow-fire and cover the utensil. Let simmer the pork until it's tender. This may take around an hour. After an hour, put the liver spread and grated cheese and simmer for another 360 seconds.

---

Troubleshooting

Even experienced chefs who are known experts in this field sometimes commit mistakes too. I know you feel a bit bad about yourself when making unexpected and undesired faults. But you don't need to worry because we are here to offer you a quick remedy and turn your recipes into a perfect ones despite these instances you will maybe experience.

• Given that our dish is composed of a few ingredients only, it is easy to remedy when you commit unavoidable mistakes.

• Mistakes in putting too much soy sauce or salt can turn the food. To be too salty. Water is the ultimate remedy. Put the right amount of measured water you think will solve your problem. 

• A pinch of sugar will help and not harm your finished product to adjust its level of sweetness. Then all will be right and perfect.

---

Trivia

Did you know that this is one of the recipes that manifest the east and west meeting? On the one hand, Pork Asado is derived from the siopao (pork buns) filling paired with dim sums like Siomai. On the other hand, the term Asado is derived from the Spanish "asar," which means to grill. For example, in Argentina, for them, Asado is a barbecue.

---

Tips

For excellent results for your Asadong Baboy, here are some tips to help you. 

• If you are not in a hurry and are preparing for a special event like your cousin's wedding and may it be for anticipated gatherings such as a family reunion and Christmas, marinate your meat overnight. Marinating it overnight will surely turn your meat into a much more savory and tasty dish.

• Let the meat rest before slicing. It is crucial because it lets the meat retain the juices. The meat's temperature must be even-out to correctly cut, so it will be easier for you to achieve the desired cut. Usually, meat must be allowed to rest for 15 to 20 minutes before slicing.

• To avoid undercooking or overcooking, check every once in a while. You will never know you might be needing to pour more water to have your meat tender and juicy.

• Remember that the sauce should not be gravy-like; instead, it should be a little dry and saucy. 

• Don't overdo the addition of soy sauce when marinating the pork in the mixture, do not harm and exaggerate the recipe's saltiness. Only use the right amount for what you prepared to lessen the wasting of some of the ingredients you will be using.

• Usually, Asadong Baboy sauce is watery, but If you want a thicker sauce that will make it more savory, cornstarch may be used. Just dissolve it in water before putting it in your Asadong Baboy.

• The sweetness of Asadong Baboy might be too much for others. Thus, the pineapple's sourness gives balance to it. Just buy fresh pineapple and slice it into chunks, then, that's it.

---

Best Served With

Asadong Baboy is very versatile and adaptable, leaving it to be a superb pair for other food. We collated some of the food we think can be partnered with the delicious Asadong Baboy.

• Warm rice - we don't know who doesn't love rice and what happiness it can bring us and to our belly. Asadong Baboy is the ultimate topper for your hot steamed rice.

• Chili sauce - a bit of chilliness won't hurt you. The presence of chili sauce in our Asadong Baboy will bring excitement and appetite while enjoying it, may it be for lunch or any meal of the day. 

• Sinigang soup - given that our dish does not have enough sauce to put in our rice and leave it dry, it will be perfect to be paired up with a bowl of Sinigang soup.

• Fried fish - if you are the kind who is very cautious about your diet, fried fish will balance it, giving you vitamins and omega-3 fatty acids that are beneficial for the heart and enough protein from the meat.

• Paksiw na Bangus- with our pork Pasado's sweetness, a pair of Paksiw na Bangus will complement each other's flavors, given that it is sour in contrast to its sweetness. 

• Siopao - Asadong Baboy in siopao is not new to us, but who would disagree that it is the most excellent stuffing any siopao would ever have, right? A bottle of soft drink will complete your snack.

---

Conclusion

We've now come to an end, thanks to this recipe, because you now know how to prepare Asadong Baboy without waiting for someone else's birthday or any other celebration. Don't complicate life. Try this delicious meal you can cook for yourself. It is never too late to learn and unleash the inner master chef in you. 

Preparing an Asadong Baboy at home will let you save money instead of going to restaurants when your cravings hit you suddenly. It will also help you improve your culinary skills and, at the same time, let you enjoy the moment while making Asadong Baboy. 

So, I guess I know what you will be making for tomorrow. Don't wait for the festivities to come for you to satisfy your cravings. Create it now and enjoy it in every way possible. 

Bon appetit!

For more delicious recipe, visit Eat Like Pinoy!

Recipe