Chicken-pork menudo by Lolo Jose

"After a good dinner one can forgive anybody, even one's own relatives."  - Oscar Wilde

This is a well-loved recipe in my family.  I mean from childhood, growing up.  This is a staple in all the special occasion dinners and lunches.  I cannot recall any Christmas dinner/lunch, New Year, birthday, anniversary, picnic, or any other event that required eating, where the table is set without this dish.  If its not in the menu, everyone will be asking – where is the menudo?  It has become a traditional dish. A recipe originally from my grandmother, passed on and shared to my father.  I believe it tastes good because of the way my father prepares it. He always puts so much enthusiasm and passion, even though its just one dish.  He’d be up early to go the market and buy his ingredients.  Starting in the kitchen early, cutting and dicing, and preparing his mise en place, as if in a commercial kitchen. 

I have sent this recipe on to share with the City of Ryde Council’s project Eat History.  And even though its an easy dish, I have never ever tried to make it until the time I decided and chose to share the recipe through for the project.  

 

Ingredients

750g pork neck, cut into small cubes/chunks

750g chicken breast fillet, cut into small cubes/chunks

2 medium sized carrots, diced

2 medium sized potatoes, diced

2 medium sized tomatoes, diced

3 cloves garlic, finely diced

1 medium size onion, diced

1 medium or ½ large red capsicum, diced

1 medium or ½ large green capsicum, diced

2 boxes 40g raisins or sultanas

5 tbsp dark soy sauce

½ cup water

2 dry bay leaves

2 tbsp vegetable oil

Salt and pepper to taste

Heat a large skillet or pan and pour in vegetable oil.  Sauté the onions first then garlic and cook until soft.  Add the tomatoes and stir in the pan for 2-3 minutes.  

 

Add the meat (pork and chicken) and soy sauce.  Stir and continue to cook until  the pork and chicken has been seared or browned.  

Crumble the dry bay leaves over the pan and stir,  making sure the meat is evenly scattered in the pan.  Bring to a boil then turn down to medium heat.  Let it simmer for 20-25 minutes or until the meat is soft and almost done.  

Add the potatoes and carrots and the half cup water.  Stir and return to simmer for another 10 minutes. 

Add the capsicums and stir to mix all the meat and vegetables together.  Simmer for another 10 minutes, then turn off heat. Serve with rice or crusty bread. 

This was also a part of our Christmas in July  celebration last weekend, where sister prepared and cooked it for our feast.  A tradition that we want to continue, now that we know how easy it is to prepare it.

 

PS - Lolo is grandfather in Filipino, nonno in Italian, and so on....