Some of the best foods I've tried were made from just a few ingredients.
This has got to be one of them. When we were living in the big house, we had a whole family providing us with home services, from kitchen, laundry, garden and cleaning service throughout the house. Fe was married to Pedro and they had 3 children. Two cousins lived with them providing additional help.
One of the simple dishes she would whip up could be prepared in 20 mins flat. This is my version using less fatty portion of pork.
I prefer the Butterfly cut or Pork slices they offer in Rustan's. Cut diagonally to produce a thin fillet, it cooks quickly and you don't lose much bulk to cooking plus it's not too fatty a portion.
250 gms. Pork cutlet sliced diagonally to come up with a small fillet about the size of sliced radish. you want 1/2 hte number of fillets as slices of radish.
1 whole local radish, peeled and sliced like coins
1 small onion chopped
3 cloves garlic crushed and chopped
1 medium local tomato sliced
1 tbsp. patis
water to simmer in
Start with sauteeing the onions, garlic and tomato over a low flame in a medium fry pan. You just want to allow the ginisa to wilt and turn translucent.
As it starts turning lightly orange because of the tomato breaking down, add 1/2 cup of water and allow to boil.
With your spoon or spatula press down on the tomatoes to crush them slightly
Now add your radish slices distributing them evenly in the pan, follow this with the pork slices evenly as well, several grinds of a pepper mill and allow to boil. Now add your tablespoon of Patis and stir gently.
Press down on the tomatoes again to squeeze the color out of them then lower the flame. As the mixture starts to simmer down, cover and allow to simmer over a low flame for 10 mins. Check that the tomatoes are crushed and the liquid has turned slightly orange.
You want the liquid to reduce to a bit more watery consistency - almost like a soup that's ever so slightly thick.
Turn into a plate that can hold the liquid and serve hot.
Lots of hot white rice goes very well with this.
Maybe even a cold Sauvignon Blanc, in its absence, beer will do
A collection of food. Good Food. The kind you would never ever get in a restaurant. Just something that your mother used to make that will never find its match anywhere, or maybe a personal creation that was inspired by someone else. Whatever it is, it deserves to be served. After all, when you're preparing something to eat, you should be thinking about who you'll be eating with.
