LKP's Quarantine Cooking: Creamy Pork Ribs Caldereta

What's up Pips of Steem?

The Covid-19 pandemic brought good and bad things (mostly the latter) to everyone of us. But if you think of it we're still very lucky. The fact the I'm writing this entry for my blog and you're reading it is enough to prove that we're lucky to be alive in these trying times.

Anyway, this will be going too dramatic if we continue to talk like this. I've been writing reviews recently about the webtoons that I read but now is the time to do something different. Since the quarantine period started 3 months ago, I am regularly assigned to the kitchen as our family's cook. Heck yeah! For today let me share you one of those dishes. It's called Caldereta. It's a saucy stew that can be made using different meat like beef, pork and chicken. I even saw someone tried to do a fish version but for today let's stick with pork. Let's go!

For the ingredients you'll need these things below.

1 kilo Pork Ribs
200-250 mL Tomato Sauce
2 Onions (Chopped)
1 head garlic (Crushed and Minced)
Potatoes
Carrots
Bell peppers
2-3 tbsp peanut butter
Small packet of cheese
2-3 tbsp pickles
Ginisa Seasoning (Optional)
Red and Green Chilies
Liver Spread
2 tbsp soy sauce
Salt and Pepper

I already went to 5 stores here in our the vicinity but couldn't find liver spread. The hell with liver spread! Actually many other supplies are still out of stock because of checkpoints due to quarantine. I couldn't even buy Yakult these days. The spread could have made the dish more flavorful and creamy. Anyways, let's move on.

Step 1. Wash the vegetables thoroughly in running water. We don't want anything unnecessary things added (like soil, dirt dragons etc.). Slice it into cubes, according to your preferred size. Chop onions and garlic.

Step 2. Turn the stove to medium heat. Add oil to the pan wait until it is hot enough. Add the carrots. After 1 or minutes add the potatoes. Wait until the sides are cooked then add the bell peppers. Season the vegetables with salt. Take it out of the pan and set it aside.

Step 3. Turn the stove to high heat. Saute the onions and garlic. Put the pork ribs and mix well. Add 2 tbsp of soy sauce. Let the fat from the ribs render then add the tomato sauce. Mix well and wait until a decent amount of oil comes out from the ribs. Add hot water, turn stove to low medium heat. Cover the pan or pot for 45 minutes or until the meat is tender enough.

Step 4. After the meat is or nearly tender enough add the spices. Add 2 tbsp. of pickles, liver spread, salt and pepper, cheese and the peanut butter. In this recipe forgot to buy the fresh red chilies so I improvise and instead added the chilies from my homemade chili-garlic oil. Cook for another 20 minutes or until the flavors are incorporated really well. Add the vegetables and the green chilies. Since, the potatoes, carrots and bell peppers are already cooked just mix and wait for a few minutes until the veggies are coated by that thick sauce.

Step 5. Serve and enjoy.

And that's it. Thanks for reading this food blog. Have a nice day! I wish all the best for you and your family. Always stay safe and healthy. God bless.

~ LKP