Have you ever combined ketchup with pineapple juice for meat marinade? Have you ever added grated cheese to meat stew? No? You should.
Salty, tangy and subtly sweet succulent meat wading in a thick creamy sauce. It’s just so hard to write a description that will give justice to the flavors of this cold weather dish. Suffice to say that it’s better eaten than talked about.
The usual questions that go through the head of food blog readers… Does it have to be ribs? No. Belly or butt will be good too. Just make sure not to use a lean cut like tenderloin.
And the vegetables? Are potatoes a must? No. Use carrots or sweet potatoes, or both. Bell peppers will be a good addition too.
Cheesy Pork Ribs Stew
Inspired by a Filipino dish called sinantomas, this cheesy pork ribs stew will redefine your cold weather cooking. Not a fan of pork? Substitute beef, lamb or chicken.
Ingredients
Pork
- 1 kilogram pork ribs chopped through the bone into two-inch pieces
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
- ½ cup unsweetened pineapple juice
- ¼ cup ketchup
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
Stew
- 3 tablespoons olive oil not extra virgin
- 2 medium potatoes peeled and cut into one-inch cubes
- 2 medium onions peeled and diced
- ¼ teaspoon ground oregano
- 1 teaspoon minced garlic
- salt
- ground black pepper
- 1 can crushed tomatoes about a cup and a half
- 2 bay leaves
- ½ cup sweet peas frozen is okay; there is no need to thaw
- 1 cup grated cheese a combination of sharp cheddar and Monterey Jack was used here
Instructions
- Place the pork ribs in a bowl.
- Add the soy sauce, Worcestershire sauce, pineapple juice, ketchup and pepper. Mix well.
- Transfer to a container, cover and marinate in the fridge overnight.
- Heat the olive oil in a pan.
- Brown the potatoes in the hot oil then scoop out and set aside.
- In the remaining oil, sautee the onion with the oregano for half a minute.
- Add the garlic and continue sauteeing for another half a minute.
- Turn up the heat to high, add the porb ribs with the marinade and cook, stirring, until the meat has lost its raw appearance.
- Sprinkle in a teaspoon of salt and a quarter teaspoon of pepper.
- Turn down the heat to medium-high and continue cooking the meat, stirring often, until almost dry.
- Add the crushed tomatoes and pour in a cup of water. Stir.
- Turn down the heat to low, cover the pan and simmer the pork until tender. Check the liquid once in a while. If it dries up before the pork is done, add more water, no more than a quarter cup at a time.
- When the pork is tender, stir in the potatoes and peas.
- Cover the pan once more and continue cooking until the potatoes are done.
- Turn off the heat and stir in the grated cheese.
- When the cheese has melted (the sauce will lighten in color), taste and adjust the seasonings, if needed.
- Serve your cheesy pork ribs stew with rice or crusty bread.
Fruit and Nut Pilaf
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