One of the best dishes the Ilocano cuisine has to offer! Ilocano Igado is Filipino pork recipe prepared with pork liver, pork meat and other offal cooked with green peas, red capsicum, ginger, onion and garlic in vinegar.
I had been making my Igado wrong but no one did ever complained when I serve them or bring them on potluck parties. I am not sure how I came about making them but even though it is not a traditional Ilocano Igado, people still do like them. One of the main ingredients I used before which I realised was never used on the real igado was raisins and green bell pepper, it gives a nice sweet contrast to the sour dish, it also adds an additional texture and those raisins soaks a lot of flavour so when you have one, it gives a nice burst of wonderful flavours. Today I am making Igado how my Ilocano friends do it at their home, flavours are quite different as it does not have that sweet taste, it also does not have the green pepper flavour otherwise it is quite good but in a different way. I also did not add additional ingredients which I see once in a while like potatoes, carrots and/or radish, usually this is added to extend the dish to feed more people, I only used mainly meats and offal together with red capsicum and green peas which I never ever saw omitted on the many varieties I saw.
Ilocano Igado is Filipino pork recipe prepared with pork liver, pork meat and other offal cooked with green peas, red capsicum, ginger, onion and garlic in vinegar.
Add and brown the pork belly and heart in high heat.
Pour vinegar and soy sauce, add the peppercorns and bay leaves bring to a boil and simmer for 25 minutes in medium heat uncovered, let the liquid reduce and thicken.
Drain the liquid from the liver. Set aside.
Add red capsicum, green peas and liver, simmer for additional 5 minutes.
Adjust flavour with water, if necessary, flavour with fish sauce. Serve with freshly cracked peppercorns.
This looks good. An interesting mix of ingredients! I just saw Jacques Pepin peel a green pepper. I don’t particularly like green ones, so maybe I need to try that!
I am absolutely sure I would like your “incorrect” version, Raymund! I love offal but it is hard to get in the U.S. – maybe the new butcher in town will have these items!
Sometimes it is good to tweak the recipes a bit to suit the local taste buds. That is why people always say that KFC here is nicer than other countries – that little bit extra has done wonders, it seems!
this certainly sounds … interesting 🙂
As long as it’s delicious, what’s there to complain about :-)) This looks right up my alley with pork belly, liver and heart.
This looks good. An interesting mix of ingredients! I just saw Jacques Pepin peel a green pepper. I don’t particularly like green ones, so maybe I need to try that!
I am not a fan of offal, but this stew looks great. The vinegar must make it unique. I like your idea of adding raisins.
I am absolutely sure I would like your “incorrect” version, Raymund! I love offal but it is hard to get in the U.S. – maybe the new butcher in town will have these items!
Sometimes it is good to tweak the recipes a bit to suit the local taste buds. That is why people always say that KFC here is nicer than other countries – that little bit extra has done wonders, it seems!
Trying this for first time for my African friends
Hope they like it