Last New Year's Eve, I decided to cook pastel for the very first time. It didn't turn out as good as I hope it would. So I decided to move on and forget about it. There are things in life better left unremembered. But just like any other hard headed, good looking, desperate, and talented millenial, I never learn. So I decided to recreate this heart breaking dish. And thank the old gods and the new gods, for this time, my efforts were not in vain.
Pork Pastel has many variations. What I will be sharing with you guys is the simplest form. With ingredients that can be easily found at your local grocer. This is perfect if you want to make something new for the upcoming Christmas and New Year's eve. Surprise your family and tell them its Pork Pastel. If ask you to explain it, just say its a white Menudo. Let's star!
Ingredients
1 kilo of Pork Tenderloin
- this cut of pork is pure meat. It usually comes in big strips or slabs. You can ask them to cut it for you a la menudo. If you're not familiar with menudo cute, its cutting the meat into small cubes. Don't cut it too small, otherwise, it will turn into ground meat. Funny joke.
1 big can of Evaporated Milk
2 pieces each of Carrots and Potatoes
2 pieces of Bell Pepper
- for added color, you can use one green and one red.
1 can of Young Corn
1 can of Green Peas
1 can of Vienna Sausage
Cheese
- it depends how much cheese you want. What I had was 4 packs of Eden cheese, the one you see in sari-sari stores. Roughly, its equivalent to half of the cheese that comes in a small box. If you want to add more, please remember you are making Pork Pastel, not Lasagna.
Corn Starch Slurry
- this is just for thickening. It depends how much of this you want in your Pastel. Just mix cornstarch with water.
3 cloves of Garlic and an Onion
Instructions
1. Wash your ingredients, utensils, and your hands. Also clean your workplace (kitchen). Aside from our dish being delicious, we also want it to be sanitary. Salmonella is not on the ingredients list.
3. Your have a good eye if you noticed I skipped number two. Also, be worried about OCD.
2. Since you have your meat already cut into cubes, you might want your vegetables to follow suit. Or as always, cut it however you want. Dodecagon the shit out of your veggies for all I care.
4. Good eye. In a clean pot, sautè your garlic and onion until cooked. Add the meat and stir until meat turns brown. Add a dash of fish sauce is you have any. If not, season with salt and pepper, then simmer for 3 minutes.
5. Add your vegetables and stir. Add just enough water to cover the meat and veggies. Allow to simmer, and wait until the veggies are cooked.
6. Once the veggies are cooked, pour the entire can of milk. You can include the can if you want a little crunch. Simmer for 5 minutes.
7. Add the cheese. You can grate it or cut it in cubes, your choice. Just stir it in the mixture, then add your cornstarch slurry.
8. Season again with salt and pepper, depending on your desired taste. Allow the cheese to melt a bit and your done.
There you have it guys! Congratulations on making your own Cheesy and Creamy Pork Pastel. If you are having troubles following my instructions, I don't care. There is no recipe for a better comprehension. On a serious note, you can search Youtube for porn uhmm, videos of people cooking Pastel. Also, there are varieties of ingredients you can add, other than what I have listed. The good thing about cooking is your not limited by a recipe. Its a guide, not a policy. Bend it.
Thanks again for visiting, 'til our next cooking session!
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