Sweet and Garlicky Pork Longganiza (Sweet & Garlicky Filipino Pork Sausage)

Living in another country has been good so far. I am enjoying how different the food product choices here in New Zealand are, compared to what we have in the Philippines. However, sometimes, I do crave for Filipino food, some of which I can actually buy from the Filipino store near our house. It is very convenient to have the shop so near me, but I still find it a bit expensive. One day, I was craving for longganiza. I realized I actually had all the ingredients at home, so I decided to make my own. I looked for recipes online and just decided to play around as usual. 😁

Pork longganiza is a pork sausage made of ground pork, spices and herbs (optional) that is one of the staple breakfast food in the Philippines. I like mine sweet and super garlicky. 

So here is how I made mine. It is pretty easy.

pork mixture

divide into portions

use baking paper to wrap each portion and mold them into logs

pinching it with your fingers helps

final product

cooking in water with oil

halfway there

left on was fried in oil while the right one was cooked in water with oil

SWEET AND GARLICKY PORK LONGGANIZA
Makes 6 pcs (5 inches) logs


INGREDIENTS:

• 250 g           ground pork 
•   30 g           brown sugar
•   30 g           garlic, minced
•   10 g           soy sauce
•     5 g           vinegar
•  3/4 tsp        fine salt
• 3/4 tsp         ground black pepper
•     7 g           water
•     3 g           cornstarch
•     2 drops    red gel food colouring

PROCEDURE:

1. Mix the ground pork, brown sugar, garlic, soy sauce, vinegar, salt and pepper together.
2. On a separate bowl, mix water and cornstarch together. Add to the pork mixture.
3. Add red gel food colouring.
4. Mix for as long as you can or until all ingredients have been mixed well with each other.
5. Divide into portions. It would be better if you weigh the entire mixture first and then divide evenly.
6. Form each portion into a log using a baking paper.
7. Freeze before cooking. If you are too hungry, you may just continue cooking. Although, be very careful as it will tend to disintegrate.
8. When cooking, you have two options. You may either fry in oil or cook in water (just enough to cover half the longganiza) first and then add oil when the water is about to fully evaporate. You can also opt to mix the oil to the water. Whichever you prefer.

NOTES:

• You may add as many garlic as you want. You may also add other spices and herbs. Feel free to experiment based on how you want it to taste like. 
• You may make the logs as big or as small as you like.
• I have tried cooking both by frying in oil and cooking in water with oil. I prefer the water and oil cooking because it leaves the longganiza moist inside. 
• Be careful not to overcook, the sugar in it easily burns. It is a pin to wash it off the pan. 😖 
• Enjoy!

Mushroom Risotto with Truffle

Mushroom risotto is one of my favourite rice dishes! I remember liking the one they had at UCC Cafe in Manila before. I also liked the one that Stella (BGC) had but the restaurant already closed unfortunately. Another one of the good ones was in a restaurant in City of Dreams before but then, again, that one had closed already. I used to think that it was a very hard dish to make. It turns out that I was wrong. It is so easy to do but you have to keep an eye on it while cooking. This recipe has mushrooms and a bit of truffle oil. Feel free to add real truffle mushrooms if you can get them. I will also leave some pointers down below. 

food prep

onions and garlic

toasting the Arborio rice

almost there

mushroom risotto with truffle

MUSHROOM RISOTTO WITH TRUFFLE

Serves 2

INGREDIENTS:

• 500 mL     chicken stock
• 177 mL     water
• 150 g        dried mushrooms
• 25 mL       white wine
• 30 g          butter
• 13 mL       extra virgin olive oil
• 55 g          brown onions (diced small)
• 1 pc          garlic clove (minced)
• 150 g        Arborio rice
• 200 g        brown button mushrooms
• 25 g          parmesan cheese (grated)
•                  salt and pepper (to taste)
• 5 mL         truffle oil
•                  parmesan cheese (shaved, for topping)
•                  parsley (optional, for garnishing)

PROCEDURE:

1. Heat chicken stock and water in a pot until it simmers. Set aside. Keep hot.
2. Heat 1/4 of the butter and 1/2 of the olive oil on a medium saucepan and saute the onion and garlic until the onion is translucent and soft.
3. Add the Arborio rice. Toast gently.
4. Reduce heat and add white wine. Stir until the wine has completely evaporated.
5. Add 1/2 cup of the stock mixture to the rice mixture. Keep stirring until the stock has been absorbed. Keep on adding stock this way until the rice becomes soft and creamy. Be careful not to burn the rice. 
6. On a separate pan, fry mushrooms in 1/3 of the remaining butter and the remaining olive oil. Once done, add a little stock to deglaze the pan. Add to the rice mixture. Stir.
7. Add the parmesan cheese and remaining butter into the risotto. Season with salt and pepper. mix until all the ingredients have been incorporated and heated through. Remove from heat.
8. Add a few drops of truffle oil and stir.
9. Serve in a warm and shallow bowl. Top with shaved parmesan cheese and parsley.

NOTES:

• Make sure that the white wine has completely evaporated before adding the stock. This is to ensure that majority of the alcohol has evaporated already. If a baby, a kid or someone allergic to alcohol is eating this, you may substitute rice wine vinegar to it. I used Sauvignon Blanc.
• It would be better if you have extra stock on hand, enough to cook the rice.
• Don't be afraid to keep adding more stock to the rice. (Even if it means, adding more than what this recipe says.) Just make sure that you don't turn it into a soup. Hehe!
• You can add your favourite greens on step 7, with the parmesan cheese, if you like.
• Keep stirring. Eventually, the rice becomes a little bit tacky and it will be easy to burn.
• Add the truffle oil in the end, so it retains the taste. 
• Feel free to add real truffle with the mushrooms! I am sure it will be way better.