A sweet-savory Filipino braised pork dish cooked with saba bananas, pineapple juice, and carrots—perfect with steamed rice.
Cooking Tips:
• Use ripe but firm saba bananas so they don’t fall apart while cooking.
• Brown the pork first to develop deeper flavor.
• Simmer gently to prevent the pork from becoming tough.
Ingredients Tips:
• You can replace beef broth with water and 1 beef cube if preferred.
• Adding pineapple chunks enhances sweetness and flavor.
• Adjust sugar depending on the sweetness of your saba bananas.
Pork Estofado
A sweet-savory Filipino braised pork dish cooked with sababananas, pineapple juice, and carrots—perfect with steamed rice.
Ingredients
For the Marinade:
- 1 kg pork belly cut into chunks
- 1 can pineapple juice 240ml
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tbsp soy sauce
- 1 tsp ground black pepper
For Cooking:
- 2 tbsp cooking oil plus more as needed
- 1 large carrot sliced and pan-fried
- 4 pcs saba bananas sliced and pan-fried
- 1 medium onion chopped
- 2 tbsp minced garlic
- 4 cups beef broth
- 2 tbsp brown sugar
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 2 –3 pcs long green chilies
Instructions
Marinate the Pork:
- In a bowl, combine pork belly, pineapple juice, salt, soy sauce, and black pepper.
- Mix well and marinate for at least 30 minutes.
Pan-Fry the Sides:
- Heat oil in a pan and pan-fry carrot slices until lightly browned. Set aside.
- Pan-fry saba bananas until golden. Set aside.
Cook the Pork:
- In the same pan, add more oil if needed.
- Pan-fry the marinated pork pieces until lightly browned.
- Add onion and garlic, sauté until fragrant.
- Pour in the reserved marinade and beef broth.
- Cover and simmer until pork becomes tender.
Finish the Dish:
- Add brown sugar, salt, pepper, and long green chilies.
- Stir in the pan-fried carrots and saba bananas.
- Simmer for a few more minutes until the sauce slightly thickens.
Serve:
- Transfer to a serving dish and serve hot with steamed rice.
