Pork, beef & lamb

Pork Menudo

Name: Pork Menudo
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 1 h 35 min
Total time: 1 h 55 min
Cuisine: Filipino
Ingredients: 1kg trimmed (buy ~1.2kg) pork shoulder, boneless, fat trimmed, 2cm dice; 300g potatoes, peeled, 2cm dice; 200g carrots, 1.5cm dice; 1 (160g) red pepper, 2cm pieces; 1 (150g) onion, diced; 5 cloves (25g) garlic, crushed; 1 × 400g tin chopped tomatoes; 30g tomato purée; 45ml soy sauce; 30ml lemon juice, or calamansi juice; 40g raisins; 10g light brown sugar; 2 leaves bay; 1g black pepper; 15ml rapeseed oil; 300ml water

Diced pork shoulder braised in a tangy tomato, soy and lemon sauce with potato, carrot, red pepper and a few raisins for sweetness.

makes 27 blocks, about 38p each

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Time: 1 hr 55 min20 min prep · 1 hr 35 min cook
Makes: 27 blocks
Cost per blockPer block: 38p
Calories per blockCalories: 82 kcal
Fibre per blockFibre: 0.8g

Ingredients

Batch size

blocks

1kg trimmed (buy ~1.2kg)pork shoulder, boneless, fat trimmed, 2cm dice
300gpotatoes, peeled, 2cm dice
200gcarrots, 1.5cm dice
1 (160g)red pepper, 2cm pieces
1 (150g)onion, diced
5 cloves (25g)garlic, crushed
1 × 400g tinchopped tomatoes
30gtomato purée
45mlsoy sauce
30mllemon juice, or calamansi juice
40graisins
10glight brown sugar
2 leavesbay
1gblack pepper
15mlrapeseed oil
300mlwater

Allergens: Soya, Sulphites. Check the labels on stock cubes, sauces and pastes, as brands vary.

Nutrition

estimated

	1 block	3 blocks
Energy	82 kcal	246 kcal
Protein	8.3g	24.9g
Carbs	5.8g	17.4g
Fat	2.8g	8.4g
Fibre	0.8g	2.4g
Salt	0.33g	0.99g

Method

Step 1: Heat the oil in a large casserole over a medium-high heat and brown the pork in two batches, then lift it out. (10 min)
Step 2: Soften the onion in the same pan for 5 minutes, then add the garlic and tomato purée and stir for 1 minute.
Step 3: Return the pork with the tomatoes, soy sauce, water, sugar, bay and pepper. Cover and simmer gently for 45 minutes.
Step 4: Add the potatoes and carrots, cover again and simmer for 20 minutes.
Step 5: Add the red pepper and raisins and simmer uncovered for 10–15 minutes, until the potatoes are tender and the sauce coats the meat.
Step 6: Remove the bay, stir in the lemon juice, then cool and freeze in 70g blocks.

Serve it

Steamed jasmine rice · Garlic rice with sliced cucumber · Rice with steamed green beans

Nutrition (estimated)
	kcal	protein	carbs	fat	fibre	salt
Per block	82	8.3g	5.8g	2.8g	0.8g	0.33g
Per 3 blocks	246	24.9g	17.4g	8.4g	2.4g	0.99g

Cook’s notes

Calamansi juice is sold frozen in Asian grocers. Use it in place of the lemon juice for a more fragrant sourness.
For a deeper flavour, toss the diced pork with the soy sauce and leave it in the fridge for an hour before browning. Pat it dry first so it colours well.
Keep the potato dice small so it softens fully in the sauce and every block gets some.

Serve it

Steamed jasmine rice · Garlic rice with sliced cucumber · Rice with steamed green beans.

Freeze, reheat and serve

Freeze: Cool it within two hours, portion it into 70g blocks in a silicone tray, then bag and label them. It keeps for 3 months.
Reheat: Microwave 3 blocks, covered, for 1 minute, stir, then heat for another 1 to 2 minutes until piping hot all the way through. Or warm them in a pan with a splash of water. Never refreeze thawed blocks.
A portion: 3 blocks (210g) make a dinner for one adult: about 246 kcal and 24.9g protein before rice, bread or potatoes.

Pork Menudo questions

Why are there raisins in it?

A small handful softens into the sauce and balances the sharp tomato and lemon with a little sweetness. Leave them out if you prefer, and add 5g more sugar instead.

Can I use pork loin instead of shoulder?

Loin works but is leaner, so it can dry out. Brown it lightly, then add it back with the potatoes in step 4 so it only simmers for about 30 minutes.

Can I make it with chicken?

Diced chicken thigh fillets work well. Simmer them for 15 minutes before adding the potatoes rather than 45, so the chicken stays tender.