Pochero, also called Puchero, is one of the many popular Filipino dishes widely known and served at almost every Filipino dinner table and in restaurants. This Spanish-influenced dish typically uses beef or chicken as its main meat ingredient, stewed with Saba bananas, bok choy, potatoes, tomato sauce, spices, and other ingredients of your choice.
Millie’s Pochero recipe puts a unique twist on this classic Filipino dish. Instead of beef or chicken, she opts for pork as her choice of meat. She then adds tamarind sauce to her Pocherong Baboy, which provides a tangy, salty, and sour result and a slightly sweet flavor from the Saba bananas. Millie also uses bok choy for her greens and sliced tomatoes for an additional sweet and sour taste to this Filipino Pochero recipe. Using leaner meat like pork riblets is an excellent idea for those critical to their diet.
To prepare the dish, the pork riblets are first sautéed with garlic and onions until they are browned. The tamarind sauce and tomato sauce, potatoes, and Saba bananas are added to the mix. The mixture is simmered until the pork is tender and the sauce has thickened. The bok choy and sliced tomatoes are added to the pan and cooked until tender.
The result is a delicious and nutritious meal that is perfect for any occasion. Millie’s Pochero recipe showcases how a few simple ingredients can come together to create a unique and flavorful dish that is loved by many Filipinos. Whether served at home or in a restaurant, Pochero is a classic Filipino dish that will always have a special place in the hearts and stomachs of Filipinos everywhere.
Ingredients: 3-4 servings
2 lbs. pork riblets(bone in)
2-3 pieces of Saba bananas, cut in cubes
1 large, sliced tomato
2 bundles of bok choy, cut in quarters
1 tbsp. of tamarind sauce
4-6 cups of water
1-2 cloves of chopped garlic
1/2 medium, diced onion
salt & pepper to taste
2 tbsp. of cooking oil
1 tbsp. of fish sauce(optional)
Cooking Procedure:
- Clean and cut pork riblets in cubes, wash and cut bok choy in quarters, peel of banana skins and cut them in cubes, slice tomatoes in small pieces, chop garlic and dice the onion.
- Heat up cooking oil on a large cooking pan, sauté garlic, onions and tomatoes. Add the pork riblets, sauté for a few minutes until meat is browned.
- Stir in tamarind sauce, apply fish sauce if desired, season with salt and pepper, then continue to stir for 1-2 minutes.
- Apply water and bring it in to a boil. Stir and apply a lid if necessary. Let it simmer for 30-35 minutes or until port riblets are fork tender.
- Add Saba bananas, let it simmer for additional 3-5 minutes until bananas are slightly cooked. Apply bok choy leaves, next. Stir and let it simmer for 3-5 more minutes.
- Turn off the heat, transfer delicious, Filipino Pork Pochero or Pocherong Baboy to a large bowl, then serve with steamed rice. Delicious!
Note: If you chose not to add fish sauce to your Pork Pochero, you can use it as a condiment. Apply calamansi or lime juice to the fish sauce to better its flavor.