A Simple, Delicious Filipino Dish: A Barracks Kitchen Adventure

(Canva)

Hello!Dear friends!I hope you're all doing well and having a wonderful day.During my recent shift at the barracks,I decided to cook dinner for the three of us.We were only three on duty that day for shipfitting,and I thought I'd take on the cooking task.My colleagues bought half a kilo of pork and various vegetables.I was responsible for slicing the pumpkin,okra,and string beans.

After prepping the vegetables,I also sliced the onions and garlic.It was a simple dish,but it turned out delicious.

The cooking process was straightforward and involved several steps:

Step-by-Step Cooking Guide: Pork and Vegetable Stir-fry

Ingredients:

-500 grams pork belly,cut into bite-sized pieces

-1 medium-sized pumpkin,peeled,seeded,and cubed

-1 cup string beans,trimmed and cut into 1-inch pieces

-1 cup okra,trimmed

-1 medium eggplant,sliced

-1 large onion,thinly sliced

-4 cloves garlic,minced

-2 tablespoons cooking oil

-Salt and pepper to taste

-Patis(fish sauce)to taste

-Soy sauce to taste

-Ajinomoto(MSG)to taste(optional)

Instructions:

Prepare the Ingredients:Wash and thoroughly clean all vegetables.Slice the pumpkin,okra,string beans,and eggplant into bite-sized pieces.Mince the garlic and thinly slice the onion.Cut the pork belly into small,even pieces.

Heat the cooking oil in a large wok or frying pan over medium heat.Add the sliced onions and minced garlic.Sauté until the onions are translucent and fragrant,about 2-3 minutes.

Cook the Pork:Add the pork belly to the wok and stir-fry until lightly browned.This will take about 5-7 minutes,depending on the heat and the size of the pork pieces.

Add the Pumpkin:Add the cubed pumpkin to the wok and stir-fry for another 5minutes,allowing the pumpkin to soften slightly.

Add Remaining Vegetables:Add the string beans,okra and eggplant to the wok.Stir fry for another 3-5 minutes,until the vegetables are tender-crisp.Avoid overcooking the vegetables,as this will make them mushy.

Season and Finish:Season the dish with salt,pepper,patis(fish sauce),soy sauce,and Ajinomoto(MSG,if using)to your liking.Stir well to combine all the flavors.Adjust the seasoning according to your taste preferences.

Serve:Once the vegetables are cooked and the flavors have melded,remove the wok from the heat.Serve hot with steamed rice.

After cooking,I called my colleagues,and we enjoyed our delicious meal together.It was a simple dish,but the flavors were rich and satisfying.This experience highlights that even in a simple barracks setting,a delicious and heartwarming meal can be prepared with readily available ingredients and a little bit of effort. Enjoy!

Thank for reading my simple recipe.Until next time.

@atemuz24