Filipino Pork Menudo Recipe

This is the pork menudo I cook when I have a little more time. I pan fry the potato and carrot first, sauté the liver with a little ginger, then let the pork simmer in tomato sauce until tender. These extra steps are worth doing because you can taste the difference later. The vegetables hold their shape, the liver tastes milder, and the sauce gets deeper. If you already make the regular pork menudo recipe, this version just adds a few extra steps before everything goes into the pot.

I learned the pan frying part from a friend many years ago. She warned me not to overdo it. Light brown on the outside is enough. Cook the vegetables through and they turn to mush in the stew. The ginger trick for the liver is something I picked up along the way. I sauté it with a bit of ginger to reduce the gaminess. A small amount works. Too much and the dish ends up tasting like ginger.

This is also the version my eldest daughter Dianne asked me to teach her. She was in college at the time and wanted something she could cook in her apartment. The pan frying step worried her at first, but once she got the timing, the rest was easy.

What is Filipino Pork Menudo?

Filipino Pork Menudo is a tomato-based pork stew with cubed pork, pork liver, potato, carrot, and hotdogs. It came to the Philippines during Spanish colonization and was reshaped over generations into a dish that is now distinctly Filipino. The Filipino version is not the same dish as Mexican menudo. Mexican menudo is a tripe soup in chili broth.

You will see pork menudo on the table at town fiestas, birthdays, Christmas dinners, and ordinary weeknights. Most carinderias keep a tray of it on the steam table. Each region and household has its own version. Some add raisins while other put green peas and bell peppers. Some skip the liver. What usually stays the same is the cubed pork, tomato sauce, and slow cooking.

This version is more about how you cook the ingredients than adding more ingredients. The vegetables get a quick pan fry. The liver gets a quick saute with ginger. The pork simmers low until tender. These are the steps that separate a careful menudo from a rushed one.

Why I Cook It This Way

A few things make a real difference in this version.

• Pan fry the potato and carrot first, but do not cook them all the way through. You only want a little color outside because they will finish cooking in the sauce.
• Saute the liver with a little ground ginger. A teaspoon for 4 ounces of liver is enough. The ginger cuts the gaminess. This is the easiest way I know to get non-liver fans to actually eat it.
• Let the pork simmer for 45 minutes to an hour over low heat. The pork picks up the flavor of the tomato and seasonings, and the meat gets fork tender. Rushing this gives you tough pork.
• Add the pan fried vegetables and the liver near the end. Three minutes is enough. Any longer and the vegetables soften too much and the liver gets chalky.

Ingredients

• Pork shoulder – Sliced into small cubes. Pork shoulder, also called kasim, has the marbling that holds up to a long simmer.
• Pork liver – Cubed the same size as the pork. Sautéed with a bit of ginger to reduce the gaminess.
• Hotdogs – Sliced crosswise into thin pieces. Filipino red hotdogs work best. Beef franks or wieners are fine substitutes.
• Potato – Cubed and pan fried before going into the stew.
• Carrot – Cubed to match the potato. Pan fried with the potato.
• Tomato sauce – This gives menudo its familiar color and slightly sweet tomato flavor. Filipino-style tomato sauce works best. Filipino spaghetti sauce works too.
• Knorr Pork Cube – Boosts the pork flavor and rounds out the seasoning.
• Raisins – Optional. Adds a small amount of sweetness if you want it. Skip if you prefer a savory menudo.
• Dried bay leaves – These add that familiar stew aroma while the pork simmers.
• Soy sauce – Adds saltiness and umami before the tomato goes in.
• Ground ginger – For the liver. A teaspoon is enough.
• Yellow onion – Gives the dish its base flavor along with the garlic.
• Garlic – Adds the flavor that starts many Filipino stews.
• Cooking oil – For pan frying and sautéing.
• Water – To loosen the sauce as needed.
• Salt and ground black pepper – To season at the end.

Start with the vegetables and liver before cooking the pork. That makes the rest easier.

1. Heat the cooking oil in a pan over medium heat. Pan fry the cubed potato and carrot until all sides turn light brown. Set aside.
2. Heat the remaining oil in the same pan. Add the cubed pork liver and stir-fry for 30 seconds.
3. Add the ground ginger to the liver. Continue stir-frying for 2 minutes.
4. Set the liver aside.

The vegetables should be light brown on the outside and still firm in the middle. The liver only needs a quick cook with the ginger so it does not taste too strong later.

1. Heat 3 tablespoons of cooking oil in a cooking pot. Saute the garlic and onion until the onion softens and turns translucent.
2. Add the cubed pork. Cook until the outer parts turn light brown.
3. Put the sliced hotdogs into the pot. Cook for 1 minute.
4. Pour in the soy sauce. Cook for 1 minute to let the flavors meld.

Let the pork brown a little before adding the sauce.

1. Pour in the tomato sauce and water. Stir to combine.
2. Add the Knorr Pork Cube, raisins (if using), and dried bay leaves. Stir.
3. Cover the pot and simmer over low to medium heat for 45 to 60 minutes, or until the pork is tender.
4. Add more water if the sauce reduces too quickly before the pork is tender.

Keep the heat low and let the pork simmer until tender.

1. Add the pan fried potato, carrot, and the sautéed liver. Season with salt and ground black pepper.
2. Stir and cook for 3 minutes. Transfer to a serving plate. Serve with warm rice. Share and enjoy!

What Goes Well With It

This dish is rich and saucy, so I like serving it with something fried or sautéed on the side.

• Fried Tilapia – Crispy fried fish goes well with the saucy stew.
• Fried Galunggong – Crispy round scad if you want a more flavorful fish option.
• Ginisang Sayote – Sautéed chayote, light and slightly crisp against the rich menudo.
• Ginisang Upo – Sautéed bottle gourd with ground pork, mild and clean on the side.

Storage

This menudo stores well, and it actually tastes better the next day because the pork sits longer in the sauce.

• Refrigerator: Store in an airtight container for up to 3 days. The sauce thickens slightly when chilled.
• Freezer: Freeze for up to 1 month in a freezer-safe container. The vegetables keep their shape better because they were pan fried first.
• Reheating: Warm gently in a saucepan over low heat. Add a splash of water if the sauce has thickened too much. The microwave also works in 2-minute intervals with a stir in between.

More Filipino Pork Recipes

• Pork Menudo with Ham – A festive take with ham and raisins for a sweeter finish.
• Pork Menudo with Bell Peppers – A colorful variation with red and green bell peppers added.
• Pork Menudo sa Gata – The creamier version finished with coconut milk.
• Menudo with Raisins and Green Peas – The fiesta version with sweet raisins and bright green peas.
• Pork Mechado – Another Spanish-influenced Filipino tomato stew with pork and potatoes.
• Pork Afritada – A close cousin of menudo with bigger pork pieces and green peas.

• Pork shoulder – Pork belly works if you want it richer. I avoid pork tenderloin here because it dries out during the long simmer.
• Pork liver – Calf liver is a direct substitute. You can also skip the liver entirely if you do not eat it.
• Hotdogs – Beef franks or wieners are a fine substitute for Filipino red hotdogs.
• Raisins – Optional. Skip them if you want a fully savory dish.
• Tomato sauce – Crushed tomatoes or Filipino spaghetti sauce both work as substitutes.
• Soy sauce – Fish sauce can replace soy sauce for a different umami profile. The dish color will be slightly lighter.

Try this version when you have a little extra time to cook menudo. The pan fried vegetables and ginger sautéed liver really help. Let me know what you think.