How to Cook Pork Menudo – Filipino Recipe

Name: Filipino Pork Menudo Recipe
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 90 min
Total time: 120 min
Ingredients: 2 lbs. pork (cubed); 1 piece Knorr Pork Cube; ¼ lb. pig liver (cubed); 1 piece potato (diced); 1 piece carrot (cubed); ½ cup soy sauce; 3 pieces calamansi; 1 piece onion (minced); 5 cloves garlic (minced); ½ teaspoon ginger (minced); ½ teaspoon granulated white sugar; 1 can tomato sauce (8 oz.); 1 ½ cups water; 3 pieces hotdogs (sliced diagonally); 4 pieces dried bay leaves; 4 tablespoons cooking oil

The Pork Menudo recipe that I am featuring today is the Filipino version. It is a type of pork stew cooked in a tomato based sauce. The basic way of cooking this dish involves fatty cuts of pork such as shoulder, butt, or belly. It also makes use of pig liver and vegetables such as carrot and potato.

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By: Vanjo Merano 1 Comment Updated: 9/21/24

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I have shown you how to cook different versions of menudo in this food blog throughout the years. There were festive versions, and there are variations that involve the use of meats other than pork. Feel free to browse around to see these recipes.

This pork menudo recipe is my favorite. I use it for both everyday meals and special occasions. I think you’ll agree once you try it. Pinoy menudo is different from Mexican menudo. Let me explain the differences.

How to Cook Filipino Pork Menudo

Marinate the pork

Before cooking, marinate the pork slices in soy sauce and calamansi juice. Pour the soy sauce over the pork and squeeze in the calamansi. Mix everything together and let the pork marinate for at least 30 minutes. This will allow the meat to absorb the marinade. If you have extra time, it is better to marinate the pork for longer.

Saute liver in ginger

Sauté minced ginger and liver. The ginger helps reduce the gamey aroma and flavor of the liver, making it more palatable for non-liver fans. Once the liver is cooked, set it aside. We’ll add it back to the pan later.

Saute pork with the aromatics

Saute onion and garlic. This is the basic way to start cooking most Filipino dishes. Make sure that the onion softens before adding the marinated pork. Take note to leave the remaining marinade in the bowl. The pork will brown easily with lesser liquid.

Simmer until tender

Add the marinade into the pan once the pork turns light brown. This is also the perfect time to pour water and tomato sauce. Stir and let the mixture boil. I am using pork cube in my menudo because it brings-in more flavor that helps improves the overall taste of the dish. We add water to the mixture to keep the sauce from drying up while the pork simmers for an hour.

Add liver and hotdogs, then season it

Add the cooked liver back into the pan along with the sliced hot dog. I like adding sliced red hot dogs because it reminds me of my childhood. The potato and carrot can also be added afterwards. Cover and continue to cook until the veggies are fully cooked. This should take around 8 to 10 minutes. You can add more water if you want your dish saucier. Season your dish with sugar, salt, and pepper based on your preferred taste.

Filipino Menudo vs. Mexican Menudo

“Menudo” is the name of two different dishes, one from Mexico and one from the Philippines. They are both made with meat, but one is a soup and the other is a stew. The traditional recipes for each dish also use different types of meat. While we can’t compare apples to oranges, we can briefly describe each dish.

Filipino Menudo is a pork stew that is tomato-based and includes potato, carrot, and pig liver. It can be served on ordinary days and special occasions, including town fiestas, birthday celebrations, and Christmas dinner. It is best eaten with warm white rice or bread, and I personally enjoy eating leftover menudo fresh out of the fridge with hot pandesal.

Mexican menudo is a traditional Mexican soup made with cow stomach cooked in a broth with red chili pepper. It is traditionally eaten with tortillas.

Simple and Flavorful

This is my favorite Filipino pork menudo version as you already know. I like it because it is simple to cook, and it is flavorful. I would love to just say that it is simply delicious, but let me justify it.

This version makes use of minimal ingredients. We are talking about the basic ingredients with the addition of dried bay leaves, soy sauce, and calamansi. There is also nothing fancy about this dish but the taste is out of this world. I attribute the improvement in the overall flavor to the soy sauce and calamansi marinade. The dried bay leaves were also key players. It improved the aroma and added nice flavors to the dish.

Tips and Alternative Ingredients

A key to a successful pork menudo has something to do with the quality and cut meat used. I always use meats with fat content because fat keeps the meat moist. Pork shoulder and belly are the two main cuts that I use.

Pork menudo will be more enjoyable to eat when the meat is tender. Do this by boiling the meat for around an hour using low to medium heat. The time and heat combination will tenderize the pork while bringing out the flavor from it.

Lemon or limes are good substitute ingredients for calamansi. Bell peppers and green peas can also be added to the dish.
Try this Pork Menudo Recipe. Let me know what you think.

How to Cook Pork Menudo Video

Vanjo Merano

Vanjo Merano is the creator of PanlasangPinoy.com. His goal is to introduce Filipino Food and Filipino Cuisine to the rest of the world. This blog was the first step that he took.

How to Cook Pork Menudo – Filipino Recipe