Spicy Tokwat Baboy is one of my all-time favorite pulutan dish. It is also perfect when paired with goto or arroz caldo. Sometimes, I eat it as a main dish along with warm white rice. As I have mentioned, there are more than one way to enjoy tokwat baboy. It is up to you on how you want to indulge on it.
It is easy to make Spicy Tokwat Baboy. All you need to do is boil the pig ears until tender, fry the tofu, and prepare the spicy vinegar mixture. However, I strongly recommend to ensure that the ears are properly cleaned before doing anything else.
So, what do I do about it? I boil it twice. The first is to remove the impurities on the skin. I also scrape the hair and top skin of the ears after the first boiling. The second boiling process is about making the ears tender while making it less pungent. Adding cinnamon bark and lemon grass helps reduce the unwanted smell. Crushed ginger root can also be added if desired.
The pig ears are then sliced into serving pieces. These are combined with the sliced tofu that were fried. Speaking of tofu, it is the simplest to cook. Simply fry each side for 4 to 5 minutes (or deep fry for 5 minutes), and then slice into cubes. I have a piece of advice in order to prevent oil from splattering. Try to dry the tofu before frying. I did it wiping each piece of tofu with dry paper towel.
The spicy vinegar is the sole source of flavor for this dish. You can use the base recipe that I provided below, and adjust it further according to your liking. I think that the amount of chili peppers that I used is already enough to provide me the spiciness that I wanted.Feel free to adjust it based on your heat tolerance.
Try this Spicy Tokwat Baboy Recipe. Let me know what you think.
Spicy Tokwat Baboy Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 ½ lb. pig ears
- 3 slices 12 ounces extra firm tofu
- ½ cup chopped onion leeks
- 2 bunches lemongrass dahon ng tanglad
- ½ oz. Cinnamon bark optional
- 12 to 15 cups water
- 3 cups cooking oil
Spicy Vinegar Ingredients
- 1½ cup white vinegar
- ½ cup soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons granulated white sugar
- 1 ½ to 2 teaspoons salt
- 10 to 12 pieces Thai chili pepper chopped
- 5 pieces long green pepper siling pansigang sliced
- 1 medium red onion sliced
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
Instructions
- Pour 12 to 15 cups water in a cooking pot. Let boil. Add pig ears and continue to boil in medium heat for 15 minutes.
- Discard the water and let the pig ears cool down. Scrape thoroughly until all the hair and top skin are removed.
- Pour the same amount of water on the same cooking pot. (Note: make sure to throw-out the initial water used.). Let boil.
- Add cinnamon bark, lemongrass, and pig ears. Cover and continue to boil in medium heat for 1 hour or until the ears becomes tender. Note: add more water if needed.
- Meanwhile, heat oil on a pan. Fry one side of the tofu for 4 minutes. Turn it over and fry the opposite side for 4 to 5 minutes.
- Remove from the pan and slice the tofu into cubes. Set aside.
- Remove the pig ears from the pot. Let cool. Slice into serving pieces and then combine with the sliced tofu.
- Prepare the spicy vinegar mixture by combining salt, sugar, vinegar, and soy sauce. Stir. Microwave for 15 seconds. Continue to stir until well blended. Add chili peppers, onion, and ground black pepper to the spicy vinegar mixture. Toss.
- Pour the vinegar mixture all over the tokwat baboy. Toss.
- Top with chopped onion leeks. Serve.
- Share and enjoy!
Shiela tan naval says
Looks yummy. Will try it.
Vanjo Merano says
Thanks. Let me know how you liked it.