My love for food is a huge part of me. Making food for my family creates an atmosphere at home that brings back happy childhood memories. I came from a big family. Meal time was always special for us.
Along with great food, we shared stories about our day, laughter and wisdom from our parents. Food created a special bond in our family that no matter our physical distance our closeness never cease.
We are a big believer of family unity and togetherness. Our parents kept us tightly knit that the bond between me and my siblings is impossible to break. Yes, like any other family, we also have differences and disagreements but at the end of the day we always patch things up.
We were raised to value the importance of each individual in our family. We relied on each other because we are aware of our strengths and weaknesses. We knew that together, as a family, we are stronger and better. As a Mom, I am trying my best to instill in my kids the very same family values that I have.
As I see it, families that eat together stay together.
My Family’s Pochero Recipe
Ingredients:
2 lbs. beef shank with bone marrow (in the U.S. you can easily find it at Jewel or Meijer)
10 cloves garlic, smashed
1 red onion, quartered
1 cup spring onions, sliced
5-10 peppercorns
1 plantain, cut
1/2 red bell pepper (If you don’t want your soup to have a tinge of sweet taste, you may omit this)
1 (2 inches) piece ginger, smashed (peeled or not according to your preference.
2 fresh, sweet corn on a cob, cut into 2-3 inches a piece
2-3 potatoes, peeled and sliced in half (I personally love to use 5-6 tiny potatoes)
1 cabbage, quartered
salt, to taste
Fish sauce, to serve
Optional: “Sili” or hot peppers
Cooking Instructions:
Boil the beef shank in a pot of water for 5-10 minutes.
Remove impurities that rise to the surface.
Add enough water to cover the beef shank.
Add the peppercorn, ginger, garlic, corn, and plantain.
Simmer for 2 hours, then add the potatoes, cabbage, and red onion. (If you are in the Philippines, add the cabbage when your beef is already tender. If you are in the U.S., add the cabbage at this point. I noticed that the cabbage here takes more time to cook.)
Add salt and fish sauce to your preferred taste.
Simmer for another hour or until the meat is tender.
Add the red bell pepper and spring onions a few minutes before serving.
Enjoy!
Recommendation:
Make a side of fish sauce with crushed “sili” or hot peppers and “kalamansi” or lemon to dip the beef when eating.
MIXED KNOT 