Lamb, although already full of flavours, can withstand the addition of seasonings without losing its own taste. Lamb goes so well with a lot of herbs and is so delicious when made into Mediterranean burgers. Just add fire and it turns into a perfect meal.
Chorizo is one of my favourite ingredients. It is one of the ingredients that make Filipino food special. We used to buy chorizos in tins, coated with bright orange lard and labelled chorizo de Bilbao (referring to Bilbao, Spain). I wonder if it really originates from Bilbao as we have the propensity to label food with place names even if they don't really connect.
Some people plan their meals before heading to the shops. I, on the other hand, belong to the other group of "some people" who usually plan my meals according to what I have. My freezer is usually full of an assortment of meat cuts and joints among other things. Faced with a beef brisket joint, there are a lot of ideas that come to mind. Being of Asian origin, my inclinations tend to veer towards that direction.
I am an avid fan of fish and seafood and serve it as often as I can. In themselves they are packed with so much flavour that there is not much needed to be done to them. Once in a while though, we hanker for something new, some shift to our usual menu.
What is it about pulled pork's messy appearance that makes it so beguiling? Perhaps the obvious softness of its shredded strands or the glistening sticky sauce that threatens to mess up your face. The whole package just screams "eat me! eat me!".
When I was growing up, I loved meat that falls off the bone and disintegrates into shreds and absorbs the sauce. These shreds are never done on purpose, no matter how delicious they are. Food presentation is given so much value that if it falls apart, it is considered a cooking mishap.
The children go back to school this week. After thoroughly chilling out and enjoying the summer break, I have to snap back into the school time routine.
Food that has a natural "come and get it" approachable look tops the list in appetite attraction. Although chef prepared perfect food has its audience, the appeal of relaxed, homey and familiar food has more connection to most.
The imperfect, unkempt presentation of this dish is its strong point. The fact that the filling overshoots the buns gives it a high score on the drool-o-meter. This is my Philippine-Hispanic version of the American sloppy Joe. I cooked it Filipino style, based on a popular bread filling called giniling which simply means minced (meat). It is sautéed minced pork with tomato sauce, potatoes and raisins.
