Poor Man's Ham - Humba

Humba is a traditional braised pork recipe that has a savory-sweet flavor reminiscent of the American meatloaf. The presentation is similar though the braised pork is arguably the more flavorful.

Ingredients:

- 2 lbs uncut pork belly
- 1/2 cup of soy sauce
- 1/2 cup of sugar
- 2 tablespoons of ground black pepper
- 1 liter of water
- 3 eggs
- 5 stalks of green onions

Cooking Instructions:

- Hard boil eggs then set aside
- Once cool, slice the eggs into wedges
- Cut green onions into 1 inch slices the set aside
- Combine pork belly, soy sauce, water, sugar, and black pepper in a pot and boil.
- Boil contents until it reduces and begins sizzling (apx 45 mins)
- Slice meat like a loaf of bread then place on a tray
- Drizzle the remaining contents of the pot over the loaf
- Garnish with the egg wedges and green onions and serve.

Blue Crab Curry - Ginataang Alimasag

Ingredients:
- 5 live Maryland Blue Crabs
- 2 cans of coconut milk
- 1 tsp of salt
- 1 small clove of ginger
- 4 cloves of garlic

Cooking Instructions:
- Mince the garlic
- Slice the ginger then crush with the flat side of the knife.
- Combine the crab, coconut milk, salt, ginger and garlic in a pot and set to medium-low. Simmer until the coconut milk reduces and thickens, about 25 minutes.
- Serve as is or with fish sauce and lemon.

Chinese Sausage Fried Rice

Ingredients:
- 4 Chinese Sausages (sliced or cubed)
- 2 tablespoons of Minced Garlic
- Salt
- 2 Eggs
- 3 to 4 cups of 1-day old Steamed Rice
- 4 stalks of Green Onions/Scallions (chopped)

Cooking Instructions:

In a pan or wok, sauteé one tablespoon of minced garlic with the Chinese sausages for about 5 minutes. Add one more tablespoon of garlic with the rice and mix. Cook for 1 minute. Add the green onions. Stir constantly. Incorporate both eggs and stir constantly. Do not let the eggs stick. Cook for another 2-5 minutes. Salt to taste. Serve immediately. DO NOT ADD SOY SAUCE.




If you're feeling a little adventurous, garnish it with bamboo shoots in chili oil and some pork sung.

Ben's Barbecue Wings

Ingredients:
- 2 pounds of Chicken Wings or Drumsticks
- 1 cup of Philippine Soy Sauce
- 1 cup of Banana Sauce
- 2 tablespoons of finely minced Garlic
- ½ cup of Sugar
- 1 cup of Coconut Vinegar

Cooking Instructions:

- Mix all ingredients together in a marinade with the chicken, and refrigerate overnight. Grill on a low flame and brush marinade as you flip frequently to stay moist. Another option is to broil in the oven for 15 minutes. Make sure you preheat the oven at 425 degrees for 40 minutes beforehand.

Beef Stew - Nilagang Baka

Ingredients:

- 2 Pounds of Stewing Beef or Beef Shank cut into cubes
- 1 Onion, minced
- Fish Sauce
- Salt
- 2 Cubed Potatoes
- 1 Head of Cabbage cut into quarters

Cooking Instructions:

Boil the beef for 45 minutes until tender. Simmer and add 1-2 cups of water. Add the minced onions, then add the potatoes , fish sauce and salt to taste.

My Mom's Famous Macaroni Salad

Ingredients:

- 1 chicken breast
- 2 small cans of vienna sausages
- 1 bag of macaroni pasta
- shredded cheese
- ½ large jar of mayonnaise
- 1 apple
- 3-4 small cans of cubed pineapples
- 3 celery stalks
- ½ onion
- ½ green bell pepper
- ½ red bell pepper
- salt
- pepper

Cooking Instructions:

- drain and save liquid from the pineapples with a strainer
- add the pineapple liquid to a pot of water and boil the chicken breast until tender
- in another pot, boil the pasta
- chop the boiled chicken, vienna sausages, cheese, celery, drained pineapples, onion, green and red peppers and apple into corn-sized cubes
- mix all ingredients and add ½ large jar of mayonnaise
- add salt and pepper to taste

- serve hot or cold