The burning question at about 11a.m. was “What to do with all the stuff I got at the market this morning?†I messed around until about 11:30 a.m. and realized I needed to get cooking pronto or 
lunch wouldn’t be on the table until very late. We fired up the barbecue and we grilled some pork barbecue that I bought from Ineng’s (uncooked/frozen). I must say that I am not as happy with Ineng’s compared to their first year of business, as I find their barbecue now to be less weighty, less lean and overall less good. Their cheaper sticks look like one piece of stretched out pork skewered in a wave pattern on bamboo. Nevertheless, the frozen packs of 20 medium-sized sticks are convenient and great lunch fast food when my daughter has friends over (as she did today).
To serve with the pork barbecue, I made a Bicol Express from the brilliantly 
good-looking siling mahaba or pangsigang. I used some of the leftover coconut milk (freeze it!) from all the bibingka experimentation over the last two days, added some thicker canned coconut milk and used bagoong (shrimp paste) instead of daing (dried fish) as the main flavoring agent. It turned out well and since we removed half of the seeds, it was spicy but not painfully so. It went really well with the sweet barbecue. I have a more detailed recipe for Bicol express here. And please, no comments on the origin of the name, it has already been discussed here. Actually, one of my readers has sent me the number of Cely Kalaw who is the lady who coined the name “Bicol Express†to begin with…I really need to get my act together and give her a call.
The second dish that I made this lunchtime is a simple bean sprout stir-fry. It took about 5 minutes and it was quite tasty! To make, just heat up a large pan and add vegetable oil until very hot 
then add chopped pork (I used several pork chops worth) and toss vigorously. Add some chopped onions and garlic then some Kikkoman soysauce and lots of ground pepper. Add the bean sprouts and continue tossing over the highest heat possible. Add the juice of one or two lemons, more soy sauce, 2-3 tablespoons of butter and/or several teaspoons of sesame oil and toss until just cooked. It should still have crunch. I topped this off with some chicharon as if I needed more cholesterol but it was delicious. You know you have something going when a couple of ten or eleven year olds eat your vegetable stir-fry…
13 Responses
yeah i agree with you on ineng’s bbq.. no good.
Tasty looking. I love bean sprouts. I add green beans cut french style in mine, use fresh green beans, no canned, it’s crispier. Then I use ground pork sauteed in tomatoes, onions and patis, the juice of half or whole lemon and soy sauce is added on later to taste.
I could just savor the aroma of that Bicol Express. LOL!
an officemate of mine bought sisig from Ineng’s Eastwood branch a couple of weeks ago for lunch. He was hospitalized for 3 day due to food poisoning. he promised never to buy from them again.
I find Ineng’s bbq cloyingly sweet; maybe some fresh-cracked black pepper to balance the sweetness… and don’t you mean siling ‘pangsigang’, not labuyo, MM?
btw, does anyone know of any farms growing local jalapeno chiles? More vegetal flavour, more taste, and thicker, more ‘capsicum-like’ skins than our two traditional chiles (labuyo and sigang).
Gonzo, you are so right, I meant siling mahaba or pangsigang…it was late last night…I also forgot the links that I will put in now…thanks! Oh, and yes, I have found jalapeno chillies a few times in Manila. Zacky’s seems to package and sell them (I presume they grow them too). If I haven’t put a post I’ll try to dig out a photo if I have one… Connie, I like the green bean addition to give it more substance… Hmmm, if Ineng’s is now so universally mediocre, why is it still drawing the crowds?!
I think they still have customer recall, had some inengs a few months ago in eastwood. Wasn’t the same anymore as the original one in marketmarket. quality control is really suffering, i guess due to the big demand.
Remember MM that I posted before pa how over-rated Ineng’s is now? Actually, hindi na rin mahaba ang linya sa Ineng’s — at least, not in Salcedo and in Market Market. To me talaga, Heaven’s BBQ is what works now – and even Reyes Barbecue!
Ineng’s tastes like boiled tocino that was skewered and brushed with sweet sauce at the last minute. Seeing Tita Cely this Wed. I’ll tell her to be ready for ya! :)
Btw– LOVE how you plated the food.
Gigi, where is this Heaven’s BBQ or Reyes??? Maybe I should do a barbecue taste test…
MM- you have to add Hotstix on Quezon Ave. to that list. My friend Ian (who also makes Sebastian’s Ice Cream in Alabang Town Center) has the best pork skewer bbq I’ve ever tried.
I know of two Heaven’s BBQ outlets: one near the old Toyota showroom on the corner of Buendia and that street that leads towards Zuellig (Mayupas? M something, sorry). It’s the street that all the cars make a U-turn to enter Salcedo Village, since you can’t make a left turn on Buendia). The other outlet is on Ortigas Avenue in Greenhills, Madison Square I think.
MM, I think Reyes barbecue is the same as Serye’s. You can find one at Eastwood and also at Quezon Memorial Circle.
Thanks Lani, Mila and Nikka for those tips…now I hope I can try some of these places…
try cooking bean sprouts with shrimps,pork,oyster sauce and chopped cilantro or wansoy.it will drive u crazy.