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Cheryl's Blog: Little Mermaid

Cheryl's Blog: Little Mermaid: little

Humba (Braised Pork Belly)

IMG_9517, a photo by cherylyw on Flickr.

Humba Recipe (Braised Pork Belly) is one of the traditional Filipino dishes in the Philippines, it is otherwise known as adobo for some part the country. This term "humba" is popular filipino food especially among cebuanos. Most of its own fat is cooked in the meat and its essence is what makes the whole dish delectable. That is the good thing about "humba" there has to be some fat and even skin in order to enjoy your meal. Very distinctive in its own style and taste. People cook it differently, depending on the spices they wanna put in and for how long they want it simmered until the sauce thickens. I prefer to simmer it longer since the longer it goes, the thicker the sauce gets and the better the sauce taste!
I have been trying the humba few times until i finally made it perfect for everyone including my hubby!
Ingredients :
* 1 lb. pork (pork belly/pork hocks/pork stew), cut into serving pieces
* 1 cup water
* 3 cloves garlic, crushed
* 1/3 cup vinegar
* 1/4 cup packed brown sugar
* 1/4 cup soy sauce
* 1 bay leaf
* 1/4 tsp. pepper or 1 tsp. peppercorns
* 1 tsp. oil
* salt to taste
* hard-boiled eggs (optional)
Cooking Procedures :
1. Combine all ingredients in a big pot and bring to boil. Lower heat and simmer for about one a half hour to two hours or until you noticed the fat separates from its sauce or suspends .





You can adjust taste by simply adding salt if you want. And of course occasionally stir to blend the sauce with the meat.
3. You may prepare the boiled egg in a separate pan, set aside. You wanna put the peeled boiled egg in 15 minutes before the "humba" is done and mix eggs with the dish in order for the sauce to seep into it.
3. Remove bay leaf and peppercorns (if used) just before serving. Serve hot with a rice! Enjoy your meal!

Tip: You can add some options like the banana blossoms (50 g), 1 can tausi.
But be very careful in adding additional vinegar, sugar and soy sauce. Some people tend to adjust by adding the above ingredients and end up frustrated with the outcome. The only thing that you need to actually add is the salt to taste --that's the secret since that's only according to your taste! Enjoy!!!

Little Mermaid

little

Happy and Contented Mom

I play with my daughter during the day, give her time for herself to be able to explore her own world, i embrace her and make her feel i love her. She learns and understand new things everyday which really make me a fulfilled mother to my daughter. I can't get enough of her, even kissing her all the time isn't enough that when I take her in my arms, I'll slightly pinch her chubby legs and bite her soft gelatinous cheek! Yummy!



Before I go to bed, I cautiously sneak in her room and stare at her as she peacefully retires. Hearing her cute tiny snoring makes me want to crawl next to her and simply listen to the sound of each breath she takes. I can't patiently wait to see her the next morning again when she wakes up with her huge eyes glowing . It is true, that you need sometime for yourself alone. There may be times that you just want her to sleep in and do the things you wanted to do. But that doesn't pay compared to having her in your sight most of the time.



Her heavenly smile reflects my motherhood. How well you nurture your children and how much you help them gain more trust each day by showing her the "life" means the world to them. In fact, she showed me the authentic meaning of life the moment she was born. There are times when the act of simply staring at her could make me catch a huge lump in my throat, asking how I could ever live life without her. Thinking how beautiful she is and will be, sends my sensitive self to a very emotional state. I close my eyes, take the deepest breath, and hold back my tear-streaked eyes. I can't wait for her to say " I wuv you !", then maybe my eyes will give up and tears drip down out of happiness...