Pork Loin Asado

If you ask me what my favorite cooking technique is, it's definitely braising.   You just brown the meat and simmer it with its sauce on low heat until tender.  The cooking time maybe long but the prep time is fast and easy. Which means that you have plenty of time in between. You could actually clean the whole kitchen while the pot is simmering, or you could do Pilates or master a dance move haha  but I'm sure you follow my drift.  It's just perfect for moms (who love to multi-task) and home cooks like me.

One of my favorite braised dishes to prepare is Asado Pork.  It may sound Spanish but it was introduced to us by our neighbors from China. Eventually Filipinos had their own version and called it "asado"; a delectable dish braised in sweet-soy sauce. Yet another plus in cooking this dish is that the slab of pork is left uncut (I told you it's less prep time).  It's definitely a beginner cook friendly dish, that's deceptively simple.

So let's begin:

Pork Loin Asado


Ingredients:
2 tbsp cooking oil
2 lbs pork loin (you could opt to use pork belly as well)
1 tbsp five spice
2 tbsp oyster sauce
7 tbsp soy sauce
3 tbsp brown sugar (you may add more if you want a sweeter sauce)
3 tbsp rice wine vinegar
2-3 cups water

Procedure:
Season the pork loin with salt and pepper.
Add cooking oil in a heavy pan.
Sear the loin on all sides (a light layer of golden crisp forms around its sides)
In a bowl mix all the ingredients together.  Make sure to dissolve the sugar.
Once the loin is seared, pour over the soy sauce mixture.
Let it boil. Once it's boiling, lower the heat and let  it simmer.
You may need to add water if it's necessary.  Flip the the pork loin on the other side and cook until completely tender.
Remove the meat from the pot and let it rest for 10 minutes
Mix conrstarch with a little water and add to thicken the sauce
Slice the pork thinly and pour over the sauce.

You may blanch some vegetables ( I used bokchoy) and a cup of steaming rice would go well with this dish.  Enjoy!