Friday, January 13, 2017

Slow Cooker Pork Afritada




Afritada is a Spanish influenced Filipino dish that is cooked in tomatoes. I used diced fire roasted ones and tomato paste in this pork version of this very popular type of dish in the Philippines. You can use also tomato sauce, ketchup or even fresh tomatoes. I have posted Chicken Afritada in this blog in the past which had similar ingredients as this pork version.

The vegetable that I consider a must in any afritada recipe is green or red pepper. For me it gives that taste that distinguishes the dish from other Filipino ones. Potatoes and carrots are also added. Typically fish sauce is the source of the salty flavor in the afritada but in this recipe I used soy sauce and Worcestershire sauce. You can use either fish or soy sauce depending on what you have on hand. As in most dishes of Spanish origin in the Philippines, bay leaves and whole peppercorn were added.

The pork gives the dish a lot of richness and I would say equals or even beats the chicken version in flavor. My husband, my picky taster, gives this dish two thumbs up. Pork is always on sale and any type will work in this dish. It has the advantage of keeping its form in the slow cooker, my favorite cooking gadget.

You just dump all the ingredients in the slow cooker and forget it, and you can be assured of a dish everybody in your family would love especially over white rice. Have plenty of the latter.

Slow Cooker Pork Afritada

Inspired by this recipe in this blog
  • 3 lb pork country ribs or any other type, cut into one inch cubes
  • 1 green pepper, sliced
  • 2 cups baby carrots
  • 2 stalks celery, sliced
  • 1 onion, chopped
  • 2 garlic cloves, minced
  • 3 potatoes, cut into cubes
  • 1-14 oz can diced fire roasted tomatoes
  • 3 tbsp tomato paste
  • 2 tbsp soy sauce
  • 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
  • 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 2 tsp whole peppercorn
  • 1 tsp salt or to taste

Place all the ingredients in the slow cooker. Cook for four hours at high setting or eight hours at low.  I cooked mine in an Aroma brand rice cooker/slow cooker for three hours at slow cooker setting.


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