Igado (Pork and Liver Stew)
Igado is pork and liver braised in vinegar and soy sauce with peas and bell peppers. It has similar flavor components and preparation as adobo; where you cook off the raw vinegar flavor without stirring for the first 5 minutes. While liver might be a turn off to some, I’ve always been a huge fan. Liver happens to be more nutrient dense than muscle meat; being high in vitamins A, D, E, folic acid, and iron. It also costs around $2/lbs. For the pork, I used pork sirloin. It is an inexpensive cut that is still tender. You can substitute pork shoulder or belly. While the dish traditionally uses beef liver, I chose to double up the pork love and use pork liver. It is slightly milder in flavor compared to beef. Make sure to cut both the pork and liver in equally sized pieces.
Servings: 4
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp vegetable oil
- 1 large red bell pepper sliced into strips
- 1 lb pork sirloin cut into strips
- 1 medium onion thinly sliced
- 6 garlic cloves chopped
- 1/2 cup vinegar
- 1/4 cup soy sauce
- 1 cup water
- 1/2 tsp cracked black pepper
- 3 bay leaves
- 1 lb pork liver cut into strips
- 1/2 cup peas
- salt to taste
Instructions
- Marinate the pork with the onions, garlic, vinegar, soy sauce, bay leaves, and black pepper for 20 minutes.
- Drain the marinade from the pork and save.
- Heat up the cooking oil in a large sauté pan over medium high heat. Sauté the red bell pepper for 1 minute. Set aside in a bowl.
- In the same pan, add in the pork and onions. Sauté for 5 minutes.
- Pour in the saved marinade. Simmer for 5 minutes without stirring.
- Pour in the water. Bring to a boil. Cover. Reduce the heat to medium low and simmer for 25 minutes.
- Add in the liver. Simmer uncovered for 5 minutes.
- Stir in the peas. Continue simmering for 2 minutes.
- Add in the bell peppers and season with salt. Cook for 1 more minute.
