Sinigang is a tangy meat and vegetable soup from the Philippines. This version is based on a dish by Janice Dulce, chef and owner of FOB Kitchen in Oakland, California.
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Too sour for me. Tried cooking it twice and could not stand the sour taste.
This is last meal status, my Lola’s specialty, i can eat every week. I use kale because this is the only way Kale taste good to me. Okra is a must and so is tomatoes. I’ve always used the packets because I’m lazy but now I have to try this recipe, ironic that I’m learning it from Americans but my family elders have all passed now.
No matter where we are in this country, FOB is a standard we’ve all used to demean our family members who got here from the motherland. Now that I’m older, rather than be embarrassed for what that name means, I’ve embraced it. Great episode.
So legit sinigang actually uses young, unripe tamarind as its souring agent. Using ripe sweet tamarind or sweet tamarind paste is a more a Thai thing, but it's understandable given the rarity of young unripe tamarinds even in the Philippines. This is also why we just use instant sinigang powder because doing it the traditional way is no longer feasible. As for the ribs, we actually use what we call "sinigang ribs" or the riblets near the upper part towards the shoulder with a bit more cartilage. The long simmering of the cartilage is also what helps give that sticky, gelatinous mouthfeel to long simmered sinigang, similar to a tonkotsu broth.
Thai chilis are also too strong for this. Filipino light green "banana chilis" are closer in flavor and heat to green peperoncinos.
Ginger in sinigang is also… no. That's for tinola. Not sinigang. Also no calamansi in sinigang.
Looks great! If only I could get there!!
It aint legit though. Tasty sure, but definitely not the sinigang all Filipinos eat.
This episode has turned me into Uncle Roger! While I appreciate the representation, Cook’s Country should’ve sought the stories of an Auntie for a more accurate dish. Sinigang DOESN’T HAVE GINGER, (HAIYAA!!! )which is a very strong flavor component that interferes with the flavor of GREEN (raw) TAMARIND. The tamarind used was wrong, which is sweet. We use green tamarind which is sour. Filipinos have perfected it with Sinigang packets readily available in Asian stores. There’s no shame in using it. Keep the sweet tamarind for making drinks and Pad Thai. Use spinach bunch in place of water spinach ( morning glory or kang kong) and definitely not bok choy! That’s for Nilaga and Kare Kare! Now everyone’s going to make it and think this is how we make Sinigang (HAIYAA!!!) Cook’s Country, you’ve made Jaime Oliver and Rachael Ray proud!
Bkt naihaw ang baboy .mapait n yun
I love pork sinigang with simple veggies of mustard greens (American or Chinese) and Japanese Daikon as the main vegetables.
Any pork cut works, but I think most households use pork butt, pork shoulder, Boston butt or similar. I have never enjoyed pork ribs as it was usually served with boneless pork in restaurants.
I don’t favor Fish soup but…….. salmon collar or salmon belly is a delish sinigang..
FOB is on my list, whenever I can make it to Oakland. Hope she opens a FOB 2 in the peninsula or south bay.
I grew up a Midwest steak and potatoes kind of kid so it took me quite a while to warm up to sinigang when I married a young Filipina back in 1974. Loved much of the other food she cooked, but struggled with the sourness of the soup. Now it is a regular on-the-table comfort food for us. I prefer the pork ribs version, but Mrs. Rick likes the salmon belly/heads one so that is what we get most of the time. ❤❤❤❤ As a note, country-style pork ribs are great, and sized perfectly out of the package for the soup.
Tamarind seems like an exotic ingredient to a lot of folk, but it is really more common in prepared food than they realize. One very common example is Worcestershire sauce. It is a key part of the recipe.
Sinigang is probably one of the easiest soups to make. You can just put everything in one pot, let it boil, simmer, get the meat tender, put the veggies once almost done. Traditionally, the tamarind used are the unripe ones which are still green and not brown (these are already ripe) inside. Those are much much sour. Today, most people would iust use the packet sinigang mix cause using fresh tamarind is a lot more work 😂 instead of pork, fish and shrimp is also commonly used. Fish head (like tuna) is used too in sinigang, and it is delicious. And instead of tamarind, other fruits are also now being used – green mango, guava, even watermelon. You can also add some taro slices to thicken the broth, or even miso..
I don’t put ginger in my pork sinigang. I also use red onion and tomatoes. But still your sinigang looks yummy.
Yum!
Yesssss…my guy! You’re using all fresh ingredients and even doing the legit tamarind sauce! Asian moms would be proud of u brother. U can even use chicken for this. Other Asian cultures have their own version of sinigang with less ingredients but tasstes similar. Good job
love how sinigang is getting its time under the global spotlight
Thanks much! Next Suggestion: TINOLANG MANOK, plssss😶
Thank you, ATK, for introducing Sinigang (and Adobo!) to many people out there who have never tried Filipino food. As a Filipino, I can say that you stayed true to the soul of this dish, even mentioning that calamansi is what would traditionally be used because that’s the local citrus most commonly used in Philippine kitchens. Also, instead of plain water many home cooks use “rice wash” – it's the liquid resulting from rinsing rice before cooking. Save this to use in your sinigang. Rice is the perfect accompanying side dish! This recipe looks so delicious I’m excited to try your version. Thank you for spotlighting Filipino cuisine in this video. I hope people enjoy this dish enough to try more Filipino dishes like sisig, pancit, etc. that are just as satisfying.
Of note: the box says sweet tamarind. That’s because it isn’t a sour tamarind – tamarinds come in sour and sweet varieties. Sweet varieties are meant to be eaten out of hand. If you cook a sinigang with sweet tamarind, you may be disappointed. Or at the very least, perplexed.
My then Filipina girlfriend said to me, "I'm going to make sinigang tonight." I said, "sina…, sini…what???". She says, "sour soup." And I said, "Okay." Seriously, it is one of my most favorite dishes but your version is definitely a "gourmet" version. She'd make it with any bone-in pork and a lot of soup. The only thing she didn't use was the okra; which I'm definitely going to try. I am from the Southern U.S. and I've always said Filipino cooking was very similar to Southern cooking.
Sinigang! I make it with beef short ribs and calamansi – I add the tomatoes later with the vegetables but I think I’ll try it this way next time with the tomatoes at the start
Recipe starts at 3:23
How long does the tamarind paste last once opened?
Love tamarind. Used to find it in my favorite steak sauce.
Love that you showed how to eat with a spoon and fork too!
Hope you avoided stepping in human feces while you were in there. The bay area has no "thriving" residents. Ask them.
Love love sinigang…. def a comfort food and been intimidated to cook it. Delish on a plate of hot white rice!
Oakland in the house!!!