Pork Sinigang or sinigang baboy is a sour soup from the Tagalog region of the Philippines. This version is made with tamarind. It features stewed meat with a variety of vegetables.
What does sinigang mean?
Sinigang can be made using a variety of different meats and vegetables. Pork, beef, shrimp, and fish are the most common proteins used.
Sinigang na baboy
This version of pork sinigang is made using a mixture of pork ribs and pork shoulder.
Pork shoulder (also known as picnic shoulder) or pork butt are perfect for this recipe.
Both cuts of meat are rather tough and fatty. Both benefit from long, slow cooking making them an ideal choice for this stew dish.
Boston butt is another great option. This cut refers to the meat that includes both the shoulder and butt.
Why include a mixture of bone and meat?
Bones provide a ton of flavor! Bones are also very rich in nutrients. (Which is why bone broth soup has gained popularity over the last 5 years!)
Any kind of pork ribs will work: spareribs, baby back ribs, St. Louis-style ribs, etc. If you buy these at an Asian supermarket, it’s likely that it will simply be labeled as “pork ribs.”
Soup Souring Agents
Sampalok or green unripe tamarind is the most common souring agent used. Other fruit options include: calamansi, green mango, santol (cotton fruit), or bayabas (guava).
Packaged Soup Base Mixes
Filipino supermarkets (like Seafood City and Pacific Islander) have an entire wall full of powdered mixes for soups and stews. More recently, I have also started seeing these mixes in the Asian section of American supermarkets (Vons and Ralphs).
Of course, these mixes can also be purchased online.
Mama Sita’s, Knorr, and Fil-Choice Brand are the most commonly available brands. They offer several different souring agent options. The mixes above feature sampalok (tamarind) and bayabas (guava).
These powdered soup mixes are very easy to use. However, they do contain a ton of sodium, monosodium glutamate (MSG), and additional preservatives.
Many brands also contain shrimp powder. Therefore, the packaged mixes are not a good option for those with shellfish allergies.
For those reasons, I prefer to use the organic tamarind paste photographed below.
Tamarind Paste
I’m a fan of the tamarind paste photographed above. Aunt Patty’s Tamarind Paste is available at Sprouts and Whole Foods Market. Several of my local supermarkets (Ralphs, Vons, and Albertsons) also carry this product.
This paste just has one ingredient: tamarind pulp!
NOTE: Aunt Patty’s has recently changed their packaging. It is now labeled as GloryBee Organic Tamarind Puree.
Asian supermarkets (especially Thai and Indian markets) have an abundance of tamarind paste, puree, and powder options.
Sinigang Vegetable Options
Asides from the stewed protein, sinigang is known for its abundance of vegetables. Onion and tomato are staple flavoring agents. The onions provide a rounded sweetness to the soup, while the tomato adds umami and color.
Choose among these vegetables:
- Sitaw (yardlong bean) also known as Chinese long bean or snake bean is a very common vegetable used.
- Talong (eggplant) from the Philippines are long and skinny, similar to Japanese eggplant. This eggplant is less bitter than the common globe eggplant or Italian eggplant found in American supermarkets.
- Okra is often added whole. However, you may also choose to slice them into bite-sized pieces. Fresh or frozen okra works fine.
- Labanos (white radish) is also known as daikon. It is a common ingredient in Asian cuisine. It has an interesting sweet yet spicy flavor when cooked. The radish is crunchy when raw, but because soft and creamy after stewing in the soup.
- Kangkong (water spinach) can be difficult to find in the United States. I highly recommend going to Filipino market to find this fresh green. Chinese varieties known as ongchoy, Chinese spinach, or Chinese watercress may be easier to find in large Asian supermarket chains.
- Gabi (taro) is the root of the taro plant. This starchy tuber tastes like a cross between a Russet potato and a sweet potato. Adding gabi to sinigang will slightly thicken the soup.
- Mustasa (mustard greens) adds a nice sharp and peppery bite to sinigang. Mustard greens are great for soups because it can withstand long cooking. This is my FAVORITE vegetable to add to my soup.
More readily available American options:
- Bok Choy
- Green bean
- Young broccoli or broccolini
- Swiss chard
- Collard Greens
- Zucchini
How to cook stove top pork singigang
To start, you need a large stock pot (preferably 10 to 12 quarts in size) and a heat source (stove, induction burner, or open fire).
- Place the pork ribs in the stock pot. Top with cool water. It’s better to err on the side of more water at this point. Bring to a boil. Boil for 10 minutes to release pork bone impurities. Skim any foam or fat that may rise to the surface.
- Then, add pork butt chunks. Continue to boil for another 5 minutes. Drain ribs and meat. Discard water. Rinse out any impurities or dirty bits that may have stuck to the pot.
- Place par-cooked ribs and meats back into the clean stock pot. Cover with 12 cups of cool water. *see TIP BOX below!
- Add quartered tomato and onion. Bring mixture to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 30-40 minutes until rib bone meat and pork chunks are tender.
- Add desired vegetables. Simmer until vegetables have softened. *see tips for vegetable cooking time below
- Stir in tamarind paste. Season with salt to taste. Simmer for additional 3-5 minutes. Serve HOT with rice.
Cool Water for Soups and Stock
Notes Regarding Vegetable Cooking Times:
Vegetables cook at different rates. Cook the thicker, heartier vegetables first. Add delicate greens towards the end.
Long cooking:
- Gabi (taro) 20-25 minutes
- Labanos (white radish) 10-15 minutes
- Talong (eggplant) 10-15 minutes
- Sitaw (yardlong bean) 8-10 minutes
- Okra 8-10 minutes
Fast Cooking (5 minutes or less):
- kangkong (water spinach)
- mustasa (mustard greens)
- bok choy
Pork Sinigang (Sinigang na baboy)
Equipment
- large stock pot
Ingredients
- 500 grams pork ribs, about 1 pound
- 900 grams pork butt or pork shoulder, about 2 pounds, cut into 2-inch chunks
- 12 cups cool water
- 2 cups tomato*, about 4 pieces, quartered
- 1 yellow onion, chopped
- 450 grams white radish, (labanos), about 1 pound, peeled, cut into ¼-inch disks
- 200 grams yard long beans, cut into 3-inch pieces
- 2 bunches mustard greens, large chopped
- 3 bunches water spinach , (kangkong) stems cut into 3-inch pieces, leaf portion as is
- 3 Tbsp tamarind paste
- 1 ½ Tbsp kosher salt, or more to taste
Instructions
- Place pork ribs in a large stock pot.* Cover with cool water. Bring to a boil. Boil for 10 minutes to release impurities from pork bones. Skim any foam and fat that rises to the surface.
- Add pork butt. Continue to boil for another 5 minutes. Drain ribs and meat. Discard water. Rinse out any impurities or dirty bits that may have stuck to the pot.
- Place par-cooked ribs and meat back into the clean stock pot. Cover with 12 cups cool water.*
- Add tomato and onion. Bring mixture to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 30-40 minutes until rib bone meat and pork chunks are tender.
- Add white radish and yardlong beans. Simmer for about 10 minutes, until vegetables are tender. Add mustard greens. Simmer for another 3 minutes. Add water spinach leaves and stems.
- Stir in tamarind pate and salt. Simmer for an additional 3-5 minutes. Taste. Add more salt to taste. Remove from heat. Serve sinigang hot with white rice.
Notes
- Use a large stock pot, preferably 10 to 12 quarts in size
Vegetable Cooking Times
Vegetables cook at different rates. Cook thicker, heartier vegetables first. Add delicate, leafy greens towards the end. Long cooking:- Gabi (taro) 20-25 minutes
- Labanos (white radish) 10-15 minutes
- Talong (eggplant) 10-15 minutes
- Sitaw (yardlong bean) 8-10 minutes
- Okra 8-10 minutes
- kangkong (water spinach)
- mustasa (mustard greens)
- bok choy
COOKING TIP
- Always use cold or cool tap water for when making soups or stock. In general, cold water should be used when preparing all foods or drinks.
- Hot tap water often has higher levels of minerals. Many home pipes contain lead and other heavy metals that may leach into water. These particles dissolve more quickly in hot water than cold.
Nutrition
Interested in more Filipino soups and stews? Try these recipes:
- Chicken arroz caldo is the ultimate Filipino comfort food. A bowl of this rice porridge is sure to warm and fill your stomach.
- Chicken sotanghon soup features mung bean thread noodles, shredded chicken, shiitake mushrooms, and a savory rich blend of ginger, garlic, and onions.
Recipe is perfect. I love everything about this Pork Sinigang. I have already made this twice. The only thing I added was 2 tbsp. fish sauce.
Thank you for this recipe! It was easy and delicious. I cooked it for my Filipino husband and he was happy!