Of all the soups we have here in the Philippines, Sinigang is my ultimate favorite of all time. There's something comforting about this sour soup. The savory taste reminds me of my mama's warm embrace. Each time I sip this wonderful soup, it brings me back to a place of solace and peace. It envelopes my whole body with so much joy. A spoonful of rice+meat+veges makes me appreciate life and all the blessing it gives. For years, this is how I cook it. I was contented with the taste, but last month, I decided to make it from scratch. I want to experience the real deal and compare it.
I wasn't prepared to be blown away by the traditional version. It was so good. I was dumbfounded by the realization of how clean the taste of the soup was. A surprising revelation. The taste was far by a mile from the shortcut version. Totally different to be honest. I'm never going back to the shortcut version again.
My version is a bit minimalist because too many vegetables overwhelm me and made me feel like I'm eating Pinakbet. I only want pechay, tomatoes, onion, string beans or baguio Beans, green chilies and dried kamias as the souring agent. To thicken the soup, I add sweet potato.
I usually use pork sinigang cut or adobo cut. I wash it several times in running water until the water is clear and there is no blood coming out of the meat. I noticed that by doing this method, I no longer need to skim off the scum on the surface of the broth because there's nothing there to skim off.
I first soaked the dried kamias in water (4 cups) for a few minutes to re-hydrate it then boil it. While boiling the souring agent, I sauté the onion and tomatoes in coconut oil until softened and translucent, then I remove it in the pan and sit aside. In the same pan, I sear the meat for 2 to 3 minutes on each side, then I transfer the meat, onion and tomatoes to a pot and add the souring agent water (remove the dried kamias first) then cook until the meat is tender. Add the string beans/baguio beans and sweet potato and cook until tender. Then add pechay and chilies and continue to simmer for a few minutes. Lastly, I add black whole pepper, salt and fish sauce to taste. Serve hot with rice.
