How to Cook Nilagang Baboy

Co-authored by Jessica Gibson

If you're craving Filipino comfort food, cook a pot of nilagang baboy. This boiled pork soup is easy to make as long as you give it plenty of time to simmer. For a soup full of texture, use pork spareribs and simmer it with corn, bok choy, and vegetables. If you prefer boneless pork, cut and sear cubes of pork shoulder or belly. Then cook the pork in broth along with fish sauce, green beans, and vegetables.

Ingredients

Nilagang Pork Ribs with Corn^{[1]
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2.2 pounds (1.00 kg) of pork spareribs
3 ears of corn
1 bunch of bok choy or pechay, trimmed
3 potatoes, peeled
1 onion, quartered
1 tablespoon (8 g) of whole peppercorns
¹⁄₂ inch (1.3 cm) of fresh ginger
1 bunch of spring onions, chopped
Salt according to your taste

Makes 6 to 8 servings

Nilagang Baboy with Greens

1 pound (0.45 kg) of pork shoulder or belly, cut into 2 in cubes
2 tablespoons (30 ml) of vegetable oil
1 onion, chopped
2 cloves of garlic, minced
1 inch (2.5 cm) piece of fresh ginger
1 bunch of scallions, white portions sliced into 1 inch (2.5 cm) pieces
1 tablespoon (15 ml) of fish sauce
6 to 8 cups (1,400 to 1,900 ml) of chicken or vegetable broth
2 tomatoes, cut into quarters
2 potatoes, peeled and quartered
1 carrot, peeled and sliced
1 cup (150 g) of fresh green beans
2 cups (340 g) of coarsely chopped bok choy
1 teaspoon (5.5 g) of salt
1 teaspoon (2 g) of black pepper

Makes 4 to 6 servings

Method 1

Method 1 of 2:

Nilagang Pork Ribs with Corn

1
Cut the pork spareribs and put them in a pot with water. Place 2.2 pounds (1.00 kg) of pork spareribs on a cutting board and use a sharp knife to cut in between each rib. This will make several small serving pieces. Put the individual pork spareribs into a large pot and pour in enough water to cover the spareribs by 1 inch (2.5 cm).
- The amount of water you need will depend on the size pot you're using.
2
Boil the pork spareribs for 2 to 3 minutes. Turn the burner to high heat and put the lid on the pot. Once the water begins to boil, remove the lid and boil the pork spareribs so they soften just a little.
- The pork should release protein molecules that will float like scum on the surface of the water.
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3
Replace the water and add onion, peppercorns, and ginger. Pour the scummy water out of the pot and pour in fresh water to cover the pork spareribs by 1 inch (2.5 cm). Add 1 quartered onion to the pot along with 1 tablespoon (8 g) of whole peppercorns and ¹⁄₂ inch (1.3 cm) of peeled, fresh ginger.
- If there's a lot of scum on the spareribs after you drain the water, rinse the spareribs before returning them to the pot.
4
Heat the water and simmer the mixture for 1 hour. Keep the burner at high heat so the new water in the pot begins to boil. Then turn the burner down to medium heat so the water bubbles gently. Simmer the uncovered pot of spareribs for 1 hour so the pork becomes a little softer.
- If more scum floats to the surface of the water, skim it off and discard it.
- You may need to add more water to keep the spareribs covered as they simmer.
5
Shuck 3 ears of corn and cut each into 4 pieces. Pull away the outer leaves from each ear of corn. Then grab the inner strands near the top of the ear and pull down. This should remove all of the leaves and silk. Place your shucked corn on a cutting board and cut it into 4 even pieces.
- Repeat this for the other 2 ears of corn. You should end up with 12 small corn cobettes.
6
Put the corn cobettes into the pot and simmer them for 15 to 20 minutes. Use tongs to slowly lower the 12 pieces of corn into the pot with the pork spareribs and seasonings. Continue to simmer the nilagang baboy until the corn softens and becomes bright in color.
7
Add quartered potatoes and simmer them for 5 to 8 minutes. Put 3 peeled potatoes on your cutting board and cut each one into 4 equal-sized pieces. Add the quartered potatoes to the pot and let them bubble gently. The potatoes should still hold their shape.
- Use your favorite type of potato such as russet, yukon gold, or new potatoes.
8
Put bok choy in the pot and simmer it for 2 to 3 minutes. Trim the base from 1 bunch of bok choy. If the bok choy is large, chop it into a few rough pieces. Add the pieces or smaller bok choy to the pot and stir it. Simmer the bok choy in the nilagang baboy for 2 to 3 minutes so it wilts and the remaining vegetables are completely cooked.
- If you can't find bok choy, you can use pechay instead.
9
Garnish the nilagang baboy with chopped spring onions and serve it. Turn off the burner and taste the soup. Add salt according to your taste and divide the nilagang baboy between serving dishes. Garnish each dish with some chopped spring onions and consider serving it with fish sauce (patis) and kalamansi juice.
- Refrigerate leftover nilagang baboy in an airtight container and use it within 3 or 4 days.

Method 2

Method 2 of 2:

Nilagang Baboy with Greens

1
Sauté onion, garlic, ginger, and scallions for 7 to 8 minutes. Pour 2 tablespoons (30 ml) of vegetable oil into a large pot and turn the burner to medium-high. Once the oil shimmers, stir in 1 chopped onion, 2 cloves of minced garlic, and 1 inch (2.5 cm) piece of grated fresh ginger. Add sliced scallions and cook the aromatics until the onion softens and the garlic is fragrant.
- Stir the mixture frequently so it doesn't stick to the bottom of the pot and burn.
2
Cut the pork into 2 inches (5.1 cm) cubes and add them to the pot. Put 1 pound (0.45 kg) of pork shoulder or belly onto the cutting board and use a sharp knife to cut the meat into cubes. Add the pork cubes to the pot with the sautéed aromatics.
- If you prefer a leaner cut of pork, substitute pork loin.
3
Add fish sauce and sear the pork cubes for 5 minutes. Stir 1 tablespoon (15 ml) of fish sauce into the pot with the meat and aromatics. Cook the meat over medium-high heat until the cubes brown on all sides.
- Stir the pork cubes a few times as they sear. This will help them brown evenly.
4
Stir in the broth and simmer the soup for 30 minutes. Pour 6 cups (1,400 ml) of the chicken or vegetable broth into the pot and bring the liquid to a boil. Then turn the burner down to medium so the broth bubbles gently. Simmer the nilagang baboy until the pork cubes are tender.
- If the broth evaporates as the soup cooks, add the remaining 2 cups (470 ml) of broth.
- Adjust the temperature if the broth begins to boil. You may have to turn the burner medium-low.
5
Add the tomatoes, potatoes, and carrot and simmer for 10 minutes. Cut 2 tomatoes into 4 equal-sized pieces. Then peel 2 potatoes and 1 carrot. Cut each potato into 4 equal-sized pieces and slice the carrot into ¹⁄₂ inch (1.3 cm) slices. Stir them into the soup and simmer them with the lid off so the vegetables soften.
- Remember to use a clean cutting board instead of the one you used to cut the pork. This will reduce the risk of cross-contamination.
6
Stir in the green beans, bok choy, salt, and pepper. Cut 1 cup (150 g) of fresh green beans into 2 inches (5.1 cm) pieces. Stir the green beans into the pot along with 2 cups (340 g) of coarsely chopped bok choy, 1 teaspoon (5.5 g) of salt, and 1 teaspoon (2 g) of black pepper.
- Taste the soup at this point and add more salt and pepper according to your taste.
7
Simmer the nilagang baboy for 5 minutes and serve it immediately. Let the green beans and bok choy simmer until the beans become a little tender and the bok choy wilts. Turn off the burner and serve the soup.
- Store the leftover soup in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 or 4 days.