Meat Recipes for Students in a Hurry

Adobo
Contributor: Tricia J. Capistrano, New York University, New York

Notes: Every Filipino family has their own way of cooking Adobo. Before I left for NY, I watched Ana Canillas, our family cook prepare the dish to make sure I could recreate the taste when I moved away from home. So far, I think the version she taught me requires the least preparation time so this is what we chose to post.

Brian Boo Gozun, a Filipino graduate student in London cooks his version of Adobo by waiting for the mixture of vinegar, garlic, salt, and pepper to boil before adding in the meat. He also adds sugar or a teaspoon-full of oyster sauce for added taste. An interesting ingredient Brian adds which I’ve copied is to add a few strips of green pepper. It helps absorb the fat from the meat.
Another variation is to follow the exact recipe below and then add a can of coconut milk before leaving the concoction to boil. Voila! Adobong Gata!

Ingredients:
1/2 cup vinegar
1/2 cup soy sauce
1 1/2 tablespoons crushed garlic
a pinch of salt
1 tablespoon peppercorn
1 bay leaf
2 lbs. pork or chicken or both (remove fatty parts if you prefer)

1. Put all ingredients in a sauce pan.
2. Cook over low fire for 35 minutes.


Bistek Tagalog
Contributor: Jay Gatmaitan, Erasmus University, Rotterdam
Ingredients:
1-2 lbs. beef slices
3 lemons
1 cup soy sauce
2 onions sliced

1. Marinate beef in lemon juice and soy sauce for at least 30 minutes.
2. Cut up onions into rings.
3. Pour beef, marinade into pan.
4. Add onion rings.
5. Heat until cooked thoroughly.

Chicken in Sinigang Mix
Contributor: Lisa Lazaro, Lesley College, Massachusetts
Ingredients:
1-2 lbs. chicken breasts or thighs
one pack Sinigang mix
1. Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Cover the chicken with the mix depending on how badly you miss the mukhasim taste.
3. Pop the chicken into the oven and leave it for 30-40 minutes. (If you choose to keep the chicken skin on, leave the chicken for much longer to get the skin crispy.)

Pork Chops in 7-Up
Contributor: Rose Ann Ong, Singapore
Ingredients:
1-2 lbs. pork chops
2 teaspoons garlic
½ cup vinegar
½ cup water or 7-Up
a pinch of pepper
a pinch of salt

1. Marinate pork-chops in a mixture of garlic, vinegar, pepper, salt, water or 7-Up for at least 30 minutes.
2. Put some oil in the frying pan and heat until the pork chop is cooked thoroughly

Quesadillas
Contributed by: Therese Ng, New York University, New York
Ingredients:
Flour tortillas
Cheese (Monterey Jack, cheddar or a combination of both)
Optional fillings: onions, tomatoes, garlic, bacon, chorizo, leftover chicken, refried beans (and anything else you can think of)
Butter

1. Melt small amount butter in wide pan (preferable nonstick) and spread.
2. Place tortilla flat on pan. Cover 1/2 of the tortilla area with cheese and other fillings.
3. Fold other half of tortilla over the filling and wait about 30 seconds to a minute.
4. Flip over like an omelette.
5. Cook until tortilla is brown and/or the cheese melts. Another 30 seconds to one minute. Alternative cooking method: bake the tortilla instead of cooking in pan.

Reliable Giniling
Contributor: Ma. Victoria Goseco, Columbia University, New York
Ingredients:
2 teaspoons garlic
1 onion
1-2 lbs. ground pork, beef, or turkey
1-2 potatoes, diced
2-4 carrots, diced
1 small box raisins
½ cup green peas
1 small can tomato paste (for color)

1. Mix all ingredients in a skillet on medium fire for about 30 minutes.
2. Serve over rice.

Sweet Spare Ribs
Contributor: Ma. Victoria Goseco, Columbia University, New York
Ingredients:
1-2 lbs. spare ribs
1/2 – 1 cup soy sauce
1 teaspoon garlic
2 teaspoons peppercorn
1 bay leaf
¼ cup pineapple juice
1 can pineappple chunks

1. Put all ingredients in a sauce pan. Boil for 30 minutes.

Mexican Chicken
Contributor: Erwin Tiongson, Fordham University, Georgetown University, George Washington University
Ingredients:
1-2 cups chicken breast, shredded
1-2 cans cream of mushroom
10-15 slices of cheddar cheese
diced tomato, green peppers, red peppers, onions
1 big bag of tortilla chips

1. Boil chicken and shred.
2. Meanwhile, place tortilla chips until the entire bottom of the 8x8 pan is covered.
3. Mix chicken and cream of mushroom soup and tomato, red peppers and onions.
4. Pour mixture on top of tortilla chips.
5. Cover the chicken-cream of mushroom mixture with the cheese slices until completely covered.
6. Bake for 15-30 minutes or until cheese is melted.

Wise Words: Pre-chopped bottled garlic in the grocery stores doesn’t have the same taste as chopped-at-home garlic. Although it is a real pain to chop, it is one of the most essential ingredients in any dish. I spend a part of a Sunday afternoon peeling and chopping garlic. Instructions: Put the chopped garlic in an air-tight bottle with some olive oil and it should last a few weeks or so. Store chopped garlic in the fridge. Or, you could buy garlic that’s already peeled and chop them yourself. --Lia Uy-Tioco, New York University, New York