Food & Receipts

The Ultimate Guide to Cooking Pork Belly and Green Banana Stew: A Delicious and Unique Dish to Impress Your Family and Friends

Today, we'll be taking a culinary journey as we explore a unique and mouthwatering dish - Green Banana Braised Pork. This delicious concoction blends the tender goodness of pork with the subtle sweetness of unripe bananas, creating a flavor profile that's both comforting and intriguing. Get ready to tantalize your taste buds and impress your family and friends with this extraordinary culinary creation!

Administrator

9 July, 2024

Preparation
25 minutes Cooking
30 minutes Serves
2 – 3 people

Pork and green banana stew is a unique and intriguing dish that you may not have tried before. Join us today as we explore the recipe for this mouthwatering creation!

1 Ingredients for Pork and Green Banana Stew

100g pork belly
2 green bananas
Chopped betel leaves
Chopped shallots
Lemongrass
Seasonings: fish sauce, salt, sugar, monosodium glutamate, pepper, turmeric powder, and spring onions

Ingredients for Pork and Green Banana Stew

Tips for selecting tasty green bananas
– Opt for green bananas with a deep green color, ensuring they are fresh and of moderate size.
– Look for bananas with black spots on the peel, and those that are slightly yellow as they tend to be riper and sweeter. Avoid small, soft, or bruised bananas.
Guidelines for choosing fresh pork
– Aim for pork cuts with an equal ratio of lean meat to fat. Fresh pork should have good elasticity, a dry surface, and no signs of freezing.
– The meat should be a vibrant pink color, devoid of any black or purple spots, which could indicate chemical treatment.

2 Cooking Instructions for Pork and Green Banana Stew

Step 1 Prepare the Ingredients

After purchasing the pork belly, remove any unpleasant odors by rinsing it briefly with water and scrubbing it with salt. Once you’ve salted and rinsed the meat, give it a final wash and let it air dry.

Cut the pork into bite-sized pieces and marinate it with ½ tablespoon of chopped garlic, ½ teaspoon of seasoning powder, ⅓ teaspoon of pepper, and 1 teaspoon of turmeric powder for about 15 minutes to allow the flavors to permeate the meat.

Preparing the Pork

For the green bananas, peel and cut them into segments approximately 1.5 finger lengths, then halve them lengthwise. Soak the bananas in a bowl of clean water to prevent discoloration.

Next, blanch the bananas in a diluted salt water solution for 3-5 minutes. Transfer the bananas to a bowl of cold water to halt the cooking process and let them cool down. Drain the bananas once they’re cool.

Preparing the Green Bananas

Step 2 Cook the Stew

Heat up a clay pot on the stove and add 1 tablespoon of cooking oil and ½ tablespoon of chopped garlic. Sauté the garlic over medium heat until it turns golden and fragrant. Then, add the marinated pork and continue stir-frying for about 2 minutes until the meat is partially cooked. Pour in 150ml of water, 1 tablespoon of fish sauce, ½ tablespoon of sugar, and 1 teaspoon of monosodium glutamate. Mix well to ensure the meat absorbs the flavors.

After simmering for a while, add the prepared bananas and cook for another 5 minutes over medium heat. Let the meat and bananas cook until tender, and the sauce thickens. Once done, remove from the heat and transfer to a serving bowl. Garnish with chopped betel leaves for a touch of color.

Cooking the Stew

Step 3 Serving Suggestion

The finished pork and green banana stew will have a vibrant yellow hue from the turmeric, and its aroma will be absolutely tantalizing. The pork will be tender and flavorful, perfectly complemented by the soft, slightly sweet green bananas and the savory broth.

Final Dish

3 Enjoying the Dish

Enjoying the Dish

Frequently asked questions

It is a delicious and unique dish that originates from Vietnam. The star ingredients are pork belly and green (unripe) bananas, which are cooked together in a flavorful stew.

First, prepare the pork belly by cutting it into bite-sized pieces and marinating it in a mixture of fish sauce, sugar, and black pepper. Meanwhile, peel and cut the green bananas into slices. In a pot, heat oil and fry the marinated pork belly until browned. Then, add water, bring it to a boil, and simmer until the pork is tender. Finally, add the banana slices and season with more fish sauce and black pepper to taste. Let it simmer until the bananas are soft and cooked through.

For the pork belly marinade, you’ll need 2 tablespoons of fish sauce, 1 tablespoon of sugar, and 1 teaspoon of ground black pepper per pound of pork belly. Additionally, you will need unripe green bananas (approximately 2-3 bananas per pound of pork), more fish sauce for seasoning, and ground black pepper to taste.