Kitchen Confidentials - Salmon Sinigang

In most Filipino kitchens rarely would they run low on onions, garlic, tomatoes or ginger; toyo (soy sauce) and/or patis (fish sauce) - good God I think we have bags of these that would last us the whole month. Not to mention some sort of "sour soup"  (Sinigang) base powder. 

This morning I did an inventory check of the pantry and saw that I was still good with the "usual suspects", the only thing I had to do was find out from my tribe which kind of Sinigang they wanted - beef, pork or fish.

Since it's been a while this is what they requested...

The usual suspects:

1 large onion, sliced
1/2 cup sliced ginger
3 medium tomatoes, chopped into 8 piece wedges each
Tamarind soup base
patis
salt (if needed)


Accessories:


Tamarind leaves, 1 pack (1/2 lb.) 227 g
Okra, 12 pieces
Petchay, 1 bag - cleaned and trimmed of white stalk, green leafy part only
*optional: Banana pepper for spice


The Culprit:

3.5 - 4 lbs. Salmon head + cheeks

Korean Inspired BBQ Marinade

Summer to me means BBQ, grilling and quick meals. But if you're a working mother like me it's always practical to have something prepared ahead of time for easy cooking, not to mention something you can make yourself at home instead of buying something ready in a jar just to be stored in the frig for months on end. Here's my recipe on a Filipino BBQ marinade with a twist! The most common components in Asian marinades are soy sauce, sugar and garlic... this here is inspired by the taste of Korean short-ribs, yet still keeping true to the Pinoy flavors.

Ingredients:

1 tbsp garlic, minced or store bought readily minced
1x1 inch piece of ginger
1 medium onion,  diced
1 cup soy sauce
3/4 cup water
1 tbsp sesame seed oil
1 tbsp roasted sesame seeds
1/3 cup brown sugar or 1 can (15.25 oz) Crushed Pineapple in 100% juice
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1/2 ground black pepper

*Note: good for 2.5-3 lbs of meat

Ingredients

(Before) not only for added sweetness but also a tenderizer

 

(After) then add the rest of the ingredients

Voila!... Ready for any meat!