Menudo

Ahh...Menudo. A staple in Filipino feasts, menudo is also often served at home and in carinderias (informal food stands) and in office or school canteens. However, it's not something I always see in the menus of local restaurants. It's one of my favorite local dishes though it sure doesn't sound local; more like Spanish where the word "menudo" means small or little. And that's apparently how this dish, which is made up mainly of small cubes of pork and pork liver, got its name. Whatever its true origin is, I'm just glad I could cook a simple version of this Spanish-Filipino dish all in one pot.

INGREDIENTS:
* A kilo of pork kasim chopped into small cubes
* Half a kilo of pork liver, also chopped into small cubes
* Two medium sized potatoes, cut into small cubes
* One big carrot, cut into small cubes
* A big red onion and about 4 pcs of garlic chopped coarsely
* A small box of raisins
* A dozen of pitted olives
* Three cups of tomato sauce
* A teaspoon of sugar (optional)
* Soy sauce, salt and pepper to taste
* A bay leaf

TO COOK:
* Saute garlic and onion
* Add pork and a glass of water. Boil briefly.
* Add carrots, potato and tomato sauce. Also add the salt, pepper, soy sauce and bay leaf.
* Simmer for like 10 minutes before adding the chopped liver.
* Simmer some more till the liver is cooked before adding the raisins and olives.
* If it's a bit sour to the taste due to the tomato sauce, balance it with a teaspoon of sugar.
* Enjoy with hot rice.