Pork Jamonado

Sorry people, the picture does not do justice to the lovely flavours it had. I did not take a picture of the whole pork shoulder roll because the strings came off and it didn't look one bit like a roll. :) As the name suggests, this is pork cooked 'ham style' or jamonado. You will have to adjust the seasonings such as salt and sugar to get the taste you want. It is easy make and easier to adjust to one's preference.

This recipe came all the way from my Ate Viya's kitchen in Cavite. She's my mother's youngest sister. I have to call her long distance for this. She dictated the ingredients and procedure over the phone from memory. Like any seasoned cooks, she often just guesstimate the measurements. So when she told me to have one tabo (jug) of pineapple juice I have to specifically ask her how big is the tabo. In the end we concluded it's most probably 4 cups.

I included this in the list of Noche Buena recipes I compiled for the Pinoy Expat Ezine's December issue. Check it out - click here. Although as of today (28th Dec. '04) it seems they're having problems with the site; when you navigate there it's showing the October issue. :( Try it going to it after a few days I'm sure they would have straightened the problem by then.


Pork Jamonado

1 kilo whole pork shoulder - rolled and tied into a log
2 1/2 Tbsp sea salt
6 Tbsp sugar
4 cups pineapple juice
2 bay leaves
3 Tbsp cooking wine
1/2 Tbsp peppercorn
2 Tbsp butter
1 Tbsp hoisin sauce (optional)
brown sugar
1 Tbsp cornstarch dissolved in 1 Tbsp water (optional)

1. Combine all ingredients in a pot except the brown sugar.
2. Cook pork until tender (about 1 1/2 hours) by simmering gently in low heat. Stir from time to time to prevent it getting scorched.
3. Once tender, remove pork from pot, set aside.
4. Reduce sauce until thick; taste and adjust seasonings; add brown sugar if needed.
5. (Optional) Add cornstarch mixture and cook until thick.
6. Removing strings from the pork and slice crosswise. Serve warm with the sauce.