Classic Pork Menudo
Menudong Baboy
Classic Filipino pork menudo—uniform pork and liver cubes simmered in thick tomato sauce with hotdog, potato, carrot, bell pepper, green peas, garbanzos, raisins, and bay leaves.
Serves 8 · 90m total
The Story
Menudo is the handaan and Sunday ulam that Filipino kids recognize before they know the recipe name—cubes of pork and liver in thick orange-red tomato sauce, hotdog rounds peeking through, potato and carrot in every spoonful. It shows up at birthday parties beside lumpia and leche flan, and at home when someone dice-chops everything on a wooden board and the whole kitchen smells like garlic and laurel.
The dish takes its name from Spanish menudo, small bits—and that still describes the cooking. Every ingredient is cut to the same 1 cm dice so nothing finishes early or late. Pork shoulder (kasim) gives body; liver gives the unmistakable menudo taste. Raisins and garbanzos split households (some lolas skip them; others insist)—the handaan-style menudo many Filipino families know.
What separates good menudo from soupy tomato pork is technique passed down through generations: sear the pork for fond, bloom tomato paste before liquid, simmer in layers, and add liver at the right moment. Menudo became one of the defining tomato stews of Filipino party cooking—a cousin to afritada and caldereta, but unmistakably its own.
Menudo at the handaan
Party ulam
Served in big trays with rice, lumpia, and pancit—menudo is built to feed a crowd and still look festive in the bowl.
Every cube counts
Uniform dice is not fussiness—it is how pork, liver, potato, and carrot finish together and look like the photo.
Better tomorrow
Like many tomato stews, menudo deepens overnight—reheat gently with a splash of broth.
Uniform cubes—why size matters
1 cm dice (best)
Pork, liver, potato, and carrot all the same size—cooks evenly and looks like your photo.
Prep ahead
Dice everything before searing—menudo moves fast once the sauce is going.
Liver last
Quick-sear liver separately, add near the end—overcooked liver turns grainy.
Thick, not soupy
Simmer uncovered at the end until sauce clings to every cube—classic menudo texture.
Soak liver in vinegar water briefly if you are sensitive to strong liver flavor—it keeps the stew balanced.
Robust tomato base—why it works
- Tomato paste first — Cook paste in oil until it deepens—builds the rich orange sauce in your photo.
- Bay leaves — Three laurel leaves through the simmer—classic Filipino menudo aroma.
- Soy + patis — Layered umami; adjust at the end rather than salting early.
- Raisins + garbanzos — Sweet-savory balance and extra texture—the handaan-style menudo many families know.
Simmering techniques
- Sear the pork — Browning adds depth before the tomato sauce goes in.
- Potato timing — Add after pork is almost tender—potatoes should hold their cube shape.
- Delicate add-ins — Hotdog, bell pepper, peas, and raisins go in last so colors stay bright.
- Rest before serving — 5 minutes off heat lets the sauce thicken and flavors meld.
Best paired with
Steamed rice and lumpiang shanghai for a birthday handaan spread—or leche flan for dessert
Key ingredients (from your photo)
Pork + liver
Kasim for body, liver for classic menudo flavor—both cut to matching cubes.
Hotdog rounds
Bright red beef hotdog slices—party menudo signature.
Bell pepper + peas
Green and red peppers plus green peas for color and freshness.
Potato + carrot
Pale yellow potato and orange carrot cubes—the hearty base of the stew.
Variations
Classic menudo
This recipe—tomato, liver, hotdog, potato, carrot, peas, bay leaf.
Menudo without liver
Add extra pork shoulder and skip liver—still use bay leaves and tomato base.
Spicy menudo
Add 2 siling haba with the bell peppers for gentle heat.
Make-ahead
Tastes better next day—reheat gently with a splash of broth.
Cooking outside the Philippines
- Fish sauce (patis) → soy sauce + pinch of salt, or Asian fish sauce
- Hotdogs → beef franks or Filipino-style red hotdog if available
- Tomato sauce → passata or crushed tomatoes + 1 tsp sugar
Lola's Tips
- ✦Dice pork, liver, potato, and carrot to the same 1 cm size before you turn on the stove—menudo is prep-heavy but moves fast once cooking starts.
- ✦Soak liver in vinegar water 10 minutes if you are sensitive to strong liver flavor; pat dry before quick-searing.
- ✦Do not skip the pork sear—fond in the pot is free flavor for the tomato sauce.
- ✦Sear pork in two batches; overcrowding steams the meat instead of browning it.
- ✦Bloom tomato paste in oil until it darkens before adding tomato sauce—it builds the rich orange color in your photo.
- ✦Add potatoes and carrots only after pork is almost tender—they should hold their cube shape, not dissolve.
- ✦Quick-sear liver separately for 2–3 minutes; add near the end—overcooked liver turns grainy and bitter.
- ✦Hotdog, bell pepper, peas, garbanzos, and raisins go in last so colors stay bright.
- ✦Stir gently once potatoes are in—you want intact cubes like the photo, not mashed stew.
- ✦Simmer uncovered at the end if the sauce is thin; if too thick, splash in broth a tablespoon at a time.
- ✦Taste at the end: patis and a pinch of sugar balance the tomatoes and raisins—adjust rather than salting early.
- ✦Rest 5 minutes off heat before serving—the sauce tightens and every cube gets coated.
Substitutions
- pork shoulder → pork butt or lean pork belly trimmed of excess fat
- garbanzos → omit or use white beans
- raisins → omit for a less sweet stew, or use dried cranberries
Ingredients
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Instructions
- 1
Prep everything before you turn on the stove—menudo is all about uniform 1 cm cubes so pork, liver, potato, and carrot cook evenly and look like your photo. Pat pork and liver dry; soak liver in cold water with 1 tbsp vinegar for 10 minutes, then drain (reduces any bitter edge).
- 2
Heat 2 tbsp oil in a wide pot or Dutch oven over medium-high. Sear pork in two batches until lightly browned on most sides—do not crowd or it will steam. Set pork aside; leave the fond in the pan.
- 3
In the same pot, add remaining oil. Sauté garlic until fragrant, then onion until soft and translucent. Stir in tomato paste and cook 1 minute until it darkens slightly and smells rich.
- 4
Pour in tomato sauce and 1½ cups broth. Add bay leaves, soy sauce, fish sauce, pepper, sugar, and beef cube if using. Return pork, bring to a boil, then cover and simmer on low 25–30 minutes until pork is almost tender.
- 5
Add potatoes and carrots. Simmer uncovered 12–15 minutes until potatoes are nearly fork-tender but still hold their shape—stir gently so cubes stay intact.
- 6
Quick-sear liver separately: in a small pan with a little oil, cook liver cubes 2–3 minutes just until the outside sets and color darkens—do not overcook or they turn chalky. Add to the pot with hotdogs, bell peppers, peas, garbanzos, and raisins.
- 7
Simmer 8–10 minutes more until peppers are tender-crisp and the sauce is thick, glossy, and coats every cube like the photo. If too thin, cook uncovered; if too thick, splash in remaining broth. Taste and adjust with patis, soy, or a pinch of sugar.
- 8
Rest 5 minutes off heat so flavors settle. Serve in a shallow bowl with steamed rice—the chunky mix of pork, liver, hotdog, potato, carrot, bell pepper, peas, and raisins should look colorful and saucy, not soupy.
Kitchen Timer · 40 min prep first
50:00
