Pinakurat

A great find during the Filipino Fiesta was this dipping sauce called Pinakurat, a spicy vinegar made from Iligan, a province in the Philippines. (The city is also known as "Industrial Center of the South" and "City of Majestic Waterfalls", as it is home of at least 20 waterfalls, including the Maria Cristina Falls which is also a main source of hydroelectric power.)


Bought with a colleague for $8 for two bottles (special offer lang po!), this dipping sauce is advertised to be best with lechon (spit-roasted pig basted with special spices and with crispy crackling), barbeque (a passion that we Pinoys share with Aussies!), roasted meat or seafood. Nothing better than to give it a try to see if it delivers - and if you take my word for it, it surely does!

There was some excess ham fat that just didn't deserve to be thrown away... so it has been chucked in the oven for 1 hour at 190C after a good drizzle of olive oil and ground schezuan pepper.... and turned into nice, crispy crackling.

Serve with beer!

From the Pinakurat website : "Pinakurat is a traditional Iliganon (MC : i.e. from Iligan) dish made from wild boar meat “sulop” cooked only by a flame-shut pot of boiling coco vinegar, chilies, and spices. Since the taste of the vinegar is very similar to that of the dish, it was then named after it. Another surprising but practical reason is that the product presents a pleasant surprise that excites the senses to a taste long desired. The word pinakurat is from the word "kurat” which means surprise in Visayan vernacular. (MC : Visayan, or Cebuano, is the city's major language).

Pinoys love their "sawsawan", the dipping sauce, hence the Pinoy pantry will always have a soft spot for this very versatile dipping sauce.

It is also a testament to another typical Filipino trait - being world class! With stores in Ireland, UK and Australia, there may be a Pinakurat near you! Check out the FAQ's in the website here .