Tokwa't Baboy

One of my favorite Goto (Congee) partner is the Tokwa't Baboy (Tofu / Bean Curd and Pork). Here in our house, the family cooks this dish using pork ears and cheeks, but because I want to try cutting out the fat, I decided to go for a much leaner cut of pork when I craved for it.




Tokwa't Baboy (Tofu / Bean Curd and Pork)
{Serves 3-4}

Ingredients:

• 4 small squares of bean curd (or firm tofu)
• 2 strips of pork belly (liempo)
• 1 small onion, sliced
• 1 medium onion, cut into rings (for garnish)
• 1 small onion, chopped finely
  
• 2-3 cloves garlic, roughly chopped
• 1 bay leaf
  
• 1 finger chili, cut diagonally
• oil for frying
• vinegar
• soy sauce
• ground pepper, to taste
• salt, to taste
  

How to Cook:

• Fry tofu until it turns light brown. Cool, and cut into squares. Set aside.
• In a pot, put pork belly, sliced onions, garlic, bay leaf. Add salt, vinegar, some ground pepper, and some water (not much) and cook pork. Cool, and cut into bite size pieces. Fry until golden brown.
• In a small bowl, combine finely chopped onions, soy sauce and vinegar. Season with pepper.
  
• In a plate, mix the tofu and pork and garnish with finger chili and onion rings. Serve with the soy sauce - vinegar dip.

Points to Consider:

• Choose the belly cut with less fat so you can enjoy the dish more.
• You can opt not to fry the pork if you want to.
• Tofu sold in the public markets are slightly thick, so I cut it in half first before frying it. You can also cut the tofu into the size you want prior to frying, just use a slotted spoon to fish out the pieces.

When I cooked this one, I just ate it as is, and didn't eat rice with it anymore. This dish can be a good appetizer or snack, or part of the main meal - as partner for congee or just plain steamed rice.

*** Jenn ***

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