Sinigang na Baboy (Pork Belly In Tamarind Soup)

Ingredients:

• 2 slabs, about 600 grams pork belly, each slab cut into 5
• 4.5 cups rice wash or water
• a teaspoon of iodized coarse salt
• 2 large red overripe tomatoes
• 1 medium red onion, quartered
• 5 pcs string beans, cut at 2" length
• 10 small pcs okra, remove both ends
• 1 medium radish, sliced diagonally at 1/2" thick
• 3/4 tbsp of tamarind powder or sinigang powder
• 2 tbsps of fish sauce (patis)
• 1 small eggplant, cut into 3, then, quartered
• 2-3 pcs finger chilis
• a good bunch of swamp cabbage, leaves and tender stalks only

Procedure:

1. In a casserole, put the pork and rice wash. Bring to boil. But before it boils, remove the scum as it arises in the soup. Do this until liquid clears up.
2. Add the salt, tomatoes and onion. Cover. Bring to boil. Then, simmer very gently for 35 minutes.
3. Increase fire to medium, put the string beans, okra, radish, tamarind powder and patis. Cook until half-done, about 4 minutes. Follow with the eggplant and chilis. Cook for a minute. Dump in the swamp cabbage. Cook until done.
4. Serve hot and with cooked rice and fish sauce, for dipping.